ISL 2023-24: Bengaluru FC vs Mohun Bagan: Preview, predicted lineup, injury news, H2H, telecast details

Mohun Bagan will aim to win this ISL tie in order to challenge Mumbai City for the ISL Shield.

Mohun Bagan are set to travel to Bengaluru FC in their penultimate match of the Indian Super League (ISL) 2023-24 league stages at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium on April 11. The Mariners have to win this match if they aim to keep their ISL Shield aspirations up and face up a title decider against Mumbai City in both their final match of the league stages.

The Stakes

Bengaluru FC

Bengaluru FC have been knocked out of the ISL playoffs race after their recent loss to East Bengal. The highest they can potentially achieve is the seventh spot if some other results go their way. While it might seem that they have nothing to play for, that is not the case at all. If not anything, the Blues have their fans to fight for.

Bengaluru FC have always been strongly represented by their strong fan base, who are still going to turn up in big numbers for this final game of the 2023-24 season. That should give Gerard Zaragoza’s men enough motivation to take the fight to Mohun Bagan and oust their ISL Shield chances. A win can be a sweet end to what has been a disappointing season for Bengaluru and give some joy to the supporters. However, another loss can result in a real grim end to the campaign and leave fans miserable for many months.

Mohun Bagan

The equations are quite simple for Mohun Bagan. If they aspire to win their maiden ISL Shield, then they need to win their next two games. Saying that, they need to defeat Bengaluru FC at their own yard. The Mariners might not have their head coach Antonio Habas in these matches, but they need to produce a spirited performance for their fans’ joy.

Another win can further improve the momentum and confidence levels of Mohun Bagan, giving them enough spirit to strengthen their chances of winning the ISL Shield. However, a draw or loss will have the same value – as it’ll end their ISL Shield-winning chances and basically crown Mumbai City as the Shield winners again.

Injury & Team News

Bengaluru FC will have a fully fit squad for this fixture. Sahal Abdul Samad is still recovering from the injury he suffered during the last international break. Deepak Tangri is suspended.

Head-to-Head

Matches Played – 9

Bengaluru FC wins – 1

Mohun Bagan wins – 6

Draws – 2

Predicted Lineups

Bengaluru FC (4-3-2-1)

Gurpreet Singh Sandhu (GK), Nikhil Poojary, Chinglensana Singh, Aleksandar Jovanovic, Naorem Roshan Singh, Keziah Veendorp, Suresh Singh, Lalremtluanga Fanai, Javi Hernandez, Sunil Chhetri, Oliver Drost

Mohun Bagan (3-1-4-2)

Vishal Kaith, Anwar Ali, Hector Yuste, Subhasish Bose, Abhishek Suryavanshi, Manvir Singh, Anirudh Thapa, Joni Kauko, Liston Colaco, Dimitri Petratos, Armando Sadiku

Players to Watch

Javi Hernandez (Bengaluru FC)

Javi Hernandez has been one of the few bright sparks in Bengaluru FC’s disappointing season. The 34-year-old has proven to be a hard-working, efficient midfielder who has been quintessential between their defensive and attacking areas. Hernandez loves playing in between the lines in the opposition box and has proven to be a surprising goal-scorer, often drifting into key areas before smashing shots past goalkeepers.

That is exactly what he will aim to do against Mohun Bagan. He’ll look to disrupt their defensive line by making smart runs to drag defenders out of position to make room for his teammates. The Spaniard will also look to get the ball into more goal-scoring areas and also improve his final delivery to help Bengaluru put on an entertaining spectacle to cap off the season.

Joni Kauko (Mohun Bagan)

Joni Kauko has been a prolific addition to the Mohun Bagan side in the second half of the ISL 2023-24 season. The midfielder has added a sense of explosiveness, energy and creativity in midfield. Kauko has excelled in his free role, often winning back possession and working quickly to reach his forwards in the transitions.

Kauko will need to be at his unpredictable best to break the sturdy shape of Bengaluru FC. He’ll not only look to be aggressive in winning the ball back in key areas, but also carry it forward intelligently. The 33-year-old has to use his innovative passes to send his teammates through in key areas and dominate the midfield battle for his team to clinch a comfortable win.

Did you know?

• Bengaluru FC have played out seven draws in the ISL 2023-24 season, the second-most for any team in the division.
• Deepak Tangri has picked up the most yellow cards (9) in the ISL this season, receiving them in only 14 matches.
• Gurpreet Singh Sandhu (66) has made the most saves in this ISL edition.

Telecast

The Bengaluru FC vs Mohun Bagan game kicks off at 7:30 PM (IST), at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium, Bengaluru on Thursday, April 11, 2024. The live telecast will be available on the Sports18 Network (Sports18 1/VH1 channel) and the live streaming of the game will be available on the JioCinema app. Viewers from abroad can use OneFootball to stream the game.

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