Bengaluru FC will lock horns with ATK Mohun Bagan in the Hero Indian Super League (ISL) at the Athletic Stadium on Thursday in a bid to find winning form.

The Blues and the Mariners will clash with the aim to bring their season back on track before they lose the grip as the fierce competition in the Hero ISL makes it difficult by the day to bounce back, insinuating that the two will go for the win to clinch the all-important three points instead of settling for a draw.

The clubs have encountered a series of unsatisfactory results that has left them with work to do to enter the top four as they remain winless in their previous three matches.

Form Guide

Bengaluru FC

The club has so far struggled to find a winning formula. They have not recorded a win in their last five matches while losing four of them. The string of defeats has pushed them down to ninth position in the standings.

ATK Mohun Bagan

In their previous five encounters, ATK Mohun Bagan registered two wins to begin with, however, successive losses and a draw has taken them to sixth in the points table.

Head-to-head

Bengaluru FC have so far played against ATK Mohun Bagan on two occasions with the latter emerging victorious on both counts.

Team News

The news from the Bengaluru camp is that Leon Augustine will remain unavailable with the ligament injury alongside Yrondu Musavu-King with both ruled out till at least January.

Key stats

Closed account

Bengaluru FC are yet to score a goal against ATK Mohun Bagan in the Hero ISL. ATK Mohun Bagan completed a league double over Bengaluru FC in 2020-21 Hero ISL. They scored three goals in two games.

Vulnerable opening

Bengaluru FC have conceded 6 goals in the first 30 minutes of the matches in this season of the Hero ISL. No team has conceded more goals in the opening half-hour of the games.

Key players

Bengaluru FC

Cleiton Silva: The Brazilian striker has looked the Blues' most threatening player as he is the only Bengaluru FC player to manage more than one goal this season. Silva has taken eight shots on the target, managing to convert three of them into goals.

Jayesh Rane: While taking command of the midfield for Bengaluru FC, Rane has managed to score a goal, however, he would enter the field with a mission to create more chances and add to his assist tally that currently reads zero.

ATK Mohun Bagan

Liston Colaco: Colaco has shown dynamic prowess at the front as he leads the list of most goals scored by an Indian player this season with three goals to his name.

Pritam Kotal: Skipper Kotal continues to raise the bar for his side with his individual performances. In the five matches so far, in defence, he has made 22 tackles, 26 clearances and 17 interceptions.

Match timings and telecast details

Match: Bengaluru FC v ATK Mohun Bagan

Date: 16th December 2021

Venue: Athletic Stadium, Bambolim

Kick-off time: 7.30 pm

Telecast: Star Sports 2, Star Sports 2 HD, Star Sports 3, Hindi Commentary on Star Sports 1 Hindi, Star Sports 1 Hindi HD, Star Sports 1 regional channels - Tamil, Bengali, Kannada, Telugu

Online Streaming: Disney+Hotstar and JioTV.