Bengaluru FC eye top spot in ISL
BENGALURU: Having got back to their winning ways after two consecutive reversals, Bengaluru would eye pole position in the points table when they take on defending champions ATK on Sunday.
Chennaiyin and newbies Jamshedpur rocked Bengaluru’s citadel last month winning 2-1 and 1-0 respectively before the Blues steadied their ship in Kochi with a 3-1 win.
The hosts are placed third on the standings with 15 points from five wins in eight games, while ATK are seventh with nine points. Against ATK, they would want to take forward the confidence look to the likes of Miku and Chhetri to deliver the goods once again.
Coach Roca has been particularly impressed with Miku, who is the second-highest scorer in the competition now with eight goals to his name.
“Miku is a top player and he has shown that all season,” Roca had said after their win over Kerala on December 31.
“I hope he will be like this till the end. Today he did his job very well. He is a guy who is not just scoring. He keeps the ball well. He is just the striker we need, and am very happy with his performance tonight,” said Roca.
In ATK, Bengaluru could find an opponent who are not in the best of shape. After stitching a couple of wins on the bounce, the
Teddy Sheringham-coached outfit stumbled at home against Goa who braved unprecedented circumstances to hold the twice champions 1-1.
ATK had registered wins over Mumbai City and Delhi Dyna before a much-delayed kickoff due to “unavoidable” circumstances saw them throw away an early lead to share the spoils. The tie which started late on Wednesday and ended in the wee hours of Thursday saw star Robbie Keane net in the fourth minute before Ferran Corominas restored parity.
CHENNAIYIN HOST STRUGGLING DELHI
CHENNAI: Chennaiyin take on a struggling Delhi Dynamos with a chance to go top. A confident Chennaiyin are looking strong under John Gregory and have recovered well after a loss to Goa in the opening game. Despite an inferior head-to-head record against Delhi, Chennai will head into the match with confidence. While CFC’s performance has looked up since the opening loss, Dynamos have endured a forgettable campaign so far, winning only a game and losing other six.