I League : It’s Bagan Strike Force Versus The Blues Defence At Kanteerava

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Mohun Bagan will look to salvage full points against Bengaluru FC tommorow at Kanteerava .

Bengaluru : It will be an interesting battle on the cards as defending I League champions Mohun Bagan  go head to head against last years runners Bengaluru FC at Kanteerava tomorrow  . The duel between Sony Norde led Bagan attack against Curtis Osano and John Johnson will definitely add spice to the much anticipated I League  match on Saturday .

It’s being billed as the fixture of the season by all and sundry but Ashley Westwood decided to play down the hoopla surrounding the Bengaluru FC-Mohun Bagan clash that takes place at the Kanteerava Stadium, on Saturday, as ‘just another football match’.

Bagan coach Sanjay Sen will be looking to get the full points at the Blues fortress for the first time .The Mariners  have never won against Bengaluru FC at Kanteerava . Last season the team drew with Ashley Westwood’s side to clinch the title .

Bagan return to the stadium where they won their first I-League title after equalizing late against the Blues to break Bengaluru hearts on the last day of the 2014-15 season, but Westwood refused to be drawn into the ‘grudge’ label. “There are no grudges. It’s just a football match. It’s the eighth game of the season which means we are halfway there and there are eight more games to play for. Yes, we are playing the title contenders but the result won’t impact the title race as such,” said Westwood while adding that his team was looking forward to the game and wouldn’t need any extra motivation.

The Blues are coming on the back of a commanding 4-1 win over League debutants DSK Shivajians and Westwood said he was pleased with the fact that Bengaluru had four different scorers in that game. “It’s the sign of a good side. We aren’t reliant on one or two players like some teams are. Our goals are shared across – Vineeth has a few, as do Sunil and Kim Song Yong . Even Osano has a goal for himself.”

Bagan, meanwhile, came away with a 0-0 result to Mumbai FC, their second draw of the campaign. But striker Cornell Glenn simply put it down to a bad day at the office. “What happened in the last game is something that happens to every team – a bad day.” commented Sanjay Sen . The gaffer further added , he will be eyeing full points against his opponents who he feels are not unbeatable ,“If Sporting can win against them , why can’t we . Sporting have defeated them by 2 goals and that too with 10 men . I have planned a lot to get the better of them . It’s upto the players now to execute my plans on the field . My aim will be to get three points tomorrow .”

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Blues will look up to skipper Sunil Chhetri to score .

On being asked whether it will be a match between Bagan strikers and Bengaluru defence , Sanjay Sen commented ,“ I also believe we have a very good strike force . But they are also strong in all departments . More so they will be high on confidence coming back after a 4-1 win over DSK Shivajians . What’s more important ,they do not rely on a particular footballer for goals . They too  have Sunil Chhetri , Korean striker Kim Song and Yong . We need to be careful about .”

Trinadadian Glen has forged a potent partnership with Sony Norde ahead while Katsumi Yusa pulls the strings in the midfield. The trio coming up against what is easily the strongest central defensive pairing in the League in John Johnson and Curtis Osano, will be an interesting sub-plot to the game. Bagan coach Sanjay Sen feel his defenders have also done well so far . “Luciano Sabrosa have done well so far . We  have failed to score goals rather than conceding it . The best part is we did not let in any goals in the last match . We need to be latching on to  the opportunities that come our way   . We cannot afford to lose 3 points, we will be happy to go back with at least one point .”

What will also be interesting to see is the first XI that Westwood decides to roll out given the way he’s rotated the squad since the start of the season. The gaffer fielded as many as four new faces after the defeat to Sporting, in the win against Shivajians. While Eugeneson Lyngdoh and Daniel Lalhlimpuia continue to recover from injuries, Ranjan Singh and Udanta Singh are with the U-23 national team that has made the semifinal of the South Asian Games in Guwahati. “We have a competitive squad. We have 24 outfield players and anyone can find themselves in the frame for the first team. We looked at options the other night by making a few changes,” said Westwood.

The two teams have met five times in all competitions where Bengaluru and Bagan have won a game each while three of the fixtures have ended up in draws.