I-LEAGUE Preview: Aizawl eyes full points against Churchill

Title aspirant Aizawl FC will be looking to garner full points when they take on Churchill Brothers in the crucial Round-16 match of football Hero I-League championship, to be played here on Saturday.

Earlier on Sunday, Aizawl FC suffered a jolt to their title aspirations when they went down to defending champions Bengaluru FC by a solitary goal scored in added time.

With three rounds to go, Aizawl FC is now tied on 30 points each along with Mohun Bagan at the top, and three points above East Bengal, who are on the third place. The match will be played at the Tilak Stadium.

Aizawl FC, who got relegated last year but got a chance to play this season after three Goan clubs - Dempo SC, Salgaocar FC and Sporting Clube de Goa - pulled out of the tournament, are in race for their maiden I-League title along with Mohun Bagan and East Bengal.

The team's coach Khalid Jamil is optimistic that his team can win the title.

In another match, Shillong Lajong will have their task cut out when they take on Bengaluru FC in their last home game of the I-League on Saturday.

Having snatched a point from table-toppers Mohun Bagan in their last home encounter, Lajong would like to settle for nothing less than full three points against Bengaluru in the Round of 16 match at the Nehru Stadium. A win on Saturday against the Bengaluru side will keep Lajong in the hunt for a top three finish.

Bengaluru, on the other hand, come to the tie on the back of a hard-earned last minute win over Aizawl FC at home and would be desperate to bolster their reputation as a formidable I-League side.