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Gokulam Kerala made an incredible start to their debut AFC Cup campaign with a 4-2 victory against Indian Super League heavyweights ATK Mohun Bagan. The I-League champions then suffered a humbling 0-1 defeat at the hands of Maziya FC.
Now with all four teams in Group D tied on three points each, the Malabarians will face the Bashundhara Kings in a must-win match.
Luka Majcen's brace helped the Malabarians hammer the Green and Maroon Brigade in the opening encounter.
All they needed was a victory against the Maldivian clubs to seal their qualification into the knock-outs. However, Maziya registered a gritty victory against them to push the qualification fiasco to the final day.
Meanwhile, the Bashundhara Kings suffered a 0-4 loss at the hands of the Mariners. The Bangladeshi Kings, too, need a win in their final game now.
Gokulam Kerala vs Bashundhara Kings: Key Players
#1 Luka Majcen (Gokulam Kerala)
Luka Majcen started the tournament brilliantly with a brace against ATK Mohun Bagan. The Slovenian striker also took the I-League by storm, scoring 13 goals and assisting seven times in the 2021-22 season.
Besides being a scoring machine, his towering presence upfront allows Gokulam Kerala to switch between different styles of play according to the juncture of the game.
#2 Robinho (Bashundhara Kings)
Robinho has been a talisman for the Kings, to put it succinctly. The 26-year-old winger is a constant threat on the left-flank. Abdul Hakku will have his hands full for the entire 90 minutes. Tackling the Brazilian international on the counters will be difficult due to his desire for goals and his ability to make inside runs.
Robinho has also been in excellent goal-scoring form this season, scoring 11 goals and assisting on nine occasions.
Gokulam Kerala vs Bashundhara Kings: Predicted Lineups
Gokulam Kerala FC: Rakshit Dagar (GK); Muhammed Uvais, Aminou Bouba, Alex Saji, Abdul Hakku; Sharif Mukhammad (C), Emil Benny, Rishad; Jithin MS, Jourdain Fletcher, Luka Majcen.
Bashundhara Kings: Anisur Rahman Zico (GK); Tariq Kazi, Bishwanath Ghosh, Khaled Shafiei, Yeasin Arafat; Masuk Mia Zoni, Sohel Rana; Miguel Figueira, Mohammad Ibrahim, Robinho; Nuha Marong.
Gokulam Kerala vs Bashundhara Kings: Livestream and Telecast
The AFC Cup 2022 group stage match will be played at the Salt Lake Stadium on May 24, 2022. The game will be telecast live on Star Sports 3 in India from 4:30 pm IST and can also be streamed on Hotstar and JioTV.
Gokulam Kerala vs Bashundhara Kings: Quotes from coaches
Gokulam Kerala FC head coach Vincenzo Alberto Annese:
"Bashundhara Kings have been champions many times in Bangladesh and if you see in the last game, the team had quality players in each position. They are physically stronger than Maziya and have many national team players. It’s a huge advantage for them."
Bashundhara Kings head coach Oscar Bruzon:
"Mental preparation is important after a big defeat. The mood in the team was low until yesterday. We have analysed what Gokulam Kerala can do and will work towards finding a way to defeat them. Gokulam are patient and they do not hurry to get goals. They are resilient and have quick players. Defensively they are good and prefer an open game and we have to watch out for their counter-attacks."
