ISL 2018-19: Kerala Blasters 1-1 ATK – 5 talking points

#1 Garcia proves his worth on ATK debut

Garcia celebrates after scoring the goal [Image: ISL]

ATK signed Edu Garcia in the January window to end their goal-scoring problem and in his debut match for the team, the Spaniard proved he is here to stay. He also scored on his debut for Bengaluru FC season.

In the absence of Manuel Lanzarote, Garcia was handed the start. He was doing exactly what Lanzote used to do on the field – creating opportunities, taking the set-pieces, feeding balls to his teammates and taking shots on his own.

He was an ever-present figure on the field. Whenever ATK players had the ball on their feet, they tried to pass it on to Garcia, who tried to make the most of the opportunity. He constantly switched flanks to put pressure on the opponents.

His proved his talent with a clever from the free-kick. Most of the players would try to shoot it over the wall into the top corner from that distance. But Garcia opted for a low shot which bamboozled Dheeraj Singh before going into the net.

Once Lanzarote comes out of suspension, it needs to be seen where Coppell fields him.