AFC Cup 2021 Live Commentary: ATK Mohun Bagan Vs Bashundhara Kings

Published at :August 24, 2021 at 9:31 PM

Modified at :August 27, 2021 at 6:49 PM

It wasn't easy at all, but ATK Mohun Bagan have booked a place in the AFC Cup inter-zone playoff semi-finals by winning their Group. The Mariners had to do it the hard and come back from being a goal down once again. Bashundhara Kings were definitely the better side for the majority of the first half, scoring an impressive goal and controlling the game well. However, the red card for defender Sushanto Tripura proved to be a game-changer, as it allowed the Mariners to play more attacking football in the second half and get the equalizer through David Williams after the hour mark. The Bangladeshi side tried their best to get another one after that, but were unable to do so with 10 men. ATK Mohun Bagan will play their inter-zone playoff semifinals on September 22nd, but their opposition side has not been decided yet. They also become the first ISL side to qualify for the AFC Cup knockout rounds in what is also a proud moment for the league. We'll be back with AFC Cup action in Bengaluru FC's final game against Maziya S&RC later today. For now, this is Uttiyo Sarkar signing off for Khel Now. Goodbye, Ladies & Gentlemen!

90+6' ATKMB defend the last charge from Bashundhara Kings before the final whistle blows! ATKMB have won Group D of the AFC Cup and have moved onto the knockout rounds!

90+4' Manvir shows off his defensive skill by helping end an attacking chance for ATKMB and receives cheers from the bench. Meanwhile, SK Sahil comes on for Deepak Tangri.

90+2' ATKMB make their first substitution of the game, as David Williams is replaced by Bidyananda Singh.

90' 5 minutes of added time is announced! Can ATKMB see off the late storm here?

88' The Mariners defend a dangerous set-piece situation really well and the Kings look quite tired at this point. Just a few minutes left for them to get a dramatic win.

85' CLOSE! Liston again brings forward the ball with confidence before finding Manvir Singh at the edge of the box, as the ATKMB forward takes an ambitious shot from a wide angle that goes wide.

84' OFF THE BAR! Robinho is again at the heart of all the trouble, as his attempted cross from the left goes past everyone and hits the post before going out. Amrinder will be breathing a sigh of relief there.

83' OOH! Robinho manages to dribble past a few players and cut into his right football before hitting a powerful shot - which Amrinder initially spilt but eventually saved.

82' A few more changes from the Bashundhara Kings as Tariq Kazi and Biswanath Ghosh are taken off, with Yeasin Khan and Mahbubur Rahman coming on.

80' Fernandes is the latest Kings' player to be booked after a reckless challenge on Tangri. The poor condition of the pitch isn't helping either side here, with many players slipping and sliding all over.

78' Bashundhara Kings won all 19 games in which they took the lead in the Bangladeshi Premier League last season. It'd be quite an achievement for the Mariners if they can see out a result here.

76' Bashundhara Kings make another change as Mohammad Ibrahim replaces Masuk Zoni.

73' Williams is definitely a confident man after that goal as he tries a David Beckham-esque shot from the halfway line that goes well wide of the goal.

72' CLOSE! Williams does really well to recover the ball in the opposition half and takes a vicious shot from outside the box which is parried away by the goalkeeper. Krishna clings onto the rebound and tries to set up another chance for Williams, but his shot is well wide.

70' ATKMB have dominated the possession in this game, keeping 53% of the possession as compared to Bashundhara's 47%. They'll like to control it until the end of the game to see out this result.

67' Bashundhara Kings make their first substitution of the game, as Bipo Ahamed replaces Mohammad Fahad.

65' With that goal, ATKMB become the first side to score past the Bashundhara Kings in the AFC Cup. The Bangladeshi giants concede their first goal after over 450minutes of competitive football.

64' Well the tides have turned just like that! The pressure is now back on the Kings because this score willl be enough to get ATKMB to the knockout rounds of the AFC Cup.

62' GOALLLL! ATKMB EQUALIZE! Liston gets the ball on the left foot and brilliantly moves into the box, before cleverly cutting it back for David Williams in the middle - with the Australian striker making no mistake tapping the ball into the back of the net. 1-1!

61' Manvir cuts into the middle from the right-wing and attempts an ambitious show with his left foot, only to see it surge over the net.

60' OOH! Subhashish Bose goes on an impressive run on the left and attempts a low cross from just outside the box which ends up going wide of the goal.

59' With no Boumous on the bench like the last game, it'll be interesting to see how Antonio Habas handles his substitutions today. The Mariners have some talented youngsters on the bench, but can they come on and make a prominent impact?

