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Bengaluru FC will host Mohun Bagan Super Giant (MBSG) at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2023-24 on Thursday.
It is an absolute must-win match for the Mariners to stay in the hunt of a top-spot finish in the league stages. Currently, at 42 points from 20 games, they trail the first-placed Mumbai City FC by five points (47). The equation for the Mohun Bagan Super Giant is straightforward. They need to win both their remaining games to get to 48 and beat the Islanders to the pole position. Dropping points in this fixture will result in Mumbai City FC being crowned the ISL 2023-24 League Winners. On the other hand, the Mariners can take the battle to the final day of the league with a victory against Bengaluru FC. The Blues are already out of contention to qualify for the playoffs, after their 2-1 loss to East Bengal FC, who are firmly in the race for top-six. There is no tangible outcome for Bengaluru FC to play for in this match. However, they will be eager to end a tumultuous season on a high, giving them hope and confidence before they embark on the coming campaign. Their home record this season has been impressive, having been unbeaten in their last six matches here. Mohun Bagan Super Giant will hope to complete their second league double over Bengaluru FC in ISL 2023-24, after having won their reverse fixture by 1-0 in September. The Mariners are unbeaten in their last five games on the road in the ISL. Their last longer stretch than this was a series of six games from February-December 2023. Mohun Bagan Super Giant have netted eight times between 16-30 minutes of their matches this season. This shows that they take some time to get their eye in but are ruthlessly efficient in putting chances to bed once things start swinging their way. "It of course was not a great season. When BFC don't qualify for playoffs, we cannot say it's a great season. The reality is that we need to improve in our away games," Bengaluru FC Head Coach Gerard Zaragoza quipped ahead of the match as quoted by ISL. "We talked about winning three games in a row. We did it in Delhi, and now we have to win two games. The pressure is always there as professional players and coaches, but it's a good pressure and we have to manage the same," Mohun Bagan Super Giant assistant coach Manuel Perez said in the pre-match press conference. (ANI)
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