#2 Bagan extremely solid at the back
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One of the most notable facets for Bagan’s consecutive victories was their defence. The Bagan defence comprised the likes of Pritam Kotal, Anas Edathodika, Shouvik Ghosh and Kingshuk Debnath. Barring Ghosh, all the other three seemed in sublime touch and constantly guarded the Bagan fortress right till the end.
Kingshuk led the charge in defence as he marshalled the rest of the defenders and thwarted most of the forays from Lajong. Edathodika though was the pick of the slew as he was the toughest defender to get past.
A man with a burly stature, Anas made sure that every single tackle he went for was spick and span. The best part about him was his speed. He seemed absolutely insuperable when he ran along with the Lajong attackers and kept anything and everything that came his way, at bay.
Pritam Kotal was once again phenomenal as he chipped in with stellar crosses and cut-ins. Laced with his overlaps, the feature that made him invincible was his ability to intercept. Kotal could have easily notched himself a second and third assist in today’s match but Duffy failed to convert.
Ghosh was the sole defender who seemed pale vis-à-vis the remaining three. This could have been attributed to his lack of match practice. He donned the Mohun Bagan jersey after quite some time and seemed to be lacking some sharpness when it mattered the most.
The best of Ghosh came in the 33rd minute when he blasted a free-kick but the ball missed the net by a whisker.
Another notable name on the night was Sehnaj Singh. He was not a part of the defence but he cast a defensive screen over the rearguard that made life hell for the Lajong attackers. He had to be taken off the field when he sustained an injury in the 63rd minute.
