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We will pick our moments to attack, says Bengaluru coach Roca

The game kicks off under floodlights at 7 PM IST and will be streamed live on AFC's Facebook channel.

By Aravind
Albert Roca

Bengaluru, October 17: One of Bengaluru FC's practice routines at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium on Tuesday (October 17) involved the players attempting to score from the edge of the box against goalkeepers Gurpreet Singh Sandhu and Lalthuammawia Ralte.

Captain Sunil Chhetri would charge in first after a pass from the left flank. There was no defender ahead of Chhetri but the 33-year-old was tasked with scoring from outside the D. He would shoot to either his left or right to test Gurpreet out.

His team-mates Udanta Singh and Toni Dovale surged in afterwards to complete the routine. At first, it appears to be a normal drill but given the familiarity with the situation, where they have to win by a two-goal margin against FC Istiklol in their AFC Cup Inter-Zonal Final second leg, the goal-scoring practice seems logical.

Coming up against taller Istiklol defenders, Bengaluru will have to try taking shots from the edge of the box as penetrations into the D may be rare on Wednesday (October 18). Chhetri, Dovale, Lenny Rodrigues and Dimas Delgado will be tasked with the long-rangers on match-day.

For now, Dimitri Barkov's goal in the first leg in Dushanbe separates the two sides. But what worries the Blues more is the number of, or lack of, attempts they made at the other end.
Coach Albert Roca admitted to playing a defensive game in the first leg on September27, but he says that the team will now pick their moments in search of the goals.

"I have to change the plan a bit, otherwise it will not be possible to score," Roca said at the pre-match press conference.

"We know exactly that tomorrow we have to score goals to win. Also, the other team knows that we will do that and play counter. We have to attack but it doesn't mean that we forget it's a 90 minute game. We have to find our moments and be a little lucky. We have to hope our goalkeeper and defenders are in their top level. You have to think that it could be possible and then with the help of supporters, perhaps things will not be so tough."
In the first leg, BFC ventured out quite a bit. They even enjoyed the better possession of 63.2 per cent. Yet, when it came to the testing Istiklol 'keeper Nicola Stosic, the Blues managed only two shots on target out of their seven attempts. This is because the Istiklol defensive wall made the penalty box a crowded area and thwarted the BFC attack. Istiklol defenders came up with 38 clearances as compared to BFC's 29.

Goalkeeper Gurpreet too understands that his teammates have to spend a lot of their time fighting for the ball and making half-tackles. He says he will urge them to do it. "We have not conceded much and that's a good thing," he said. "We will keep it that way. We will play the game according to the situation on the pitch. It might not be in the first minute that we score. You know how it works. But our aim is to win and that's what we will try to do tomorrow."

If the Blues do manage to stun the Tajikistan champions, they will face Air Force Club in the AFC Cup final at home. The opportunity to avenge their 2016 final defeat at the hands of the Iraqi side seems to be an incentive at this moment for BFC. Roca, on his part, felt that reaching the semi-final two times in a row is also a feat worth being proud of.

"I just want to tell everyone first that it's a successful moment again for Bengaluru because reaching the semi-final is not easy," Roca said. "We are only four years old but we have reached the semis twice in a row. It's great for us but we have to be ambitious if we want to get into the final. We need to win. We know that the final could be played here in Bengaluru. It will be a bit more fantastic for us."

Roca was also hopeful that this year, they can eke out a win against Air Force Club. In the 2016 final in Doha, Air Force Club clinched the title on a 1-0 win.

"If we make the final, I will be really optimistic of our chances this season," Roca said. "It means that in short time, we understood that things in football are important. To have a good balance in football is everything."


The game kicks off under floodlights at 7 PM IST and will be streamed live on AFC's Facebook channel.

Story first published: Tuesday, October 17, 2017, 21:19 [IST]
Other articles published on Oct 17, 2017