ATK Mohun Bagan 2 - 0 East Bengal FC: 3 things we learned | ISL 2022-23

ATK Mohun Bagan played host to East Bengal FC in the first Kolkata derby of the Indian Super League (ISL) 2022-23 season on Saturday, October 29. The two Kolkata giants squared off at Vivekananda Yuva Bharati Krirangan in the second game of a double-header.

As the match kicked off, both teams looked balanced as neither gave too much away to their opponents. However, midway through the first half, a challenge on Jordan O'Doherty looked like a penalty. But the man in the middle was indifferent to the challenge.

Moments later, it was Pritam Kotal who seemed to have brought down Cleiton Silva. However, the referee was convinced that the act was not good enough for a penalty.

ATK Mohun Bagan did have a few moments of brilliance coming from their French midfielder Hugo Boumous. The midfielder opened the scoring for his side with a thunderous strike from distance. Kamaljit Singh dived the right way but the East Bengal FC custodian could not stop the attempt.

Manvir Singh added a second moments later. After two goals, the encounter seemed well over for Stephen Constantine's side, who had started their night with an eagerness to win.

On that note, let's take a look at three things we learned from today's game

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#3 ATK Mohun Bagan seem to found the right combination

While ATK Mohun Bagan opted to go ahead with no proper strikers, there was an air of doubt as to whether the side would manage to score goals. At the start of the season, doubts surrounding the club's transfer business seemed to fuel controversies surrounding Juan Ferrando's ability to manage big clubs. With the ISL season underway, all of these issues were shut down by the Spanish gaffer.

Dimitrios Petratos's hat-trick compiled with how the forwards moved around in the Kolkata derby cemented the fact that Ferrando has indeed found a way with the team. There were moments in the game when Liston Colaco, Boumous, and Petratos completely disoriented their markers and opened up a lot of space between the centre-backs. This allowed them time to make the right decisions and cause problems for the opposition.

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#2 Stephen Constantine has found his starting eleven

At the start of the season, Constantine was under constant criticism for not fielding the right players. Much of it was due to the gaffer's decision to start Sumeet Passi, who, for some time, has been misfiring. However, since the NorthEast United FC clash, the Red and Gold Brigade seem to have found a decent line-up that is able to get the job done.

The story was similar in the Kolkata derby as well. East Bengal FC fielded a compact side that sat back, soaked in the pressure and was able to hit back with counter-attacks. With Jordan O'Doherty and Charalambos Kyriakou in the middle, the Red and Gold Brigade managed to keep their opponents on their toes. Semboi Haokip and Cleiton Silva had their moments as well.

In summary, Constantine could yield more positives going forward with his line-up for the upcoming ISL fixtures.

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#1 The Kolkata derby lived up to it's hype

The two Kolkata giants made their debuts in the ISL 2020-21 season. The tournament was held behind closed doors due to the pandemic. The case was similar the following season as well. However, since opening doors to fans in the ongoing season, the response has been massive.

The Vivekananda Yuva Bharati Krirangan has managed to showcase what football in Kolkata is all about. Hosting close to 63,000 fans in the Kolkata derby, the Mecca of Indian football has lived up to its hype.