Tampines, however, will not go down quietly. After a disappointing first leg performance in India, the S-League side will be looking to bounce back strongly, although they will have to do so without skipper Fahrudin Mustafic who hobbled off in the first leg.
Akbar Nawas, coach of Tampines, feels that his side is ready for the daunting task ahead of them. “It will be an uphill task for us if Bengaluru scores an away goal,” he said . “Even though we are under pressure, we have to go all out and stay composed.”
He will be concerned with his side’s goal drought, however. The Stags have failed to score in their last 2 games and will have to find a way past John Johnson and co. if they are to make club history and reach their first ever AFC Cup semi-finals.
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Albert Roca, meanwhile, is delighted with the way his side have adapted to his new training methods. “It is not easy for the team to adjust to the style of play I want as they adapt to the new concepts during those six weeks of training,” he said. “They showed in the first leg they can do it, so I hope they can do more of the same in the second leg on their own terms even though Tampines will try to attack us.”
Bengaluru arrived in Singapore on Sunday and Roca feels that they have been able to adapt to the conditions pretty well. “Playing in the second leg will be a challenge because we only scored one goal to bring with us to Singapore,” said Roca. “The humidity makes things difficult, so we try not to lose too much energy. I am confident of us adapting to the surface at Jalan Besar as there is little difference there from the one we have back in Bangalore.”
The first leg in Bengaluru was played behind closed doors but 4200 loud Singaporean fans will be present this time around, hoping to spur their side on to the next round.
Tampines Rovers FC vs Bengaluru FC team news:
No major changes are expected to the Bengaluru FC lineup. Udanta Kumam is expected to miss out in a place in the starting line-up as Alwyn George will continue to play in midfield. He will be expected to provide support to Sunil Chhetri and the goalscorer from the first leg, CK Vineeth.
The other three midfielders Eugeneson Lyngdoh, Alvaro Rubio, and Cameron Watson will feature for the Blues again, while the only major change could come in the form of 27-year-old Lalchhawnmawia Fania, who is expected to replace Nishu Kumar at left back.
For the hosts, skipper Fahrudin Mustafic will miss out after suffering an injury in the first leg in Bengaluru. Fabian Kwok is expected to take his place in the side while Fazrul Nawaz and Shahdan Sulaiman remain long-term absentees.
Tampines Rovers FC vs Bengaluru FC predicted lineups
Tampines Rovers FC probable XI (4-4-2): Izwan Mahbud (GK); Shakir Hamzah, Irwan Shah, Hafiz Abu Sujad, Jufri Taha; Jordan Webb, Izzdin Shafiq, Fabian Kwok, Yasir Hanapi; Jermaine Pennant, Billy Mehmet
Bengaluru FC probable XI (4-1-2-1-2): Amrinder Singh (GK); Rino Anto, Juan Gonzales, John Johnson, Lalchhawnmawia Fania; Alwyn George, Cameron Watson, Alvaro Rubio, Eugeneson Lyngdoh; Sunil Chhetri, CK Vineeth
Tampines Rovers FC vs Bengaluru FC prediction
Bengaluru FC had it relatively easy in the first leg but Albert Roca’s men will have a battle on their hands this time around. With Tampines Rovers needing at least a goal to keep their chances of qualification alive, expect them to come out of the blocks firing on all cylinders.
The Blues, however, need just a draw to book a place in the semi-finals and I expect them to get it
Predicted score: Tampines Rovers FC 1-1 Bengaluru FC
Tampines Rovers FC vs Bengaluru FC live stream and kickoff
Venue: Jurong West stadium, 17:00 IST
TV telecast: Star Sports 4, Star Sports HD 4
Livestream: No live streams are available for the game as per AFC Regulations.
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