BFC Strength:
Indian skipper Sunil Chhetri, has led the Blues from the front, and despite age not being on his side, the skipper has shown no signs of slowing down. Furthermore, the Bengaluru attacking line-up is a formidable one, with the likes of Chhetri, Cleiton Silva and Ibara. Add to that, Indian goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu under the sticks. One of the best keepers hailing from the country, Sandhu adds a lot of weightage to the BFC line-up.
With an influx of new signings the Blues have a strong bench strength as well. While key players departed after last season, BFC have five new foreign players this season, including, Iman Basafa, Prince Ibarra, Bruno Ramires, Alan Costa and Musava King, making it a squad capable of picking up the crown. Not only have the Blues made some notable overseas signings, the Indian youngsters added to the squad add more depth to the strong line-up.
While the recent AFC Cup performances were not up to the mark, new coach Pezzaiuoli got a chance to work with the side and see what he has to work with before the ISL kicks off.
BFC Weakness:
Unlike the previous editions, the Blues squad have had a major overhaul. And an influx of new players in the squad means the team will take time to settle in and find the perfect playing XI. Ahead of the season, the AFC performance was not upto the mark, and with the season set to get underway with a new manager at helm, the former champions will need to quickly work out the kinks and get off to a winning start in the eleven-team competition.
One of the key areas of concern for the Bengaluru side will be the absence of a strong Indian centre-back. The departure of Rahul Bheke puts a lot of pressure on Prathik Choudhary and he has failed to impress so far. The two overseas centre-backs in Yronda Musavu-King and Alan Costa haven't provided the stability the side needs. Defence will be a big area of concern for the new manager. Udanta Singh's form has been a concern for a while, but during the AFC matches, Singh showed a glimpse of what he is capable of and the Blues will hope he finds his form back.
Bengaluru FC Squad:
Goalkeepers: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Lara Sharma, Sharon Padattil
Defenders: Pratik Chaudhari, Alan Costa, Wungngayam Muirang, Sarthak Golui, Ajith Kumar, Parag Shrivas, Yrondu Musavu-King, Naorem Roshan Singh, Muhammad Inayath
Midfielders: Bruno Ramires, Jayesh Rane, Suresh Singh Wangjam, Iman Basafa, Danish Farooq, Rohit Kumar, Ajay Chhetri, Ashique Kuruniyan, Biswa Darjee, Damaitphang Lyngdoh
Fowards: Sunil Chhetri, Prince Ibara, Harmanpreet Singh, Edmund Lalrindika, Udanta Singh, Cleiton Silva, Namgyal Bhutia, Bidyashagar Singh, Leoin Augustine, Sivasakhti Narayanan, Akashdeep Singh
Head Coach: Marco Pezzaiuoli
BFC Key Players:
As the Bengaluru side fight back to regain their former glory, skipper Chhetri will be their key player along with senior keeper Sandhu. New signings Danish Farooq, Jayesh Rane and Rohit Kumar enjoyed a good outing in the AFC Cup and could be key in the BLues campaing this season. Futhermore, teams will need to watch out for new additions Bruno Ramires, Costa and Ibara.
BFC 2021-22 Fixtures till round 10
November 20: Bengaluru FC vs NorthEast United FC - 7:30 PM IST
November 24: Odisha FC vs Bengaluru FC - 7:30 PM IST
November 28: Bengaluru FC vs Kerala Blasters - 7:30 PM IST
December 4: Bengaluru FC vs Mumbai City - 9:30 PM IST
December 8: Hyderabad FC vs Bengaluru FC - 7:30 PM IST
December 11: FC Goa vs Bengaluru FC - 9:30 PM IST
December 16: Bengaluru FC vs ATK Mohun Bagan - 7:30 PM IST
December 20: Jamshedpur FC vs Bengaluru FC - 7:30 PM IST
December 30: Chennaiyin FC vs Bengaluru FC - 7:30 PM IST
January 4: Bengaluru FC vs East Bengal - 7:30 PM IST
BFC Season Prediction
The former champions have always been a force to reckon with ever since their inception in 2017. Having bounced back from dismal positions before, the side has to capability to put up a strong fight for the title. After losing out on the playoffs last season, the first time ever, Blues have the squad to find their way back to the top in the upcoming season of the Indian Super League.