Bengaluru: A jolted Bengaluru FC, eager to pick themselves up after a first loss at home to Chennayin FC, take on Jamshedpur FC in a clash of ISL debutants, here at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium on Thursday. After conceding top spot on the table following Sunday’s 1-2 defeat, the Blues will be looking to pile the pressure on current leaders FC Goa. While Chennayin left BFC exposed, coach Albert Roca has underlined the need to show that the previous loss was just a blip in the larger scheme of things.
“It’s important to win tomorrow because we have back-to-back games which means that a loss has to be followed by a win if we are to make amends,” said the Spaniard. “Jamshedpur are a good team and we know how tough it is to breach their defence. We have to go all out from the beginning and try to play our football,” Roca added.
In stark contrast to BFC’s storming start to the campaign, Jamshedpur have found the going tough, and are vying to find their second win, having drawn three of their previous six games. Goals win matches, and a lack of fire-power up front has affected proceedings for the newcomers. While they’ve shown a great deal of steel in their back line by only conceding once so far, Jamshedpur have also only found the back of the net once.
Coach Steve Coppell hopes that the goals will flow for a side steeped in his hardened English philosophy of football, and can take inspiration from Chennaiyin’s winning tactics at the weekend. “I suppose we will approach this game in a similar way to Chennai. This is a great challenge for us. Chennai came here and were successful and we hope to do the same,” said the ex-Kerala Blasters coach.
Having made multiple rotational changes against Chennaiyin, ex-Barcelona man Roca will welcome back midfielder Erik Paartalu and winger Udanta Singh to the starting line-up. The injury to marquee centre-back Anas Edathodika has put a spanner in the works of Coppell, but the Men of Steel will look to find a chink in Bengaluru’s armour.
