Shillong: After coming from a goal down to draw against table-toppers Mohun Bagan, Shillong Lajong FC is all set to host defending champions Bengaluru FC at the JN Stadium, here on Saturday.
Fourth-placed Lajong will be gunning for victory against Bengaluru in order to keep the visiting team at bay.
The two sides have met three times before in Shillong in the I-League with the results evenly spread: one win for Lajong, one win for Bengaluru and one draw.
Balancing the top league of Indian football along with the AFC Cup has proved to be a challenge for Albert Roca’s men, who have been unable to match their performances from the previous three seasons of the I-League, in which they have won the title twice, while finishing runners-up once.
Bengaluru are coming into this game after a hard fought last minute 1-0 victory over Aizawl FC at home on April 9.
However, Bengaluru’s away form in the I-League has not been all that positive, with the Blues registering just one victory on the road in eight games. Saturday’s contest will be the defending champions’ final away match of the season and their last chance to improve on their grim statistics.
Speaking on Thursday, Shillong Lajong head coach Thangboi Singto said, “Grit, determination and fighting spirit were exhibited by our boys yesterday. On top of that we demonstrated good football and overall it was a fine performance against the strongest team in the I-League.”
The lack of downtime between these high profile matches is an area of concern for the team management, but the gaffer said that the squad are adapting to the situation as best as they can with both physical and mental recovery a priority.
“Bengaluru are always a good team and they have very experienced players. It will definitely be another challenging match for us,” Singto said about Saturday’s opponents.
“We need to continue the way we approached and played against Mohun Bagan, that is, to not be intimidated by them. We have to go for maximum points,” he signed off.
