Now or never for Bagan

Injury is a huge cause of concern for Bagan, with Baichung Bhutia among the absentees. Coach Karim Bencherifa, however, put up a brave face. 8220;We had a decent start as our team performed well, but were unlucky as we missed good scoring chances. We have worked on our mistakes and hopefully the team will perform to its potential,8221; he said.

Dipak Mondal and Habibur Rahman will return to strengthen the defence, but without a playmaker, building up an attack is difficult. The onus is on Lalkamal Bhowmick to fill the vacuum.

Sporting8217;s midfield has gelled very well, with Harmanjot Khabra, Micky Fernandes, Wilton Gomes and Joseph Pereira combining like a well-oiled machine. Pereira8217;s partnership with Gomes on the left has resulted in teasing crosses that keep the rival defence guessing. Up front, there is Junior Obagbemiro, who has already scored three goals. Another Nigerian, Natalin is likely to make his debut on Saturday.

Sporting8217;s defence is yet to concede a goal in this tournament. Naturally, their coach Vishwas Goaunkar is confident of maintaining the winning streak.

8220;After our impressive performance against Mohammedan Sporting, we are on a high. We want to keep the momentum going. The boys have the potential to perform even better. Natalin will provide more sharpness to our attack,8221; he said.