What we learned about ATK Mohun Bagan, SC East Bengal since first Kolkata Derby

The 2020-21 Indian Super League is gearing up for the second contest between the two teams which will take place later this week.

Nearly 12 weeks after squaring off in the first-ever Kolkata Derby in the Indian Super League, ATK Mohun Bagan and SC East Bengal will face each other again in the reverse fixture at the Fatorda Stadium on 19th February in a feisty encounter. Debutants East Bengal look to have finally found their feet in the league. Meanwhile, three-time champions ATK Mohun Bagan have found new impetus since the arrival of Marcelinho from Odisha FC.

Let’s take a look at how both sides have fared since the first game that took place on 27th November, which saw ATKMB beat SCEB 2-0.

ATK Mohun Bagan

11 wins, 3 draws and 3 defeats later, ATKMB sit comfortably in first position. However, they are just a point above Mumbai City FC, who have a game in hand. The Mariners have qualified for the playoffs as well. The team looked to have lost steam, losing a poor game against Jamshedpur FC after three consecutive victories. At certain points, the defending champions looked bereft of ideas, with a lot riding on the shoulders of Roy Krishna.

The team created less and the quality of crosses looked depleted as well. The 2-1 defeat to NorthEast United, too, have opened up the usually resolute defence of Antonio Lopez Habas’ team. ATKMB have conceded five times in the last four games, a poor record considering their famed defensive robustness. However, the arrival of the Brazilian flair in Marcelinho has changed some dynamics in the attacking half of the pitch.

From being a bench-warmer at Odisha FC to a terrific threat going forward for ATKMB, Marcelinho has proven he still has a lot of scoring left in him. Infact, at Odisha, he played just eight games out of the possible 14, with sporadic appearances off the bench. Clearly, he didn’t look like the player that wowed fans in the Indian capital while playing for the erstwhile Delhi Dynamos under Gianluca Zambrotta.

Since his arrival, the former FC Pune City forward has scored twice in three appearances and even slotted into the midfield three for his team against Bengaluru FC, a position he’s not associated with. His dead-ball ability was on display against the Blues side, as he slotted a brilliant free-kick past a hapless Gurpreet Singh Sandhu.

https://youtu.be/m0pSmSOgY2U

Marcelinho is enjoying his game and so is Lenny Rodrigues, another mid-season signing. The veteran midfielder is effortlessly manning the central area and controlling the tempo of games for Habas, something the manager likes in abundance.

To summarize, ATKMB are deadly on the counter-attack and from dead-ball situations. The team find moments of magic from their forwards and eke out three points one game after another. They aren’t the typical exponents of ‘beautiful football,’ but have their own rigid definition, roles and stick to them. The system put into place has clearly paid dividends.

SC East Bengal

The first season for SC East Bengal in the Indian Super League has been far from convincing. They’re yet to win two games in a row in 17 attempts. The Red and Gold have won just three matches, drawn eight and lost on six occasions. Four of these six defeats came in the first five games, throwing the club in the deep end in the search for answers.

With a little ‘Bright’ness,' luck and cohesion, East Bengal are starting to look like a side that know their definitive style of play. Jacques Maghoma and Anthony Pilkington are yet to fire consistently, a problem that has pegged the club back consistently. They have looked more threatening since the arrival of Bright Enobakhare, but the No. 10 has also cut a lone figure at times.

With constant shuffling of the backline, Robbie Fowler hasn’t given much chance to his defence to settle down. Raju Gaikwad has looked like a shot in the arm, with the former Kerala Blasters defender marshalling the backline better than the other defenders at Fowler’s disposal. The quartet of Sarthak Golui, Raju Gaikwad, Danny Fox and Narayan Das looks to be doing fine.

Matti Steinmann has been their rock in the middle of the park, playing the role of both a deep-lying playmaker and a defensive midfielder, according to the need of the situation. However, the German has been asked to do a lot and has been made to play with new partners continuously. Ankit Mukherjee has become an instant hit with the fans and his cheeky attempt to lob the ball over Laxmikant Kattimani for a goal against Hyderabad FC, shows the confidence he’s carrying at the moment.

East Bengal look more settled compared to when the season started, but are still weaker than the mighty ATKMB. They are having a difficult time in converting chances into goals, having scored just 15 times while conceding 22. They have drawn and won one in their last two games, giving them a little confidence. East Bengal have also been unlucky, having been denied several penalties that could’ve given them points. With a lot of action set to unfold on 19th February, it will be interesting to see which team outperforms the other. When it comes to this encounter, records, history and form do not matter. All that matters is temperament, drive and a little bit of luck.