57' Bashundhara Kings have now gone into the shell and have opted for a more defensive shape. The ATKMB defenders are also playing more advanced to support their attack.

54' The Mariners don't seem desperate yet to get a goal and are being patient with their attacking moves. However, a bit of sloppiness is ending up wasting many chances.

52' Manvir shows impressive technique to whip in a perfect cross into the middle, but nobody is in the box to convert it. Frustrating!

49' Deepak Tangri is booked for lashing out his palm at Robinho's face to bring him down on the left-wing.

48' Penalty claim from the Kings! A cross is sent into the middle before Beccera's header is blocked, but the striker is convinced it hit McHugh's hand. The referee, however is having none of it.

46' The second half kicks off! Bashundhara Kings will now be attacking from the right to left. The Mariners have a lot to do to pull off a comeback in this half.

HALF TIME ANALYSIS: ATK Mohun Bagan go into half-time as the team under pressure, but they will take solace in the fact that they'll play the second half against 10 men. The Mariners started the game very well and even got a big chance to score the opener in the 18th minute when Liston Colaco couldn't score into an open net. That motivated the Kings to go forward and they took a shock lead ten minutes later, with Fernandes' shot going past everyone inside the box. The Mariners had some half-chances before half-time, before the half ended in dramatic fashion with Sushanto Tripura was sent off for a dangerous challenge on Subhashish Bose. Antonio Habas' side has their work cut out, but will fancying their chances to score against a 10-men Bashudhara side. Remember, a draw will ensure that ATKMB progress to the knockout stages of the AFC Cup. We'll be back with the second half action in a bit. Stay tuned, folks!

45+3' RED CARD FOR SUSHANTO! The referee allows the Bashundhara Kings defender to get stretchered out before showing him a straight red card for a dangerous challenge on Bose. A very interesting second half is coming up!

45+2' Things have gotten quite feisty on the pitch after a challenge involving Subhashish and Sushanto Tripura - after which both players seem to be quite hurt. Both the teams are demanding a booking for their opponent member's.

45' Mohammad Fahad becomes the latest player to be booked after physically holding back Manvir from going forward on a dangerous counter-attack. Meanwhile, 2 minutes of added time is announced.

43' CLOSE! Williams almost with an absolute screamer! The Australian striker gets some space in midfield and takes a left-footed shot almost 35 yards out that forces a big save from Anisur.

40' CLOSE! Krishna gets the ball inside the box with his back to the goal, but he manages to impressively keep control of it on the turn and take a shot that is blocked by a defender!

39' Another yellow card for a Bashundhara Kings player, as Masuk Zoni gets booked for a high-footed challenge on Subhashish Bose.

37' Habas seems to be infuriated with a decision of the referee regarding a free kick that is given to the opposition side. He'll have to stay calm or else face getting reprimanded by the official himself.

36' Bashundhara Kings are more than happy to just keep the possession of the ball now and look much more relaxed than before. ATKMB have to be wary not to make mistakes while trying to get the ball off them.

33' CHANCE! Kotal picks out Colaco with a brilliant long ball to send him through on goal, but the youngster tries to chip the goalkeeper - only to end up giving the ball straight into his hands.

31' The bad thing for ATKMB is that this is exactly how Bashundhara Kings wanted the game to go. They haven't conceded a goal in 450+ minutes of competitive action and managed to keep clean sheets against both Bengaluru FC and Maziya. Will take something special fo rthe Mariners to break that streak.

29' Antonio Habas will definitely be fuming with that goal. Fernandes was given way too much time and space to take that shot, as no-one seemed eager enough to close him down. Now the pressure is on the Mariners, who have to score to have chance to qualify past the group stages.

28' GOALLL! Bashundhara Kings take the lead! Jonathan Reis (Fernandes) manages to trick a few ATKMB defenders inside the box before cutting into his right foot and hitting a thunderous shot that powers into the back of the net. 1-0!

26' Some good link-up play from the Mariners as a beautiful long ball from McHugh finds Krishna inside the box, as the striker controls it well and moves it to Liston - whose shot is blocked. The Mariners also get their first shot on target shortly after that, as a long ranger from Deepak Tangri is saved by Anisur Rahman.

23' CLOSE! Liston does well to send in a nice cross into the far post to Manvir, who lays it for Krishna - with the Fijian trying an acrobatic back volley that flew just over the bar.

22' The Mariners are slowly taking back control of the game, but have to finish their chances after creating so many!

19' Biswanath Ghosh is booked for a horrible lunge on Krishna, leaving the striker in pain! ATKMB players are furious that the referee didn't ponder on giving him something more for that.

