ATK 1-0 Bengaluru FC: 3 reasons why the defending champions lost | ISL 2019-20

ATK edged past Bengaluru FC 1-0 in the Indian Super League at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata. The hosts began the contest brightly and immediately carved out a chance, although Roy Krishna fluffed his lines.

A few minutes later, Dimas Delgado sent his free-kick wide as the visitors grew into the game as the minutes ticked by. However, there wasn’t enough goal-mouth action in the opening 45 minutes, meaning that the outfits went into the break deadlocked at 0-0.

After the restart, ATK surged into the ascendancy when David Williams clinically finished past Gurpreet Singh Sandhu in the 47th minute. The Australian was set up by Jayesh Rane, who industriously won the ball off Rahul Bheke on the edge of the penalty box.

Thereafter, the away side tried to peg the hosts back but none of the former’s attacking play boasted the required inspiration to prize open the latter’s defensive lock.

Here is a look at three reasons why Bengaluru FC lost the encounter.

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#3 Carles Cuadrat gets it slightly wrong at the start

Cuadrat got his tactics slightly wrong against ATK

For the trip to Kolkata, Carles Cuadrat decided to shuffle his tactical pack as he opted to mirror ATK’s formation. In the process, the Spaniard hoped to neutralize the hosts’ threat and set the ideal platform for Bengaluru to build upon.

However, despite the tweak seeming shrewd in theory, it didn’t transpire the way the visitors envisaged.

Rahul Bheke was recalled into the starting line-up with the defender starting as the left-sided centre-back. Harmanjot Khabra and Nishu Kumar operated as the wing-backs whereas Albert Serran and Juanan were the other central defenders.

Consequently, the away side allowed ATK plenty of room through midfield, meaning that they enjoyed the requisite time to pick gaps in Bengaluru’s defence. Additionally, one of Krishna or Williams always dropped a touch deeper to create situations of numerical superiority and then lay the ball on for their teammates.

Moreover, with Bheke playing on the left, the side looked imbalanced, considering his preference to use his right foot. The above meant that there were several instances where Bengaluru couldn’t play out from the back adequately because the Indian inevitably cut inside and chose crowed passing options.

Unsurprisingly, the opening goal came after Bheke committed a mistake on the edge of the box. After intercepting a pass, his heavy touch allowed Jayesh to pinch the ball off him and feed Williams. The Australian made no mistake as he thumped his effort past Gurpreet.

More puzzlingly though, Cuadrat also decided to deploy Raphael Augusto much deeper, thereby trying to create a 3v3 situation in the middle third. However, the Brazilian was starved of possession in promising areas as he kept dribbling into several blind alleys, especially considering none of his teammates made the desired forward runs.

Over the course of the past couple of seasons, Cuadrat has superbly blended extravagance with efficiency at Bengaluru, meaning that they’ve often been equipped to handle whatever oppositions have had to throw at them.

Yet, one reckons that the Spaniard might not look back at the game against ATK as one of his tactical masterstrokes.

#2 ATK execute their game-plan to the tee

Williams was brilliant for ATK

The encounter on Wednesday pitted two teams who were perched in the higher echelons of the ISL table, meaning that several expected an immensely cagey and strategic contest. And, those notions weren’t too unfounded as the outfits produced a fascinating tactical battle, although the hosts clearly outwitted the visitors.

ATK were content to defend in two banks of four, meaning that Bengaluru had to frequently ping the ball from side to side without ever penetrating. Subsequently, the home side’s midfielders kept working tirelessly to ensure that spaces didn’t appear between the lines.

Javi Hernandez and Jayesh Rane were brilliant in midfield whereas their defenders also barely put a foot wrong. In addition, Michael Soosairaj and Prabir Das played relatively withdrawn roles on the flanks as they stifled the visitors’ offensive movements comfortably.

When ATK had the ball, they moved it swiftly as they found their strikers in the attacking third, thereby allowing them the time to turn and run at the defenders.

Furthermore, they kept exploiting the gaps behind Bengaluru’s defensive line with several players exposing their off-side trap. Though that didn’t directly lead to a goal, it highlighted the threat the hosts posed and it forced the away side to drop off, at times.

Thus, through the course of the game, ATK had managed to execute their game-plan to the tee. In the process, they’d sent out a strong message to those that had been doubting their credentials in the ISL.

#1 Bengaluru fail to maximize their possession

Sunil Chhetri

Akin to many a time before, Bengaluru dominated the lion’s share of possession in an ISL fixture. The Blues ended with 58% of the ball and completed more than 300 passes. However, rather alarmingly, they failed to create anything of note as the hosts shut them out with ease.

Sunil Chhetri looked a man bereft of any support in the attacking third, meaning that the Indian skipper was left feeding off scraps for a majority of the encounter.

Udanta Singh, meanwhile, was again subdued as his end product went awry. Apart from that aspect though, he also failed to pin Soosairaj back adequately and consequently, capitalize on the latter’s defensive deficiencies.

Augusto, too looked devoid of ideas in a deeper role while Dimas Delgado and Erik Paartalu weren’t allowed to venture into the final third, meaning that their late runs into the box weren’t a luxury on the night.

Similarly, their build-up play also lacked conviction and often looked extremely sluggish, especially when they moved the ball in the middle third. Unsurprisingly, they were unable to drag the ATK defenders enough to create openings for themselves.

Alhough Bengaluru always looked a threat from set-pieces, one just wonders if their apparent insipidness from open play would cause a furrowed brow or two.

To put things into perspective, the defending champions failed to muster a single shot on target throughout the match; a fact that just embodied the shoddy nature of their attacking display.

In 10 games so far, Bengaluru have only made the net ripple 11 times. While they’ve kept things quiet at the back, one reckons they might have to find another offensive gear in the upcoming weeks.

Else, they might find it extremely tough to defend their crown.