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Bashundhara Kings head coach Oscar Bruzon fully believes his side will defeat ATK Mohun Bagan in their final Group D tie on Tuesday for a place in the 2021 AFC Cup knockout stage.
It is a must-win match for the Bangladesh champions as they sit second in the standings with four points, two adrift of leaders ATK Mohun Bagan of India with the group winners to book their place in the Inter-Zone Semi-final.
Bashundhara Kings have had a phenomenal domestic season, losing only one of their 21 matches in the Bangladesh Premier League and Bruzon believes that record will carry his team past ATK Mohun Bagan.
“I think (the match-up) is very balanced,” said Bruzon. “Both teams are the only clubs to have the opportunity to qualify for the next round.”
“Tomorrow is going to be another long 90 minutes. If we are smart and wait for our opportunities, I’m sure we can bag the three points.”
“Our confidence is that we only lost one match this season, and I don’t think tomorrow will be the second. With that, you can see how strong we feel mentally.”
Bashundhara Kings opened their campaign with a 2-0 win against Maziya Sports & Recreation but were forced to play defensively against Indian side Bengaluru FC on Matchday Two but Bruzon said his team will be in attack mode against ATK Mohun Bagan.
“In the game with Bengaluru FC, we were the team that needed to hold the result but the condition has changed. ATK are starting with a slight advantage and we need to push a little bit more tomorrow if we want to win the game.”
“I praise this club, they understand their game model and have the players to implement it. I know Antonio Lopez well, he was my colleague in Spain, and he knows me too. So let’s see what happens tomorrow. Two good teams are going to have a chance to qualify and it’s a pity only one club can move forward, and we want to be that club.”
ATK Mohun Bagan head coach Antonio Lopez expects his team to carry on the solid work they have produced so far.
“I don’t like to talk about favourites, because football is full of complications,” said Lopez Habas. “We have good professional players, very disciplined and tactical on the pitch. They have the opportunity to learn every day and I am happy with the performances of my players.”
“We know them (Bashundhara), and they are a good team. They are the champions of Bangladesh and we give them maximum respect, and we will have to wait for the match. The most important thing for us is not to concede a goal, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be any attacks. We have to find the balance. We know that this is a decisive match and we have to give 100 percent on the pitch.”
