The second-leg of this semi-final is alive --- defending champions Bengaluru FC are 1-0 in front --- but if ATK are to kill it, they will either have to better what they have been so good at or find an alternate route to goal.
“It’s the most important game for Kolkata in the last three seasons. For us, it’s the opportunity to make a third ISL final in that time, and to make sure that the work we did at the Kanteerava last week is enough,” said Bengaluru FC coach Carles Cuadrat. Few could have put it better.
On the strength of adroit recruitments --- among them the attacking duo of Roy Krishna and David Williams --- and by reposing faith in Antonio Lopez, who was in charge for the first two seasons, twice champions ATK have put behind them two poor seasons. But they slipped against Chennaiyin FC and that meant three successive games against Bengaluru FC, two of them in the semi-finals of ISL6. In seven games between them going into Sunday’s second-leg, ATK have won once.
Bengaluru FC haven’t scored as freely as last term --- from 34 goals, it has come down to 23. ATK have scored 33, the second-most after FC Goa.
{{/usCountry}}Bengaluru FC haven’t scored as freely as last term --- from 34 goals, it has come down to 23. ATK have scored 33, the second-most after FC Goa.
{{/usCountry}}But with 11 clean sheets after 19 games --- it was seven after 21 in 2018-19 --- Bengaluru FC have the best defensive record this term. In the semi-final first-leg, they stifled ATK after Deshorn Brown’s 31st minute goal despite playing the last 10 minutes with 10 men.
“I think they did well in that sense (suffocate ATK). They have worked well together for the last few years and that is why they have been so high up the ladder. We have gone through some restructuring,” said Williams.
ATK have second best defensive record but their goals usually stem from interplay between Krishna, Williams and Edu Garcia --- the three have scored 24 times --- often after a long ball down the middle or played wide where wingbacks Prabir Das and Michael Soosairaj have put in consistent shifts. Last Sunday, Cuadrat reined in Das by playing Sunil Chettri on the left. And with Eric Paartalu and Dimas Delgado snuffing out moves in the middle, ATK couldn’t impose themselves despite 59% possession.
That makes set-piece situations more important but ATK have only scored twice from restarts. It is lowest among the semi-finalists. Nine of Bengaluru FC’s goals have come from set-plays.
“Obviously, I would have loved to score more from set-pieces but we have some characteristics, we score from regular play,” said Lopez.
Goalkeeper Arindam Bhattacharja’s dip in form too is a worry. Bhattacharja has iffy in dealing with crosses. Flapping at a corner-kick, he conceded against Chennaiyin FC here and let the ball slip out in Bengaluru. “10,000 times I would grip it so before anyone could tell me, I knew I had let the team down,” said Bhattacharja.
It happened one night but as Williams said, ATK have more than three attacking players. Containing them could be a challenge --- Bengaluru FC couldn’t when they visited. “If they want to focus on us that means in other areas we can overload and be successful,” said Williams.
“I didn’t have the feeling of a loss last week, as a player. Good teams find a way to win and that is how Bengaluru FC won. But not very often do we come to Salt Lake and put up an average show,” he said.
ATK have lost twice and drawn once in nine home games this season. On the road, Bengaluru FC have won twice but not after December.