AFC Cup 2021 Ratings: Bose, Boumous shine against Bengaluru FC

The Mariners also kept a clean sheet against the Blues to begin their continental campaign on Wednesday.

ATK Mohun Bagan overcame Bengaluru FC with a comfortable 2-0 victory in the opening game of Group D of the AFC Cup. The ATKMB players executed Antonio Habas' gameplan to perfection as the Blues' attack proved to be too blunt for a rock-solid Mariners' defence. Roy Krishna opened the scoring 39 minutes, before Subhashish Bose followed suit in the 46th minute.

Several players made their debuts for both ATK Mohun Bagan and Bengaluru FC on Wednesday afternoon. Hugo Boumous and Deepak Tangri caught the eye for the Mariners, while the Blues' left back Roshan Singh impressed as well.

Let's take a look at how players from ATK Mohun Bagan and Bengaluru FC performed in their AFC Cup 2021 group stage opener.

ATK Mohun Bagan

Amrinder Singh (GK) – 6.5

A comfortable match for ATK Mohun Bagan’s new goalkeeper. Amrinder Singh was largely untested by the opposition and successfully kept a clean sheet in an all-important opening tie of the AFC Cup 2021.

Pritam Kotal – 7.0

A very calm and collected performance from the India international. He was largely responsible for Sunil Chhetri’s anonymous performance. He forced the opposition to play back-passes as they failed to take him on.

Kotal registered 77% passing accuracy, 11 long balls, won four ground duels and two aerial duels.

Carl McHugh – 8.0

Usually an imposing presence at the heart of midfield for ATK Mohun Bagan, McHugh operated at the centre of Antonio Habas’ back-three. It was a dominating performance from the Irishman, who dealt with Cleiton Silva with ease. McHugh won five duels and was also the initiator of his team’s build-up.

The midfielder had an 83% passing accuracy, made eight clearances, won five aerial and ground duels each. He also registered three recoveries, one interception and was not dispossessed in the entire match.

Sumit Rathi – 7.5

After spending most of last season on the bench due to Sandesh Jinghan’s presence, Sumit Rathi took his opportunity whole heartedly. It was a dominating performance from the young defender, who never looked like he was in trouble.

Manvir Singh – 6.0

After a marauding campaign in the previous season on the right-flank for ATK Mohun Bagan, it was a much less threatening performance from Manvir Singh. The speedster often looked held back by his defensive obligations. However, he performed his defensive duties with aplomb – effectively nullifying Sunil Chhetri on the left side of Bengaluru FC.

Deepak Tangri – 7.0

The young midfielder protected the defence brilliantly. It was a stunning debut performance from Tangri, as he showed why Habas was keen to sign him for Chennaiyin FC.

Tangri made one key pass, won five duels and interceptions. He also registered six recoveries.

Lenny Rodrigues – 7.0

Just like his midfield partner, Lenny Rodrigues looked comfortable in the midfield battle against Bengaluru FC. Lenny made one interception and three recoveries in the midfield but it was his forward-passes that caught the eye the most. He also registered a 83% passing accuracy in the game.

Subashish Bose – 9.0

The birthday boy and arguably also the man of the match. Subashish Bose, India’s marauding left-back looked in fine touch against the Blues. Bose won the assisting header for the first goal before scoring the second with a fine finish. A goal, assist and a clean sheet makes for an ideal birthday gift for the left back. Bose caused Sarthak Golui trouble throughout the game.

Bose scored a goal, assisted another, created two chances and had a shooting accuracy of 100%. He also won nine duels and registered 100% tackling accuracy (2).

Hugo Boumous – 8.0

Arguably the biggest signing of the summer in India for a massive fee, Hugo Boumous must have made Habas a very happy man in the touchlines. The creative attacking midfielder was the most dangerous player on the pitch by a mile. His link-up with Roy Krishna looked promising and could serve as a lethal partnership in the future.

Boumous delivered the corner leading to the first goal and created two chances as well. He also won six duels and won three fouls.

Roy Krishna – 8.0

The talisman of ATK Mohun Bagan for two seasons now, Roy Krishna began the new campaign right where he left off. A clever headed flick-on from a tight space saw the Fijian break the deadlock and put the Mariners ahead.

Krishna caused a lot of havoc in the attacking third with his tussle with Suresh Singh being the highlight of it all. His runs behind the defenders and strength created a lot of chances for the Mariners.

The Fijian had an 80% passing accuracy, made a key pass and won six duels.

David Williams – 7.5

David Williams showed why Antonio Habas is so comfortable with his pragmatic approach. The Australian forward’s presence in the attacking third was enough to cause Bengaluru FC problems. He dropped deep to collect the ball and also held up long balls. Williams drew a strong save from Gurpreet in the first half as well.

Williams assisted one goal and made two key passes.

