[1]India’s lackadaisical show in their opening match has pushed them into a must-win situation against Bhutan in Monday’s Saff championship encounter here.
Live on TV Ten Action+ Afghanistan vs Sri Lanka (3pm) India vs Bhutan (6pm)
Despite being the highest-ranked side in their pool, the shock 1-1 draw against Afghanistan on Saturday has hurt the defending champions’ pride, besides their hopes of making it to the semi-finals.
A draw or a loss on Monday could leave the hosts’ chances of reaching the knockout stage hanging by a thread, as their final group-stage opponents Sri Lanka are riding high after a convincing 3-0 win over Bhutan.
For Bhutan, facing the defending champions will be a daunting task. The team though will be hungry for their first points from the tournament, and are expected to come at the Indians hard.
The last time the two met was in the 2008 edition’s semi-finals, where India won 2-1 on defender Gouramangi Singh’s strike in extra time.
India coach Savio Medeira admitted that they could not settle for anything less than a win. “We have no other option but to beat Bhutan. It would have been ideal to start the tournament with a win, but since that could not happen, we have to push ourselves,” Medeira said.
“Compared to the 2008 side, this Bhutan team are a younger one. They run a lot. We will have to keep up with their pace and try and dominate play,” he added.
India will have to win Monday’s game with a big margin. In case they are tied at the top of table with Sri Lanka, the goal difference will come under consideration for their qualification to the semi-finals.
The hosts will have to tighten up their defence and midfield as many opportunities were lost against Afghanistan. The wingers could not cover the field well in the last game and Clifford Miranda, in particular, seemed out of sorts.
Medeira said he would “definitely bring some changes in the midfield”. In that case, Anthony Pereira or Lalrindika Ralte could be given a chance in place of Miranda.
Samir Naik, who twisted his ankle in the match, could also sit out, depending on his condition. The defender would undergo a medical test on match morning.
On the morrow, Afghanistan will take on Sri Lanka. Though Sri Lanka are fresh from their win over Bhutan, a spirited Afghanistan could prove to be difficult opponents, as they already proved in their encounter against India.
Nepal beat Bangladesh, Pak draw maldives
Nepal’s Sagar Thapa curled in a free-kick in injury time to bring up the solitary goal of the match and help his side beat Bangladesh in their Group B match at the Nehru Stadium on Sunday.
Nepal now have four points from two games while Bangladesh have just one.
In another Group B match, the Maldives and Pakistan played out a goalless draw, taking their tally to two points from as many matches.
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