FC Goa 3-0 ATK Mohun Bagan: 3 things we learned | ISL 2022-23

FC Goa defeated ATK Mohun Bagan 3-0 in their sixth game of the ISL 2022-23 season in Goa on Sunday, 20 November. It was the Mariners' sixth game of the season as well.

FC Goa came into the match being placed seventh in the points table and suffered a 3-1 defeat against Kerala Blasters in their previous match.

ATK Mohun Bagan came into the game placed at the fifth spot in the points table and won their previous game 2-1 against NorthEast United FC.

The Gaurs wanted the win to move into the top six, while the Mariners wanted the win to close the gap with the league leaders.

The game began with the hosts piling on the pressure early on the proceedings. Vishal Kaith made three good saves to deny FC Goa an early goal.

The Gaurs kept up the pressure but failed to convert the chances they created. ATK Mohun Bagan had a few chances also but failed to do anything substantial in front of the goal. The game turned into a physical battle as time progressed. The scoreboard at half-time read 0-0.

The Gaurs started the second half with a bang as they made use of their early pressure in the second half to score in the 50th minute. Aiban Dohling ran past Asish Rai and hugged the touchline before slotting the ball into the net with a hard strike.

The Mariners tried to score an equalizer but were unable to create any clear-cut openings.

FC Goa's defender Fares scored in the 76th minute from an Edu Bedia corner to make it 2-0 for the hosts. Noah Wail Sadaoui scored a screamer from 30 yards out in the 82nd minute. Vishal Kaith and the ATKMB defenders should have done better. The match ended with 3-0 scoreline in The Gaurs' favor.

With a win in this game, FC Goa moved to the third spot in the points table, while ATK Mohun Bagan dropped to sixth in the standings.

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

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#1 Carlos Pena gets the better of Juan Ferrando tactically

Carlos Pena limited Hugo Boumous tactically (Image courtesy: ISL Media)

Carlos Pena played under Juan Ferrando for FC Goa in the Indian Super League. Pena, now in charge of FC Goa, faced his former coach Juan Ferrando, who was in charge of ATK Mohun Bagan in this game.

Carlos Pena had a good idea of how Juan Ferrando would like to set up his side and was able to counter them tactically.

The Gaurs managed to keep more of the ball possession and dictate the play, which automatically hurt ATK Mohun Bagan's plans. Pena also kept the midfield and defense tight and compact, which didn't allow the Mariners to hit their opponents on the counter.

Pena's side crowded the midfield and helped his side in countering ATK Mohun Bagan's attacks.

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#2 FC Goa's changes work wonders

Noah came off the bench to score a wonder goal (Image courtesy: ISL Media)

FC Goa started the game on a bright note and created numerous chances in the initial minutes but failed to convert them. It looked set to be a story of a side who would rue their missed chances.

Carlos Pena, though, had other ideas in his mind. With the Gaurs taking the lead in the 50th minute, Pena introduced Fares in place of Valiente and then bought on Noah in place of Alvaro Vazquez.

Both the foreigners got their names on the scoresheet and secured a 3-0 victory for FC Goa. This must have given great satisfaction to the manager.

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#3 ATK Mohun Bagan showcases a lacklustre performance

Joni Kauko had a poor game (Image courtesy: ISL Media)

ATK Mohun Bagan were poor, to say the least. The Mariners lost the game 3-0 and it was the first win for FC Goa over ATK Mohun Bagan in the ISL. The Mariners didn't register a single shot on target. It was a clear proof of how bad they were.

They also had less of the ball compared to The Gaurs and their passing success rate was poor compared to their standards.

The defense made some silly mistakes which hurt Juan Ferrando's side. Goalkeeper Vishal Kaith had a good start to the game but failed to continue that form as he made some silly errors in the second half.

The Mariners' midfield had a poor showing and the likes of Hugo Boumous and Joni Kauko weren't able to impact the game in any way.

ATK Mohun Bagan's over-reliance on the midfield was also a reason for their poor result.