WHERE TO WATCH
KICK-OFF: Oct 31, 7.30PM (IST) (GMT +5.30)
FULL-TIME: ATK 1-2 Bengaluru FC
Channel: Star Sports HD1, Star Sports 1, Star Sports 3.
Streaming: Hotstar, Jio TV.
Highlights: Click Here
Venue: Salt Lake Stadium, Kolkata.
MATCH PREVIEW
–ATK will be looking to get into the top three when they take on Bengaluru FC at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata today. John Johnson will be competing against Bengaluru FC – the centre-back spent five successful trophy-laden years with the club before joining ATK this season. ATK lost both home and away fixtures against Bengaluru last season and will be looking to set that record straight.
-After a poor start to this season losing their opening two fixtures against Kerala Blasters and Northeast United, ATK have bounced back with two wins (against Delhi Dynamos and Chennaiyin) and a draw (against Jamshedpur). One of the top scorers from last season – Kalu Uche and forward Balwant Singh are open for business having got a goal apiece. Midfielder Lanzarote scored to help them to a point in the draw against Jamshedpur and has been the creative force behind most of the goals they have scored so far. Lanzarote will be pivotal today in creating attacking plays and Noussair El Maimouni had a great goal to his name against Delhi.
–Bengaluru FC will miss John Johnson who has been the best defender in the country for the last five years that he has been around. Bengaluru coach Carles Cuadrat had this to say about the defender in the presser ahead of the game – “It’s very difficult to work at his absence. It’s because he’s not an excellent player, but an excellent person. He gives a lot to the locker room with his high personality. He was really important for the history of Bengaluru.”
His absence was evident when Bengaluru drew the game against Jamshedpur.
-The marauding front three of Bengaluru – Miku, Sunil Chhetri and Udanta Singh have goals in them. Miku and Sunil Chhetri demolished FC Pune City with Sunil Chhetri scoring a brace. It will be upto John Johnson to use his familiarity and experience to contain the Bengaluru FC attack. Midfielder Dimas Delgado got himself an assist against Pune City and former Swansea defender Albert Serran is slowly finding his feet in the ISL.
STARTING XI
MATCH STATS
FULL-TIME: ATK 1-2 Bengaluru FC
90′ – YELLOW CARD (Juanan, Bengaluru)
87′ – SUB (Bengaluru: X. Hernandez [IN] D. Delgado [OUT])
84′ – YELLOW CARD (Pronay Halder, ATK)
79′ – SUB (ATK: Hitesh Sharman [IN] Balwant Singh [OUT])
78′ – SUB (Bengaluru: Boithang Haokip [IN] Udanta Singh [OUT])
75′ – SUB (ATK: Jayesh Rane [IN] Komal Thatal [OUT])
64′ – SUB (Bengaluru: Rino Anto [IN] Nishu Kumar [OUT])
58′ – YELLOW CARD (Nishu Kumar, Bengaluru)
49′ – YELLOW CARD (Erik Paartalu, Bengaluru)
47′ – GOAL! 1-2 (Erik Paartalu, Bengaluru)
48′ – GOAL! 1-1 (Miku, Bengaluru)
42′ – SUB (ATK: Noussair Maimouni [IN] Kalu Uche [OUT])
33′ – YELLOW CARD (A. Bhattacharya, ATK)
15′ – GOAL! 1-0 (Komal Thatal, Assist: Everton Santos, ATK)
13′ – YELLOW CARD (Balwant Singh, ATK)
TALKING POINTS
-ATK started brightly and for the first half hour, Bengaluru didn’t look too comfortable. The youngest player in the ISL from last season, ATK midfielder Komal Thatal showed he was a year older and wiser with a great goal to put ATK up 1-0.
Komal latched on to a fantastic defence-splitting ball by Everton Santos and slotted it past G.S. Sandhu who committed early by taking a big step to the right only for the 18-year old to slot it past the other side.
-The turning point of the game was Kalu Uche’s substitution as he pulled up in the 42nd minute. The momentum of the game shifted as Kalu was the out ball option for the ATK defence.
Soon after, Bengaluru won a free kick at the edge of the box and Miku scored the equalizer. The ball started a yard out and hit the underside of the bar and crashed into the goal at the near post. A sensational goal and it will be right up there when we watch the highlight reel for this season.
-For the second goal, Bengaluru FC looped the ball into the box from a free kick 40 yards out. The ball after hitting an ATK defender fell in the path of Erik Paartalu. While the ball was still rising, he smashed it in. 2-1 to Bengaluru.
After taking the lead, Bengaluru took on a bit of pressure as they were not able to win the second ball. ATK had a couple of good chances to equalize, but none that needed saving from the keeper.
-With this win, Bengaluru are level on points with second-placed FC Goa and a point behind leaders NEUFC with a game in hand.
ATK missed a chance to get into the top 3 and are level on 7 points with Jamshedur and Mumbai City.
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