AFC Cup: Three talking points from Mohun Bagan's Abahani Dhaka triumph

Mohun Bagan will discover their upcoming opponents on 24 August after the AFC Cup Group Stages draw.

Mohun Bagan SG defeated Abahani Dhaka in a close-contest AFC Cup battle at the Vivekananda Yuva Bharati Krirangan. Even after conceding an early goal, Mohun Bagan pulled of a dominating 3-1 victory against the Bangladeshi side.

The matches of AFC Cup never dissapoint, and that was proven today as well, as there was no room for the fans to switch attention because both the clubs engaged in a thrilling contest in front of their adoring supporters. The game demonstrated the talent, tenacity, and undying passion of both teams, keeping fans captivated until the final whistle.

Here are the three talking points from the game.

3. Mohun Bagan Super Giant’s incredible ball rotation

Despite conceding a goal early in the game, Mohun Bagan’s intensity of attack and ball rotation did not stop. After conceding, they continously started piling up the pressure on Abahani Dhaka’s defence and turned succesful in keeping their goalkeeper busy. Mohun Bagan’s ball rotation in both the midfield and the final third created the main difference.

The combination play between the midfielders, starting from Hugo Bumous and Sahal Abdul Samad to attackers like Liston Colaco and Jason Cummings was an absolute banger to watch. Juan Ferrando’s strategy of ball rotation and link-up play between the players have kept many big teams standing.

2. Sahal Abdul Samad’s involvement in the game

Sahal Abdul Samad was one of the key signnings for the Mariners this season and no wonder he has grown into one of India’s most promising midfielders. He has already begun to demonstrate his worth to the Kolkata giants. His involvement in the game was commendable and he was seen running with the ball throughout his 75 minutes of stay. His involvement up front created many goalbound oppourtunites for the side.

Sahal’s initiation in today’s match was not only restricted in creating chances in attacks, his involvement in defence was also promiment. Each time Dhaka Abahani pulled their midfield trigger, Sahal was seen helping the defence to maintain the team dominance.

1. Juan Ferrando’s notion of testing the young talents

Juan Ferrando, undoubtedly has proved himself as one of the most efficient and successful managers in India. His strategy of using the right players at the right time is a key thing to observe. The way in which Ferrando uses his squad depth is a major factor to consider and it is one of the many reasons which makes him stand out from many other bosses.

The substitution of Kiyan Nassiri and Lalrinliana Hnamte in place of two experienced players like Jason Cummings and Asish Rai (at a time when Bagan are leading 3-1) is a testament of how Juan Ferrando loves to give chances to the young players.

Mohun Bagan moved to the AFC Cup’s group stage draw with this victory. The draw for the AFC Cup is going to happen on August 24.

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