Spectators will be allowed to fill up half of the Salt Lake Stadium during ATK Mohun Bagan’s AFC Cup preliminary Round II clash against Blue Star SC of Sri Lanka here on April 12.

Tickets are being sold online in the denominations of Rs 300 and Rs 500, said an official of the local organising committee.

“There will be about 33,000 seats which will be available to fill, out of which 10,000 are for the Mohun Bagan members and the remaining are up for sale,” the official said.

Welcoming the decision, ATKMB head coach Juan Ferrando said: “I hope the Mariners will come to watch our game, filling the galleries. The support of the green and maroon members on the field will inspire us. I promise they will not have to return home disappointed,” the Spaniard added.

Ferrando, however, is wary of the rivals’ long-ball game and said his side cannot underestimate the visitors. Blue Star defeated Machhindra FC of Nepal 2-1 in an away match in Kathmandu on April 5 to clinch the preliminary berth.

“After playing slow football for a while, the team (Blue Star) suddenly bursts into attack, creating goal-scoring opportunities. We have to be careful,” Ferrando said in an ATKMB media release.

Ferrando said the Sri Lankan team also follows the strategy of switching flanks at will.

“The Sri Lankan club is always trying to send the ball over the opposition,” said the Spaniard, whose contract was recently extended by another season following their third-place finish in the ISL.

ATKMB, who made an exit in the inter-zonal play-off semi-finals in 2019-20, qualified for this year’s AFC Cup preliminary stage after finishing runners-up in ISL 2020-21.

If they beat Blue Star, ATKMB will face the winners of the match between Abahani Limited Dhaka and Valencia of Maldives in a play-off match here on April 19 for a place in the group stage of the continent’s second tier club competition.