Preview: Bengaluru FC eye maiden win over ATK Mohun Bagan

The Mariners are in the fourth position meanwhile the Blue find themselves on the seventh spot.

ATK Mohun Bagan aim to take a step closer to qualifying for the Indian Super League (ISL 2022-23) playoffs by defeating a resurgent Bengaluru FC side on Sunday. The Mariners’ ISL league title dreams are all but over, but they are eyeing a respectable top-three finish at the end of the league stages.

Bengaluru FC, meanwhile, are hoping to maintain their impressive form and grab a playoff spot. Amid ATKMB’s impressive home form and the second wind picked up by Simon Grayson’s side, a thrilling encounter can be up for display at the Salt Lake Stadium.

The Stakes

ATK Mohun Bagan

The Mariners might be far off the ISL top-two, but are close to third-placed Kerala Blasters. Moreover, fifth-placed FC Goa are also just one point behind them. The margins are tight in the playoffs race and ATK Mohun Bagan are aware that losing to Bengaluru FC can tighten things up even more.

The Mariners need to win to keep the pressure on a top-three race and move past competition for the playoffs race. Juan Ferrando has to ensure his side can maintain their momentum from the last win over Odisha and continue improving their performances.

A draw wouldn’t be the worst of things, but could deal a blow to their top-three hopes. A loss, however, can be damning – as it’ll see them just two points above BFC in that case. Losing a game at this point of the season in this tight affair can be a real downer and damage ATKMB’s hopes of qualifying for the next stages.

Bengaluru FC

Having won their last four games in a row, Bengaluru FC have picked up their season. In late December, it didn’t appear that they would be anywhere close to the top-six. They’re now just one point behind it. Simon Grayson has taken his time, but finally found the winning formula with his side.

Bengaluru FC face arguably their biggest challenge of 2023 so far in the trip to Kolkata. Knowing well about how good the Mariners have been at home, the Blues know this will be a difficult clash. Since the odds aren't exactly in their favour, they’ll need to play as underdogs.

A win can make it five-in-a-row and help them move into the top-six. It can also give them a huge boost before the final three league games. A loss, however, can put a damper on their momentum and be a major blow. With their final three league games being against Kerala Blasters, Mumbai City and FC Goa, a win is important for the players to get the confidence needed to finish their season strongly.

Injury and Team News

Juan Ferrando has suffered some major injuries in his squad this season. Deepak Tangri is out for the season, while Joni Kauko and Florentin Pogba are no longer available. Ashique Kuruniyan and Hugo Boumous are suspended for the game against Bengaluru FC.

Bengaluru FC have a fit squad till now. Just that, they'll miss the services of Danish Farooq, who has joined Kerala Blasters.

Head-to-Head

Fortunately for the Mariners, they boast a very good record against Bengaluru FC. The two teams have met five times in the ISL.

ATK Mohun Bagan – 4

Bengaluru FC – 0

Drawn – 1

Predicted Line-ups

ATK Mohun Bagan (4-2-3-1)

Vishal Kaith (GK); Asish Rai, Pritam Kotal, Brendan Hamill, Subhasish Bose; Glan Martins, Carl McHugh; Manvir Singh, Federico Gallego, Liston Colaco; Dimitri Petratos

Bengaluru FC (3-5-2)

Gurpreet Singh Sandhu (GK); Alan Costa, Sandesh Jhingan, Parag Shrivas; Prabir Das, Suresh Singh, Javi Hernandez, Rohit Kumar, Naorem Roshan Singh; Roy Krishna, Sivasakthi Narayanan

Player to Watch

Manvir Singh (ATK Mohun Bagan)

After having suffered an injury earlier this season, Manvir Singh appears to be back to his fittest. The Indian forward can be frustrating at times, being unconvincing with his work in the final third. But with his explosive pace and counter-attacking threat, he can leave defenders guessing in the wings as well.

Manvir has scored two goals and provided an assist so far in the competition. He’ll hope to improve his numbers in the Bengaluru FC game and get more involved in the action. Knowing his decent finishing ability and improved crossing style, he can be a handful for the visitors and a decisive factor for ATKMB in the game too.

Roy Krishna (Bengaluru FC)

The Mariners welcome back a ghost of their past in Roy Krishna on Sunday. The Fijian striker enjoyed a prolific period with the Kolkata side. He scored 24 goals and provided 13 assists in 46 appearances for them. Krishna has formed a deadly partnership with Sivasakthi Narayanan this season at Bengaluru FC.

He’s sacrificing a lot to benefit his teammate, goading defenders out of position with his movement. Krishna remains a clinical scorer and discreet creator who will look to haunt his former side. He’ll be motivated to prove ATKMB wrong against releasing him and one whom the hosts must keep a lid on to dilute BFC’s attacking threat.

Did You Know?

• Asish Rai has made more interceptions (33) than any other defender in the ISL 2022-23.
• Suresh Singh has made 29 fouls in the ISL this season, the joint-highest for any player.
• ATK Mohun Bagan have won six out of their eight league matches at the Salt Lake Stadium this season.
• Hugo Boumous has created 45 big scoring chances in the ISL, more than any other player.

Telecast

The match between ATK Mohun Bagan and Bengaluru FC will take place at the Salt Lake Stadium, Kolkata, on February 5 (Sunday). The kick-off time is 7:30 pm IST. The game will be telecasted live on the Star Sports Network. Disney+HotStar and JioTV will also stream the match.