While they were fighting for the League Shield, ATKMB remained in their tracks with two consecutive draws, which now seems a distant dream.
The Mariners have 31 points from 17 matches, four less than league leaders Hyderabad, who have made it to the semi-finals, and three less than second-placed Jamshedpur FC, who also have a leg up in the knockout stages.
The Green and Maroon Brigades lost their grip against Kerala Blasters and Odisha FC in the race for the League Shield but are heavily grounded for a semi-final spot with three games to go.
There is a lot of potential against him for Bengaluru. Blues are sixth in the table with 26 points from 18 matches.
They not only have to win their last two fixtures in the league stage, but also hope that other results will go in their favor keeping their slim semi-final hopes alive.
“ATKMB is one of the best teams in the league. They have high quality players, but we need to focus on ourselves. It’s an important game, these 90 minutes. We beat Odisha, and Odisha drew with them, which shows how strong we are.”
On player availability, he said: “Jayesh and Rohit are back in training and we have Iman, Damit as well as some other attacking players who can play in the No 10 position. The players who step into Danish’s place can do a good job and I am sure of that.
“Losing players is not only difficult but also interesting for a coach because we have players and they bring different things to the pitch. We can have a second striker come in and deputize for a mid-fielder.”
Roshan Singh has had a successful season, being the joint most assists by an Indian in a single season, a young full-back.
“Roshan has come out of our system, and it’s not the end of the line. We have many more young players coming in and they can be really good players in the season.”
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