AFC Cup 2021 Live Commentary: Bengaluru FC vs Bashundhara Kings

Bengaluru FC		Bashundhara Kings
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FULL TIME: It was a very entertaining game as both teams were trying to gain the upper hand. Bashundhara Kings were very much in the game till the hour mark but the tides turned towards Bengaluru FC after that. The Blues created a lot of chances in the last quarter but lacked that killing instinct in front of the goal. All in all, it was a good performance from BFC and Marco Pezzaiuoli will be happy with the performance from his boys after losing the first match.

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90+4' That's that for the game as BFC failed to find the winning goal but they have shown improvement from their first match. It was a hard fought draw and Marco Pezzaiuoli will grab it with both hands.

90+3' Corner for BFC but it is overhit and comes to nothing. The Blues have been very scrappy with their setpieces, they have not managed to capitalise on all their chances.

90+2' Substitution for BFC as Sivasakti comes on for Suresh Singh. Siva makes his club debut for the Blues.

90' Four minutes have been added to the regulation time and BFC needs to throw the kitchen sink now.

88' OFFSIDE!! Cleiton and Sunil combine to create an opening but the Indian captain was well offside. That could have been the best chance of the game for the Blues.

86' Excellent move from BFC as Jayesh finds Leon in space, the young winger shuffles to his right and then but Tariq Kazi was up to the task as he does not allow him to take the shot.

84' It has been all BFC since the hour mark as they have created several openings and have troubled the King's defenders. They have just not managed to score that decisive goal.

81' CHANCE FOR BFC!! Cleiton Silva catches the Kings' defence napping as he takes a long shot but Anisur comes up with a great save!. That was creeping in on the top corner. Great save.

80' Leon Augustine's inclusion has changed the game on its head. He has been exceptional on the right flank and the Kings have struggled to keep up with his lightning pace and trickery.

78' BFC are gaining the upper hand now and they have their tails up after all those moves early on. They just need to bury at least one of those chances now.

75' ALMOST FOR BFC!! The resultant corner was headed down by Alan Costa and it almost went in after striking the bar. That was on the line and out for Bengaluru FC. The Indian side is looking very threatening now.

73' WHAT A CHANCE FOR BFC!!!!! Sunil Chhetri takes the shot the first time but it was a weak effort but he hits the rebound hard and forces a save from Anisur Rahamn. UFF THAT WAS CLOSE!!

72' Excellent move for BFC as Cleiton waltzes past a defender and drills a low cross but Topu Barman is equal to the task with a solid clearance. BFC gain more rhythm now.

70' Both teams have had some chances in the second half but they have not been clinical in front of goal to bury those chances. The hot and humid weather has also played its part with both teams tiring.

67' Great move from BFC as Leon Augustine pierces the Kings defence on the counter-attack and finds Chhetri. But the Indian captain fails to get past Bishwanath Ghosh. That was such a great chance for the ISL outfit.

65' Freekick for the Kings as Robinho is tripped. But the delivery falls to a BFC defender and is cleared away from danger.

63' Pezzaiuoli is making a lot of changes as he looks to regain control in this game. But both Musavu-King and Roshan were doing pretty well so it must have been fatigue rather than tactics.

61' Two substitutions for BFC as Pratik Chaudhuri and Ajith Kumar comes on for Musavu-King and Roshan Singh.

60' Great header from Chhetri as he leaps over the defender but the header is off-target. There's a glimpse of what the Indian captain can do!

58' The Kings are looking like a formidable side now. They have a very fluid attack and they are now asking all the questions and creating the openings. BFC needs to break the shift and involve the likes of Cleiton and Sunil moe.

55' WHAT A CHANCE FOR THE KINGS!!! Robinho finds himself in space and hits it the first time but Roshan was equal to the task with a bicycle kick to clear the lines. However, the ball was still in the danger area as Gurpreet came in with a great clearance to avert the danger. That was almost the first goal of the match.

53' It has been a very exciting start to the second half. Both sides are looking to create chances but till now both defences have done well in averting the danger.

49' Good move from BFC as a long ball from Costa finds Chhetri clear on goal but he is judged offside. In the replay, it was rather a handball than offside. The Indian captain failed to control the ball and it touched his hand. That could have been a golden opportunity for BFC to go up front.

47' Khaled Shafiei is booked, he gets the first yellow card of the second half.

45' Substitution for the Kings, Md. Ibrahim takes the field in place of Mahibubur Rahman.

5:30 PM The second half is all set to start. The players are out on the field and Bashundhara Kings start the proceedings.

HALFTIME: Bengaluru FC started the game really well as they looked to control things and create some chances. However, the Bashundhara Kings had all the answers to their questions. As we came near the half hour mark the power shift happened and the Bangladeshi champions started imposing themselves in the attack. Jonathan has got a lot of freedom in midfield and he is looking to combine with South American teammates, Robinho and Raul Becerra. Although the Blues have been solid in defence, they need more composure in midfield and attack. BFC also needs to focus on their setpiece efficiency, they have got some corners and freekicks but none of them resulted in any danger for the Kings.

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45' That's the halftime whistle and both teams have not managed to open the scoring. But it has been a very exciting end to end football from both sides.

44' Substitution from Bengaluru FC as Sarthak Golui replaces Parag Shrivas.

44' Traiq Kazi receives a yellow card and BFC have a freekick in a good position. Cleiton drills the ball in but Topu Barman clears it. Bidyasaghar failed to control the rebound.

