Shillong Lajong will have their task cut out when they take on Bengaluru FC in their last home game of the I-League here tomorrow.
Shillong Lajong will have their task cut out when they take on Bengaluru FC in their last home game of the I-League here tomorrow.
Having snatched a point from table-toppers Mohun Bagan in their last home encounter, Lajong would like to settle for nothing less than full three points against Bengaluru in the Round of 16 match at the Nehru Stadium.
A win tomorrow against the Bengaluru side tomorrow will keep Lajong in the hunt for a top three finish.
Bengaluru, on the other hand, come to the tie on the back of a hard-earned last minute win over Aizawl FC at home and would be desperate to bolster their reputation as a formidable I-League side.
Balancing the top league of Indian football along with the AFC Cup has proved to be a challenge for Albert Roca's men, who have been unable to match their performances from the previous three seasons of the I-League, in which they have won the title twice while finishing runners-up once.
Bengaluru's form in the away matches of the I-League has not been the best, with the 'Blues' registering just one victory on the road in eight games (against newbies Minerva Punjab FC) along with four draws and three defeats.
Tomorrow's contest will be Bengaluru's final away match of the season and their last chance to improve on their grim statistics.
Ahead of the crucial tie tomorrow, Lajong coach Thangboi Singto said, "Bengaluru have always been a good team and they have very experienced players. It will definitely be another challenging match for us.
"We need to continue the way we approached and played against Mohun Bagan, that is, to not be intimidated by the opposition team, We have to go for maximum points."
(This article has not been edited by DNA's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)
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