BENGALURU, 29 MARCH

Back home after international matches, Bengaluru Football Club or Bengaluru FC are all set to launch a renewed push for a change in momentum. BFC will host Odisha FC at Kanteerava Stadium on Saturday.

BFC are currently sitting 7th in the points table with 21 points in 19 matches. In contrast, Odisha are placed 4th with 35 points in 19 matches. While BFC have to win all its remaining matches, Chennaiyin FC and Punjab FC need to drop points in their remaining games in order to qualify for the playoffs.

The Blues suffered a defeat in their last match against FC Goa. Also, the agile Suresh Singh received a red card for his foul on Boris Singh Thangjam as the Blues were down to 10 men. So, the left-wing position is open as of now for the Blues.

Head coach of the Blues Gerard Zaragoza told Salar News, “We can start our playing 11 with Oliver Drost, Ryan Williams and Shivaldo Singh if not Sunil Chhetri.” ‘The man for the big saves’ Gurpreet Singh Sandhu seems like the most obvious choice between the sticks, the coach told Salar News.

Shivaldo pulled a goal back in the last quarter in a U-23 Indian friendly against Malaysia that happened in Kuala Lumpur Stadium. “Today’s match is the most important match for us in this season. It is as important as the final match. The most crucial thing for us is to play stable football and attack. I’m not putting any pressure on the players and not thinking about results. Moreover, the home crowd will be a big supporting factor for us,” he said.

Zaragoza who was part of the ISL-winning 2018-19 squad signed a new deal in December 2023, until the end of the 2024- 25 season. These two teams have met 16 times across all competitions, in which BFC have won eight times whereas Odisha FC registered seven wins. The last meeting was in the Kalinga Super Cup which was won by Odisha. —Salar News