41' Excellent move from the Kings as Robinho and Raul Becerra combined and that was almost the first goal. Becerra needed a little more space to take the shot but a great defensive block from Alan Costa to keep the score level.

39' Great move from BFC as Roshan and Chhetri combines but a great tackle from Traiq Kazi to avert the danger. BFC fails to create a chance from the resultant corner.

37' Kings' defender Khaled Shafiei is down and is being treated but he looks alright to continue.

35' BFC is lacking that bite in midfield. All three of their midfielder do not have much AFC Cup experience and that is pretty evident. The Kings have controlled proceedings and are looking good with the ball. However, they have not managed to create clear cut chances.

33' What a hit from Jonathan!! Thankfully Gurpreet was aware and he averted the danger. BFC really need to up their game in midfield. They cannot afford this much space in midfield.

32' The power shift has happened, Bashundhara Kings have taken the initiative of this game and they are now asking questions. BFC have done well defensively but they need to take control of the ball more or the game may just slip away.

29' Excellent tackle from Roshan Singh as he stops Robinho in his tracks. That could have been very dangerous for BFC.

26' Freekick for Kings again, BFC really need to stop conceding these clumsy freekicks. They have defended well till now but they need to avoid these freekicks.

24' 2nd corner for Bengaluru FC!! Great work from Jayesh Rane to get the corner but the danger was averted by the Kings' defence.

21' Musavi-King receives a yellow card and that is the first booking of the match. He will have to be very aware now.

19' Are we witnessing a powershift? BFC started the game really well and now the Kings have created some chances and they are looking to take the initiative.

17' Freekick for the KIngs right at the edge of the box!! But thwarted away by the BFC defence.

16' Everything that the Bashundhara Kings have created till now has been from the left flank courtesy of Robinho.

14' Bengaluru needs to move the ball around at a higher tempo, that way they will expose the cracks in Bashundhara Kings' midfield. They will have their chances but they need to be ready to grab them.

10' BFC cannot afford to give Jonathan any space in midfield. His outside of the boot pass almost caught the BFC defence napping. Thank god it was offside!

9' BFC has certainly asked more questions but the Kings have also come up with answers. The Blues need a little more composure in attack, they need to involve the likes of Cleiton Silva and Sunil Chhetri.

7' Pezzaiuoli has also shown his trust in new signings Danish Farooq and Bidyasaghar Singh and till now they have not disappointed.

5' It will be a big test for Parag Shrivas, probably the biggest in his short career to contain the Brazilian Robinho who has been in the thick of things for the Bashundhara Kings already. BFC cannot offer any space to him or things will go down south.

3' It will be interesting to see how the game pans out as both sides are known for controlling the possession.

1' We are underway!!! Bengaluru FC are already looking to control things from the first minute

4:28 PM Bengaluru FC are in their usual blue jersey while Bashundhara Kings are the ones in the red and white kit.

4:25 PM Head coach Oscar Bruzon who is very familiar with Indian football is confident that his team will build on their first win against Maziya. Therefore the Bashundhara Kings have fielded an unchanged eleven.

4:22 PM The players are coming out of the tunnel and the game will start short stay tuned!

4:15 PM It will be a very crucial match for both sides but a little more for Bengaluru FC as they need to win to stay in contention to progress to the knockout rounds. The Blues had a slow start against ATK Mohun Bagan but they gained some momentum in the second half of the game. Head coach Marco Pezzaiuoli have made some necessary changes as he wants his men to take the initiative right from the start.

03:40 PM The lineups for Bengaluru FC vs Bashundhara Kings are out!

Bengaluru FC: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu (GK); Parag Shrivas, Alan Costa, Yrondu Musavu-King, Roshan Singh; Suresh Wangjam, Danish Farooq, Jayesh Rane; Bidyashagar Singh, Cleiton Silva, Sunil Chhetri (C).

Bashundhara Kings: Anisur Rahman (GK); Topu Barman (C), Bishwanath Ghosh, Tariq Raihan Kazi, Khaled Shafiei; Masuk Miah Zoni, Jonathan Reis, Biplo Ahmed; Raul Oscar Becerra, Robson Da Silva, Mahbubur Rahman.

03:36 PM A bit of scene-setting as we build-up to kickoff. Both Bengaluru FC and Bashundhara Kings are in Group D of the AFC Cup 2021. They've been joined by ATK Mohun Bagan from India and Maldives' Maziya S&RC. The four teams will play each other once across three matchdays. The team that finishes as group leaders will advance to the knockout rounds.

The stakes are very simple for Bengaluru FC. It is a do-or-die situation for Marco Pezzaiuoli’s men. Following the defeat against ATKMB, they are now one loss away from losing the chance to qualify as group toppers. It is a make-or-break situation for the Blues and they must deliver the goods when the two teams face each other.

Bashundhara Kings come into the fixture vs Bengaluru FC with a lot of confidence. The Bangladesh Premier League outfit is on a four-match winning streak across all competitions. They opened their account in the AFC Cup with a comfortable 2-0 victory over Maziya S&RC. A victory against the former ISL champions will put them in the driving seat for knockouts qualification.

There is a lot riding on the clash between the clubs from India and Bangladesh respectively. The contest looks evenly matched on paper and the result could go either way.

Bengaluru FC Vs Bashundhara Kings Preview here.

03:30 PM Hello and welcome to Khel Now's live coverage of the AFC Cup 2021. We have a blockbuster on hand as Indian Super League (ISL) giants Bengaluru FC go head-to-head vs Bashundhara Kings. We will be keeping you company here, through a fascinating evening of football.

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