BFC vs MBSG, ISL 2023-24: Mohun Bagan SG faces Bengaluru FC with League Shield hopes hanging by a thread

In March 2023, when Mohun Bagan Super Giant met Bengaluru FC, it was the Indian Super League final. Twelve months on, when they meet at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium on Thursday, stakes are as high just for one outfit.

Mohun Bagan, second on 42 points and five behind leader Mumbai City FC, will look for three points to keep its League Shield hopes alive. Mohun Bagan will be meeting MCFC in the final tie; two wins are thus non-negotiable for a first-place finish.

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BFC, with 22 points from 21 matches, is out of the playoffs race and will be playing for nothing more than pride. “We want to win and finish with positive vibes,” said BFC head coach Gerard Zaragoza. “It’s an important game for us because we play in front of our supporters.”

A noteworthy record BFC would like to protect will be its fine home run wherein it has lost just one out of 10 outings. But against Antonio Habas’ all-star side, that statistic is sure to be threatened.

“We have to win two games and the pressure is always there as professional players and coaches,” Mohun Bagan assistant coach Manuel Perez said ahead of the game. “But it’s good pressure and we have to manage the same.”