Bengaluru FC aim to revive campaign against bottom-placed Hyderabad FC

Hyderabad: Slipped to third on the table, former champions Bengaluru FC will look to reignite their campaign when they meet bottom-placed Hyderabad FC in the ISL here on Saturday.

After a blistering start to the season, Bengaluru FC have faltered recently, suffering two consecutive losses, including a 0-1 defeat to debutants Mohammedan SC.

With 27 points from 15 matches, the Blues, who have nine games in hand, need a win to keep pace with league leaders Mohun Bagan and stay in contention for the Winners Shield.

Languishing at the bottom with nine points from 15 matches, the Nizams have struggled to score and defend consistently.

However, they will aim to leverage their home advantage, having remained unbeaten in their last three encounters here against Bengaluru FC.

Bengaluru went scoreless in their last match, which was a 0-1 loss to Mohammedan SC.

The previous time they went consecutive games without finding the back of the net were the last two matches before Gerard Zaragoza took over as the head coach in December 2023.

Since then, particularly this season, there has been a smooth consistency in their frontline, as reflected with the Blues having found the back of the net 28 times, as opposed to 11 of Hyderabad FC.

Hyderabad FC's defence leaked 26 goals inside the box -- the same number Bengaluru FC have scored from close range this season.

To counter this, Hyderabad might need to risk a high defensive line to disrupt Bengaluru's buildup play early.

Hyderabad have scored in their last two home games but struggled against Bengaluru at home, averaging just one goal per match in their previous three meetings.

They’ll need to sharpen their attack to exploit Bengaluru's recent struggles on the road.

Four of Hyderabad FC's 11 goals this season have come in their last five matches, where they have drawn twice and lost thrice.

A victory here will see Hyderabad FC extend their unbeaten home stretch against the Blues to four matches.

Bengaluru FC, on the other hand, are looking to avoid a third consecutive loss, in order to sustain pressure at their opponents in the upper half of the points table.

Veteran striker Sunil Chhetri with nine goals this season, will be eyeing double digits. He has a stellar record against Hyderabad, including two goals in the reverse fixture.

Despite not scoring, Hyderabad's Abdul Rabeeh has created 13 goal-scoring chances and dominated opposition boxes, highlighting his influence.

Hyderabad's interim coach Shameel Chembakath urged his team to focus on their own game rather than the opponents, while Bengaluru FC's Zaragoza emphasised playing entertaining football to delight their supporters.

"The message to the players has always been clear. That is, to not think about the three points. That way, we will be in a good place,” said Chembakath.

“We want to enjoy the way we play football. We want to win, of course. We hate losing. But, we also want the supporters to enjoy watching us play,” said the Bengaluru FC gaffer.