Mumbai City FC will be desperate to return to winning ways when they take on the Uzbekistan side PFC Navbahor Namangan in their second group stage match of the AFC Champions League 2023-24 season at the Markaziy Stadion in Uzbekistan on Tuesday.

The Islanders had a challenging start to their ACL campaign, suffering a 2-0 defeat at home against FC Nassaji Mazandaran. Now, they are set to confront another formidable opponent in Navbahor, who impressed in their first group stage match against Al-Hilal, securing a 1-1 draw.

However, Mumbai City FC have already shown signs of recovery from their initial ACL setback, delivering two strong performances in the opening two matches of the Indian Super League (ISL). They have secured four points in their first two ISL matches and aim to carry that momentum back onto the continental stage on Tuesday.

But their task would surely be very difficult as their opponent poses an immense threat to their side and is coming into this fixture on the back of a resounding 5-0 victory over Turan in the Uzbekistan Super League. PFC Navbahor is currently sitting second in their domestic league with 37 points from 20 matches.

Speaking in the pre-match press conference, Mumbai City FC head coach Des Buckingham shared his insights about the upcoming clash with Navbahor.

He said, “We have watched as many games as we could before we got here to try and prepare ourselves as well as we could. I like the Uzbekistan league, it’s got very good teams and players. Looking at individuals within the team, there are many players and to single out one would be naive. If you pay attention to one player, there are four of five other players who can cause problems for us.”

Despite suffering a defeat in their first game, Mumbai City FC managed to create numerous goal-scoring opportunities and often appeared as the superior side. The Englishman believes his team must stick to the game plan and strive to minimize any mistakes.

"What to expect from our team is to show what we can do. We are a team that has a very clear way of playing and belief in what we do. The players have also bought into that. But we need to make sure that we execute that as well as we can because we know small things here make a big difference. You can expect us to give our best for ourselves, and the club, and we also know we are representing India."

Match Details

Match: PFC Navbahor Namangan vs Mumbai City FC
Time: 7:30 PM IST
Venue: Markaziy Stadion, Uzbekistan
Telecast: Sports 18, Fancode

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