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Bengaluru FC will host ATK in the first leg of the second ISL semifinal at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium on Sunday. Bengaluru are still smarting from the embarrassment of their exit from the AFC Cup, even before the group stage, losing on penalties to Maldives's Maziya S&RC on Wednesday.
The two teams played each other in their last ISL game, with both fielding much-changed units for that contest. It ended 2-2, with goals from Dimas Delgado and Kevaughn Frater putting Bengaluru in command, before ATK struck twice in the last four minutes through Edu Garcia and Michael Soosairaj.
Carles Cuadrat and Antonio Lopez Habas are both expected to name full-strength sides for this one, but both have some slight concerns, be it with form of some key players, or as in ATK's case, unavailability.
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Bengaluru FC v ATK: Match Information
Date: 1st March 2020
Kickoff: 7:30 PM IST
Live Stream: Star Sports Network and Hotstar
Venue: Sree Kanteerava Stadium, Bengaluru
Bengaluru FC v ATK: Team News
Cuadrat's men will welcome Sunil Chhetri back to ISL action, after the skipper made his return from injury against Maziya and scored twice to take it to penalties. He will take his place on the left wing, with Deshorn Brown expected to be at the forefront of the attack. The other spot in the front three is open to debate, with neither Ashique Kuruniyan nor Udanta Singh screaming out for the spot to be their own.
Semboi Haokip faces a long spell on the sidelines with a knee injury that he picked up in last week's clash between these two sides.
If Bengaluru go with their usual back four - with Rahul Bheke and Nishu Kumar as full-backs - Cuadrat faces a big call in midfield, with the choice being between the excellent Suresh Wangjam and the ever-dependable Harmanjot Khabra. Form might swing that battle in the young Suresh's favour.
For ATK, Agus is not available, with the Spanish centre-back currently in his homeland due to a personal emergency. The likes of Prabir Das and Arindam Bhattacharya are expected to make it back into the side, while Edu Garcia could also be in right from the start after a stunning substitute display earned ATK a point at the Kanteerava a week ago.
Bengaluru FC v ATK: Probable Lineups
Bengaluru FC: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Rahul Bheke, Albert Serran, Juanan Gonzalez, Nishu Kumar, Erik Paartalu, Suresh Wangjam, Dimas Delgado, Udanta Singh, Sunil Chhetri, Deshorn Brown
ATK: Arindam Bhattacharya, Pritam Kotal, Victor Mongil, Sumit Rathi, Prabir Das, Jayesh Rane, Mandi Sosa, Edu Garcia, Michael Soosairaj, David Williams, Roy Krishna
Bengaluru FC v ATK: ISL Form Guide
Bengaluru FC: D-L-D-W-W
ATK: D-L-W-W-W
Bengaluru FC v ATK Head-to-Head
The Blues have played ATK six times before, and have lost only once, when Williams scored the winner at the Salt Lake Stadium earlier this season.
ATK have never won at the Kanteerava, and before last week's encounter, had never scored at the Kanteerava. However, in Krishna and Williams, Habas will be confident he has a strike-force that can take a crucial away goal or two with them to the Salt Lake.
Bengaluru FC wins: 4
ATK wins: 1
Draws: 1
Bengaluru FC v ATK Prediction
Bengaluru's Kanteerava form has been almost spotless, while ATK had a slight dip to end the group stage, losing to Chennaiyin before drawing against a largely second-string Bengaluru.
This is going to be a completely different game though, and one would expect Cuadrat to line his side up to show the defensive solidity that they have shown for much of the season. Habas is expected to play it tight as well, while ensuring Krishna has space to run into on the counter-attack.
Bengaluru are experienced on big ISL nights, and we're backing them to take a slender advantage to Kolkata for the second leg.
Prediction: Bengaluru FC 1-0 ATK