Substitutes

Bidyananda Singh – 6.0

Came on for ATKMB’s star player, Hugo Boumous, and did well to inject energy into the side. He thwarted Bengaluru FC’s play numerous times and became a thorn for the Blues in the midfield. A decent cameo from the Indian.

Liston Colaco – 5.0

Replaced David Williams around the 80th-minute mark. However, ATK Mohun Bagan were defending very deep towards the end of the game and there was very little opportunity for Liston Colaco to be impressive going forward.

Sk. Sahil – N/A

Came on too late to make an impression.

Bengaluru FC

Gurpreet Singh Sandhu (GK) – 5.5

Made a fantastic stop to deny Hugo Boumous in the first half when the score were equal. Overall, it was a fairly decent performance for the Indian international who was let down by the defence. He also registered a passing accuracy of 92%.

Sarthak Golui – 5.0

It was a hardworking performance by Sarthak Golui on the Blues’ right side. Although, he often looked uncomfortable when in possession and played some stray passes. Golui registered a 79% passing accuracy, seven crosses but lost four of the five duels he contested.

Alan Costa – 5.0

After an impressive debut against Club Eagles, Alan Costa looked a lot more uncomfortable against ATK Mohun Bagan. He was often caught out of position by the clever runs by Roy Krishna and David Williams. He completed 71 passes in the game, the most by any player on the pitch.

He also registered 89% passing accuracy and made 42 passes in the opposition half, 13 long balls, five clearances, four recoveries and one interception. However, he conceded three fouls and lost two aerial and three ground duels.

Yrondu Musavu-King – 5.5

Just like his defensive partner, Musavu-King failed to keep ATK Mohun Bagan at an arm’s length. The Marines’ attacking contingent proved to be too much for the Gabonese defender.

King won 100% ground (five) and aerial (three) duels he contested. The Bengaluru FC defender also made six recoveries against ATK Mohun Bagan.

Roshan Singh Naorem – 6.0

Roshan Singh was handed a rare start due to Ashique Kuruniyan’s absence and the youngster performed fairly well. The left-back dealt well with Manvir Singh on the Mariners' right side. He also showed glimpses of a dangerous left-foot with his corner-kicks.

He registered an 85% passing accuracy and two crosses. However, he was dispossessed once as well.

Jayesh Rane – 5.5

After an extremely bright debut against Club Eagles, Jayesh Rane failed to make a decisive contribution against his former club. One of Bengaluru’s top signings of the summer, Rane operated as the most advanced midfielder but lacked the precise final pass.

He failed to land a single shot on target while losing three duels.

Ajay Chhetri – 5.5

A short appearance for Ajay Chhetri as the defensive midfielder was hooked at the halfway mark. It was arguably a harsh substitution from Marco Pezzaiuoli as Ajay did not really put a foot wrong and was composed in possession.

Suresh Singh Wangjham - 6.0

Bengaluru’s workhorse in midfield, Suresh was one of the Blues' few bright spots. Suresh played the entire game and controlled the tempo of the game very well. He was key behind Bengaluru’s 60% possession in the first half. Suresh also covered every blade of grass on the pitch and should be disappointed to be on the losing side.

He created four chances and made four key passes but lost seven duels.

Udanta Singh – 5.5

Another poor outing for the Bengaluru FC speedster. Udanta operated on the wide right side and failed to threaten the solid ATKMB defence. Apart from one dangerous cross, Udanta was wasteful.

Cleiton Silva – 6.5

A difficult evening for Cleiton Silva who worked immensely hard and tried to make a difference. The Brazilian created Bengaluru FC’s best chance of the game, which was saved by Amrinder. Cleiton was also booked early on in the game for dissent followed by a cynical foul.

He registered four shots, created four chances, won 11 duels. However, he was offside once and conceded two fouls.

Sunil Chhetri – 5.0

A very uncharacteristic performance from the Indian captain. Sunil Chhetri failed to inspire the Blues as they chased the game for its majority. Chhetri failed to get onto the ball enough, registering only 17 touches in his 70-minute appearance.

He also lost three ground and aerial duels each and was offside in an occasion.

Substitutes

Danish Farooq Bhat – 4.0

Replaced Ajay Chhetri after the first half and began his appearance with a poor mistake. Farooq was at fault for the second goal as he allowed Bose with too much time and space to turn and pick his spot. He proved to be too static and slow on the ball for the remainder of the game as well.

Ajith Kumar – 6.0

Came on at the hour mark for Sarthak Golui when the Blues were chasing the game. Played in several crosses into the crowded ATK Mohun Bagan box but to no avail.

Bidyashagar Singh – 5.0

A very unimpactful performance from Bidyashagar Singh. Naturally a centre-forward, Bidyashagar found himself playing out wide in a rather unfamiliar position.

For more updates, follow Khel Now on Twitter, Instagram and join our community on Telegram.