Male: Group D of the 2021 AFC Cup is set for a pair of intriguing ties that could set up a grandstand finish when the Matchday Two action kicks off on Saturday.
Bangladesh’s Bashundhara Kings take on JSW Bengaluru FC of India with the 2016 runners-up knowing defeat would see them eliminated, while Maldivian hosts Maziya Sports R&C face a similar prospect when they face India’s ATK Mohun Bagan in the day’s late game.
BENGALURU FC v BASHUNDHARA KINGS
Having lost to countrymen ATK Mohun Bagan in their Matchday One opener, Bengaluru FC will be acutely aware that even a win against Bashundhara Kings may not be enough to maintain their proud record of reaching the knockout stage in every one of their AFC Cup campaigns to date.
Should ATK Mohun Bagan win the evening tie against Maziya Sports R&C, their head-to-head record would be superior and Bengaluru will be unable to catch their compatriots. However, to even ensure that their destiny remains dependent on Saturday’s second game, the Bangalore side must pick up a win over the Bangladesh champions, a draw or a defeat would see them eliminated
Hope for Bengaluru FC lies in previous encounters between them and Bangladeshi opponents. Four times the Blues have faced teams from their regional rivals and they have won three of the encounters, albeit all four match-ups were against Abahani Limited Dhaka in the 2017 and 2018 editions of the AFC Cup.
Bashundhara Kings are an entirely different proposition and have a flawless record of two matches and two wins in their brief AFC Cup history to date, having also won their opener in the cancelled 2020 tournament
The Kings, who cruised to the league championship, looked to have seemlessly transferred their domestic form to the continental stage and were in dominant form in their 2-0 win over Maziya Recreation S&C on Wednesday.
A repeat performance and result could set up a tantalising winner-take-all match with ATK Mohun Bagan in Tuesday’s final round of Group D ties.
Bengaluru FC (IND) vs Bashundhara Kings (BAN)
Venue: National Football Stadium, Male
Kickoff: 4:30 PM
MAZIYA SPORTS R&C v ATK MOHUN BAGAN
Risto Vidakovic’s Maziya Sports R&C looked to have got off on the front foot in Wednesday’s opener against Bashundhara Kings, but the Bangladesh champions quality proved too much and now the hosts face a tall order to reach the knockout stages.
A 1-0 defeat in Kolkata would have been disappointing, but the 5-2 defeat in Male would have been unacceptable to the Indian giants’ passionate fanbase, with the results effectively ending the club’s hopes of a place in the 2017 knockout stages.
In a similar situation to Bengaluru FC, the Maldivians must win to keep their dreams of an Inter-Zone semi-final place alive, albeit unlike Bengaluru FC they will at least know the outcome of the early game between Bengaluru FC and Bashundhara Kings before they kick-off their tie against ATK Mohun Bagan.
Before their merger last July, ATK Mohun Bagan – then known as Mohun Bagan – have faced off with Maziya Sports R&C previously in the AFC Cup, notably at the 2016 and 2017 competitions, but the most recent meetings, in 2017, were a pair of ties that the Mariners will be keen to exorcise in Saturday’s outing.
Victory against the same opponents on Matchday Two would go some way to redeeming that defeats, and take ATK Mohun Bagan a step closer to the Inter-Zone Semi-final.
Indeed, should Bengaluru FC defeat Bashundhara Kings in the earlier game, a win would see the Mariners progress with a game to spare. A Kings victory would take things into a Matchday Three showdown between the two.
Maziya Sports & Recreation (MDV) vs ATK Mohun Bagan (IND)
Venue: National Football Stadium, Male
Kickoff: 9:30 PM
