ISL final: Defence prowess to be tested as ATK Mohun Bagan face Bengaluru FC

A win for the ATKMB can hand them their maiden ISL title

ITDC INDIA EPRESS/ ITDC NEWS : An exhilarating Indian Super League season will crown its champion as ATK Mohun Bagan take on Bengaluru FC for the silverware at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Goa on Saturday.

A win for the Mariners can hand them their maiden ISL title, while the Blues could lift their second one, having last done so in the 2018-19 season. Atletico Kolkata (ATK), before Mohun Bagan was bought over, had won ISL titles.

ATKMB have been unbeaten in five games leading up to the final, where they have only conceded once in those five games while keeping four clean sheets.

The club's defensive prowess has been evident since the league phase, where they conceded just 17 goals all season, making them statistically the second-best defensive team in the league after Hyderabad FC.

A solid defensive backline with Pritam Kotal and Brendan Hamill enabled the Mariners to achieve this feat.

However, in the last four games, Slavko Damjanovic has replaced Hamill at the heart of defence as ATK Mohun Bagan have kept clean sheets in all those games. Asish Rai has been a threat down the right flank.

In attack, the only player that head coach Juan Ferrando could be without is Ashique Kuruniyan, but the ATKMB coach is positive about him playing. He will be assessed in training before the final against his former club.

"In the last few games, they (Bengaluru FC) have been very good and have played confidently. On the field, they look like a proper team. It will be very important to control this game from the start. The focus, as always, is on our team, and we have faith in our plan," said Ferrando.