18' CLOSE! BIG CHANCE FOR ATKMB! Liston should've scored there! Roy Krishna sends David Williams through on goal with a clever pass and the Australian striker tricks the Kings' goalkeeper by passing it to Colaco, who can't score into an open net from close range. Chance wasted!

15' AGAIN! McHugh with a goalline clearance! Becerra does well to go past a player inside the box before tricking a shot on goal that is headed off the line by the ATKMB defender. Bashundhara Kings are really piling on the pressure now.

14' CLOSE! Robson Da Silva (Robinho) whips in a cross from the set-piece into the far post that is flicked into the middle and meets another header, but Kotal does well to clear it away from the goalpost.

13' Pritam Kotal is the first ATKMB to get booked after a reckless challenge on Tariq Kazi on the right wing.

11' It's been quite a physical affair so far as a lot of fouls have been committed early on. Bashundhara Kings, in particular, are not shying away from physical challenges to rattle their opponents.

9' McHugh is also able to shake off his problems and is quick to come back to the field of play.

8' Fortunately, Manvir hasn't suffered any extensive damage and is able to get up on the field. But just after that, Carl McHugh is now on the ground in the aftermath of a nasty challenge.

6' Raul Becerra gets the first yellow card for a nasty high boot straight to Manvir Singh's head. The ATKMB man looks to be hurt here.

4' Bashundhara Kings look determined to take the fight to ATKMB and are piling men forward in attack to force them to go back. A big test for ATKMB to survive this early pressure.

2' The Mariners are showing no intentions of parking the bus early on. They look to be playing with a 4-man backline and are pressing from the start to get an early opener.

1' KICKOFF! ATK Mohun Bagan kick things off and will be attacking from the right to left.

04:25 PM The teams have come out on the pitch and will now take part in their pre-match rituals. Kick-off is just a few moments away! Stay tuned, folks!

04:20 PM The Mariners still have a strong enough squad today to get a win. However, they need to be defensively much stronger than they were against Maziya. Bashundhara Kings are desperate for a win and will throw the kitchen sink at them to get it done, so Habas' side has to be unbreakable defensively and clinical on the counter-attack.

04:15 PM Antonio Habas is likely to field his side in a 3-4-1-2 formation, but this could also revert to a 4-2-3-1 one. Pritam Kotal can play as a centre-back alongside Carl McHugh, while David Williams can operate as a left-winger if needed - with Liston playing as a no.10 and Roy Krishna upfront. The Mariners only need a draw to win the group, so it'll be interesting to see their approach today.

04:10 PM The real miss today will be that of Hugo Boumous, who is not in ATK Mohun Bagan's matchday squad because of a suspension. Liston Colaco keeps his place after last game's heroics, while Ashutosh Mehta comes in for Sumit Rathi as the only change for the Mariners.

04:05 PM Team news is in! Here are how the teams line up today:

ATK Mohun Bagan starting XI vs Bashundhara Kings: Amrinder Singh (GK); Ashutosh Mehta, Pritam Kotal, Carl McHugh, Subhashish Bose; Lenny, Deepak Tangri; Liston Colaco, David Williams, Manvir Sigh, Roy Krishna (C).

Subs: Arindam Bhattacharya (GK), Sumit Rathi, Ricky Shabong, Bidyananda Singh, Engson Singh, Sk. Sahil, Abhishek Dhananjay, Kiyan Nassiri.

Bashundhara Kings XI: Anisur Rahman (GK), Sushanto Tripura, Topu Barman (C), Khaled Shafiei, Tariq Kazi, Biswanath Ghosh, Masuk Zoni, Jonathan Reis Fernandes, Mohammad Fahad, Raul Becerra, Robson Da Silva.

Subs: MD Mitul Hasan (GK), Nurul Faisal, MD Yeasin Khan, MD Emon Mahmud, Biplo Ahmed, Shaikh Rana, Mohammad Ibrahim, Yusuf Khan, MD Farim Morshed.

04:00 PM ATK Mohun Bagan meet Bashundhara Kings with both teams eyeing a knockout berth. But the ISL outfit will start more confident as they only need a draw to advance into the nect round of the AFC Cup while

Match Preview here.

Follow ATK Mohun Bagan Vs Bashundhara Kings live action here with Khel Now.

03:55 PM Hello and welcome to Khel Now's live coverage of the AFC Cup 2021. We have a blockbuster game on hand here as Indian Super League (ISL) giants ATK Mohun Bagan go head-to-head vs Bashundhara Kings. We will be keeping you company here, through a fascinating evening of football.

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