Thimphu: Indian Super League champions Bengaluru FC will start as favourites when it takes on Paro FC of Bhutan in a preliminary round match of the AFC Cup here on Wednesday. Bengaluru FC has been a regular feature in the AFC Cup knockout rounds between 2015 and 2018 and, having missed out of the continent's second tier club competition last year, it is eyeing a return with a bang. The first leg of the preliminary round 2 will be played at the Changlimithang Stadium. The second leg will be played on February 12 in Bengaluru.

The winner of this two-legged tie will be clubbed with reigning I-League champions Chennai City in Group E of the main round of the AFC Cup. The Carles Cuadrat's side are going into Wednesday's match after four wins from five games in the ISL and the 2016 edition runners-up side has come here early to acclimatise to the conditions, especially as the match is playing on an artificial turf. "The weather is quite different here from what it's like back in Bangalore. We've come in early to acclimatize," captain Sunil Chhetri said ahead of the match.