It took an inspired Sunil Chhetri brace to drag Bengaluru FC past FC Goa last week. It was a result that gave Bengaluru vital breathing room; defeat would have left the side five points adrift of Goa and worrying over its Indian Super League (ISL 2019-20) play-off chances. It is thus a relieved and confident BFC that will take the field on Thursday, for a meeting with Jamshedpur FC.
Chhetri has now scored seven of Bengaluru's 13 goals this season and it must worry Carles Cuadrat that the likes of Manuel Onwu and Udanta Singh have failed to contribute. The arrival of the club's new offensive signing, Deshorn Brown, has been delayed by visa issues; thus the side will depend on Chhetri again.
"It's true that Sunil is our top-scorer, but we are creating chances for everyone," said goalkeeping coach Javier Pinillos. "We are not worried because we are sure even the others will score."
Jamshedpur began the season with a bang, winning three of its first five matches, but its form has since tailed off. Injuries to key attackers Sergio Castel and Piti have clearly hurt the side; Jamshedpur has failed to win any of its last five games. The two players are yet to recover but midfielder Noe Acosta has returned from injury.
"We are creating chances, but without Sergio Castel we are not able to finish them," said Jamshedpur coach Antonio Iriondo. "Obviously, his absence is a blow for us. Hopefully, he will be able to play from the next match.”
Bengaluru, though, will not take Jamshedpur lightly. "They have been in the top four almost all season," said Pinillos. "We can't be overconfident. We had a real tough 0-0 draw when we played them earlier this season," he added.
Cuadrat will watch this game from the gallery as he serves a one-match suspension and the Bengaluru coach will hope for an anxiety-free evening.
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