High-fliers Bengaluru take on resurgent Mumbai

Bengaluru FC will look to build on a perfect start to the season when they take on Mumbai FC at the Cooperage on Wednesday. The two teams have met four times in the I-League and have always ended up sharing the spoils.

Published : Jan 26, 2016 19:42 IST , Mumbai

Kim Sing Yong's (in pic) partnership with C. K. Vineeth has been the catalyst for Bengaluru's form, with the duo among the goals in their 3-0 victory over Shillong Lajong on Sunday.
Kim Sing Yong's (in pic) partnership with C. K. Vineeth has been the catalyst for Bengaluru's form, with the duo among the goals in their 3-0 victory over Shillong Lajong on Sunday.
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Kim Sing Yong's (in pic) partnership with C. K. Vineeth has been the catalyst for Bengaluru's form, with the duo among the goals in their 3-0 victory over Shillong Lajong on Sunday.

Bengaluru FC will look to build on a perfect start to the season when they take on Mumbai FC at the Cooperage on Wednesday. The two teams have met four times in the I-League and have always ended up sharing the spoils.

Bengaluru coach Ashley Westwood couldn’t have asked for a better start to the new season as his boys made it three wins in as many games after beating Shillong Lajong 3-0, at home, on Sunday. While the defence was impregnable, the combination of C. K. Vineeth and Kim Sing Yong justified their pairing.

“Kim being physical and Vineeth being in good form and using his pace to link together is a good partnership. Udanta and Sunil can also play in those positions. We definitely have more options in that respect,” said Westwood.

Eugeneson Lyngdoh and Josimar da Silva were on target in a 1-1 draw against MFC at the Cooperage last season. A good result on Wednesday will be the perfect boost for BFC, who travel straight to Kolkata to take on East Bengal on Saturday.

Westwood added: “It’s important to win every game. We have a tough schedule ahead; six games in the next 20 days is unheard of. We have four away matches in our first five games as well but we’re looking to stay positive.”

Steven Dias fit to play

Mumbai FC, high on confidence after tasting a home victory against Salgaocar SC, will also look forward to extending the form.

After drawing the first two games, MFC struck form in Sunday’s game against the Goan side. The forwards also struck form with two delightful goals, putting the side in a positive frame of mind before taking on the unbeaten BFC.

Khalid Jamil, MFC Head Coach, explained: “The win in the Salgaocar match has boosted the morale and confidence of the team. All players are fit to play. Steven Dias recovered from a slight ankle niggle which kept him out of the last game and is available for selection.”

The home team players went through a light training session on Monday. “The preparations for the game against Bengaluru have started well. They have a good team but we have a decent record against them. We hope we can continue the run, with home crowd support,” he said.

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