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[caption id="attachment_24892" align="alignnone" width="580"] Bengaluru FC is in brink of creating a new history. | Image: Bengaluru FC[/caption]   Internet Desk: India’s champion Bengaluru FC are all set to ink their names in the history of Asian football to become the first Indian team to appear in the final of the prestigious AFC Cup. The I-League champions, whose reigns have been taken over by former FC Barcelona assistant coach Albert Roca after the exit of highly successful Ashley Westwood, garnered a 1-1 draw against the AFC Cup defending champions Johor Darul Ta'zim in the first leg semi-final clash in Malaysia. The Southern Tigers, the defending AFC Cup champions Johor Darul Ta’zim on the other hand, need to score to progress to the final for the second time in a row. XtraTime.in have tried to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of Bengaluru FC before they play the game which could turn out to be one of the biggest milestones of Indian club football.   Strengths:  

1. No injury concerns. The team is fit and fresh. The away goal is indeed a huge bonus.
2. Johor Darul won’t get the service of the Argentine strike duo after Juan Martin Lucero and Pereyra Diaz picked up yellow cards. This would be a huge boost for the Indian club.
3. The team is not dependent on any star. Not even on Sunil Chhetri. The team is the star and is bolstered by a bunch of young and highly talented footballers like Alwyn George, Nishu Kumar, Malsawmzuala, Daniel Lalhlimpuia and Darren Caldeira.
4. To have a leader like Sunil Chhetri on the upfront , who can lead the team by an example. The current form of playmaker Eugeneson Lyngdoh too, will motivate the Blues to perform at the highest level. The home ground is an added advantage.
5. The presence of Cameron Watson in front of the back four adds reliability in the Bengaluru defence. The former A-League midfielder has been the key to Bengaluru’s solid defence under Roca, sitting in front of the back four and disrupting opposition attacks while feeding the ball forward upon the break down. Johor will need to find a way around the veteran Aussie if they are to grab that crucial away goal.

1. Absence of young and energetic Udanta Singh on the right flank because of injury, who had been outstanding in the last twelve months, both for his club and the country.
2. The forwards are wasting too many chances. The team is no doubt pressing hard on the opposition defense but the end results are hurting the BFC coach.
3. The defensive tactics could turn out to be an advantage for the away side considering the experience and strength the defending champions have.
4. This Bengaluru side often goes into the shell due to some inexperience. Players like, Sunil, Lyngdoh & Cameron need to be cautious about it.
5. The pressure of reaching the final as the first Indian club is something monumental. The characters of the young talents will no doubt be tested in the second leg, where just a single mistake can be fatal.