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ATK Mohun Bagan will hock horns with Bengaluru FC in a group match of the AFC Cup 2021 at the National Football Stadium in Male, Maldives on Wednesday.
The two Indian Super League (ISL) outfits have been drawn in Group D of the competition and will look to start their campaign with a victory. The other two teams in the group are Bangladesh Premier League club Bashundhara Kings and Maldivian club Maziya S&RC.
The side that tops the group will progress to the next round. With only one place in the knockout stage of the AFC Cup 2021, expect a closely fought match.
Bengaluru FC defeated Nepal Army Club 5-0 in its second-round AFC Cup qualifier at the GMC Stadium in Bambolim. Rahul Bheke and Cleiton Silva struck twice, while Sunil Chhetri scored once. All five goals came in the second half of the match.
Bengaluru FC met the Eagles on August 15 in a bid to book a place in the AFC Cup's Group D. Jayesh Rane netted the only goal of the match in the 26th minute to help the Blues make it to the group stage.
ATK Mohun Bagan last played in the ISL 2020/21 final against Mumbai City FC and will take the field for the first time in a while.
Hugo Boumous, Roy Krishna, David Williams and Carl McHugh are the four foreign players in ATK Mohun Bagan's squad for the 2021 AFC Cup. The club's new signings, Amrinder Singh, Liston Colaco and Bidyashagar Singh, have also been included in the squad for the campaign.
Surprisingly, Prabir Das, Pronay Halder and Michael Soosairaj, who played key roles for the Mariners in the ISL 2020/21, haven't traveled to the Maldives.
Bengaluru FC have taken a 29-man squad to the Maldives for their AFC Cup matches. Coach Marco Pezzaiuoli handed a full debut to four players on Sunday, with two more players coming off the bench.
The Blues squad includes four youngsters from the development side. It will be an opportunity for the youngsters to prove their mettle and find a permanent place in the first team.
The two sides met each other twice during the previous edition of the ISL. The Mariners defeated the Blues on both occasions by a margin of 1-0 and 2-0. They have had the upper hand against Bengaluru FC in the past and will start this fixture as the favorites.
ATK Mohun Bagan vs Bengaluru FC: When to watch
Date: August 18, 2021
Time: 4:30 PM IST
ATK Mohun Bagan vs Bengaluru FC: Where to watch
Star Sports Network will telecast the AFC Cup group stage fixture between ATK Mohun Bagan and Bengaluru FC. Fans can watch live action in English & Hindi.
One can watch the match in Bengali and Malayalam on Star Sports 1 Bangla and Star Sports 3. Moreover, Disney+ Hotstar will telecast the AFC Cup fixture between the two Indian sides.
India: Star Sports Network, Star Sports 1 Bangla, Star Sports 3 & Disney+ Hotstar
