ISL 2019-20, Bengaluru FC vs ATK 1st leg semi-final: Cautious approach from both sides could lead to cagey affair

The semi-final fever of the Indian Super League is all set to hit the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru as the home side prepare to host ATK, the club which finished four points ahead of them after the league stages for the first leg on Sunday. The most recent encounter between these two clubs the previous Saturday ending in a 2-2 draw, Bengaluru FC would have been the clear favourites during any other time, but Sunil Chhetri and Co. are coming off a AFC Cup qualifier defeat against Maziya S&RC of the Maldives. [caption id=“attachment_8104061” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Carles Cuadrat’s side are struggling with their form, failing to win in any of their three previous ISL outings. Sportzpics[/caption] Carles Cuadrat’s side are spectacularly struggling with their form, failing to win in any of their three previous Indian Super League outings. It has been a mediocre season so far by Bengaluru’s standards for they haven’t achieved the necessary momentum to push forward for the title, although they qualified for the semi-finals pretty easily in the end. Offence has been Cuadrat’s primary Achilles heel with Bengaluru FC scoring only 22 goals in their 18 ISL matches so far, a meagre output considering the firepower available in the ranks of the defending champions. Chhetri’s return from injury with a brace against the Maldivian side will raise hopes of the home supporters ahead of the first leg, but the Indian skipper is up against one of the most compact defenses of the Indian top division. Deshorn Brown will lead the line alongside Chhetri while Udanta Singh is likely to feature in the starting lineup as well. Cuadrat’s main conundrum lies in the midfield with the young Suresh Wangjam who has put up impressive displays pitted against the experienced Harmanjot Khabra, for temperament and seniority might just tilt the scales in favour of Khabra. For all of Bengaluru’s troubles in the goalscoring department, their defence has stepped up incredibly – conceding only 13 goals during the league stage. Holders of the best defensive record, Rahul Bheke, Albert Sarran, Juanan Gonzalez and Nishu Kumar are expected to line up against an exuberant ATK attacking setup. Roy Krishna, who has donned the skipper’s hat ever since Agus left for Spain to attend a personal emergency, has led the line with elan, netting on 14 different occasions. His understanding with David Williams, a continuation of their Wellington Phoenix partnership gives ATK an unreal advantage which has shone through time and again during crucial junctures of play. It isn’t just Krishna and Williams who have had to shoulder the responsibility of scoring goals alone, for the likes of Javi Garcia, Jayesh Rane and even the young Soosairaj has chipped in throughout the campaign. While their statistic of 33 goals scored falls significantly short of the league table topper FC Goa, ATK have been quite prolific by the league’s standards. Combined with their impeccable defensive displays with custodian Arindam Bhattacharya rolling back the years and a backline led by Pritam Kotal conceding only 16 goals, secondary only to Bengaluru FC, Antonio Habas’ side is a complete package. Perhaps, ATK’s biggest strength is their consistency, a result of the discipline and determination well-drilled into the side by Habas. “I think it will be an absolutely competitive match because two organized teams will be playing. Bengaluru is a very good team, balanced and competitive. They are one of the favourites. I don’t know what will happen after the semi-finals but until now Bengaluru are the champions and we have to respect them,” Habas refused to get drawn into comparisons and predictions. Having won the title of the Indian Super League in the inaugural edition, Habas has been burnt by the play-off format once before and not a fan of the system, adding “I prefer winning the league with more points. For me, the play-offs is abstract.” A clever tactician, Habas’ argument holds up really well if the first leg of the other semi-final between Chennaiyin FC and FC Goa are taken into account, for the fourth-placed Chennaiyin FC battered table toppers Gaurs with four goals on Saturday evening. ATK’s poor record at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium could act as a mental deterrent as well, for the Kolkata-based franchise has never won a game in Bengaluru. In fact, until their Christmas Day win at the Yuva Bharati Krirangan this season, Antonio Habas’ men had never managed to get the better off the defending champions in an Indian Super League outing. “The past doesn’t count. It is a 180-minute game. It will be a new situation,” Cuadrat remained circumspect, especially in light of Bengaluru FC’s recent form, further adding, “ATK are a very good team. It will be a tactical battle between two teams that work a lot in defence. It will be an interesting semi-final.” Two legged ties are often an intriguing proposition, with the balance slightly tilted in favour of the team playing second at home (ATK in this case), but as history has shown, while the tie cannot be won in the first leg, it surely can be lost in the span of those ninety minutes. A cagey affair is in the offering with the high stakes leading to a possibly cautious approach from both the defending champions and the titular favourites of this edition.