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Bengaluru FC hosted ATK Mohun Bagan in Match no. 31 of the Indian Super League (ISL) at the Athletic Stadium in Bambolim on Thursday. Both sides intended on taking advantage of each other's dismal state to bounce back into the competition. The match ended in a 3-3 draw that saw a lot of defensive errors on both ends.
Bengaluru FC have been far from their usual selves this season. They have only been able to record a victory in their season-opener against NorthEast United FC.
Meanwhile, ATK Mohun Bagan started their season with two back-to-back wins that were followed by a series of defeats. They managed to secure a point against Chennaiyin FC prior to this ISL fixture. However, they had been winless in their last three games before this match.
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Both ISL teams eventually failed to get their hands on all three points.
On that note, let's take a look at four things we learned from this match:
#4 ATK Mohun Bagan unstable in defense
ATK Mohun Bagan head coach Antonio Lopez Habas is someone who believes his team should not leave spaces behind in greed to score more goals. He appreciates when his players are able to balance attack and defense.
However, this wasn't the case in their match against Bengaluru FC.
The Mariners conceded all three goals due to lapses in concentration of his players while defending. The first goal for the Blues came as a result of a poor tackle from Liston Colaco. The second and third goals were a result of poor man marking during defending set-pieces.
Captain Pritam Kotal and right wing back Ashutosh Mehta were a shadow of themselves in the match. They gave away too many cheap freekicks in dangerous areas.
#3 Bengaluru FC not utilizing Ashique Kuruniyan in the right manner
Bengaluru FC boss Marco Pezzaiuoli has deployed Ashique Kuruniyan as a left wing-back for most of the season so far. This did not work out for the side as his natural position was that of an attacker.
This position has burdened him with defensive duties and cut off space to be imaginative and creative in the final third. The left wing-back role has stunted Kuruniyan's attacking output for Bengaluru FC.
#2 ATK Mohun Bagan flawed in attack
Post last season, ATK Mohun Bagan decided to address a shortcoming in their attacking department. The side looked disconnected due to a lack of a creative midfielder. The arrival of Hugo Boumous seemed to be the final piece of the puzzle. But things haven't been much different as far as creativity is concerned.
One of the reasons for this is Roy Krishna's form in front of goal. The Fijian international has not been clinical so far and that added to Hugo Boumous being stranded on many occasions.
Another reason is ATK Mohun Bagan's inability to overload positions, especially on the flanks, leaving players outnumbered in attack.
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#1 Bengaluru FC's defensive flaws
Bengaluru FC have been a shadow of their former self so far this season. Much of the problem lies in the side's defensive department.
Even when Bengaluru FC are able to score goals, they are unable to resist conceding the same. Most of these occasions have let them suffer losses or leave with a point. All three goals scored by ATK Mohun Bagan were the result of defensive mishaps on the part of the Blues.
