ATK Mohun Bagan vs Mumbai City: Preview and Prediction
ATK Mohun Bagan will be looking forward to extending their winning run as they take on reigning champions Mumbai City in ‘Match 14’ of the 2021-22 Indian Super League season. The Mariners have been prolific in their first two matches beating Kerala Blasters and arch-rivals SC East Bengal convincingly.
Meanwhile, Mumbai City also started with a comfortable 3-0 win over Goa but then stumbled against a spirited Hyderabad team losing 3-1. Des Buckingham’s boys will hope to put the past behind them and come out all guns blazing and maintain their perfect record of 3 wins in 3 matches against the Mariners.
How have they done so far?
On paper, ATK Mohun Bagan possesses arguably the strongest roster of this competition and it is often reflected on the pitch with their exceptional gameplay. Antonio Lopez Habas’ team started the season with a 4-2 win over Kerala Blasters and followed it up with a 3-0 win against SC East Bengal in the historic Kolkata Derby. New signings Hugo Boumous and Joni Kauko have been impressive with old stars in Roy Krishna and Manvir Singh shining bright yet again.
Mumbai City started their current campaign with a 3-0 win over Goa, where fans got a glimpse of Buckingham’s pressing play. However, things didn’t go as planned in the second game in charge against Hyderabad where they were handed a 3-1 drubbing. The Islanders would be hoping to pick themselves up after a hiccup and come out stronger against the Mariners in their next ISL clash.
Head to Head Record
The new entity of ATK Mohun Bagan has only faced Mumbai City thrice in the Indian Super League. The first game ended in a 1-0 win for the Islanders as Bartholomew Ogbeche’s solitary goal was enough to sink the Green and Maroon ship. The second match also saw Mumbai City emerging victoriously with the margin being 2-0 this time and the significant victory handed erstwhile Sergio Lobera’s team the ISL League Winner’s Shield.
The third meeting was the most significant of the lot as it came in the final of the 2020-21 ISL season. David Williams handed ATK Mohun Bagan a crucial lead in the 18th minute but an own goal from Spanish defender Tiri and a last-gasp winner from Bipin Singh secured the maiden ISL trophy for Mumbai City.
Team News
Hugo Boumous will try to deliver against his former employees
Spanish tactician Habas will not like to tinker with the winning combination, despite having a lot of quality resources on the bench. Finnish midfielder Kauko had a great Kolkata Derby, where he also won the Hero of the Match award, while the likes of Krishna, Singh, and Liston Colaco were also highly impressive against the Red and Golds.
Hugo Boumous did not match the high standards set for him against Manolo Diaz’s team as the French midfielder will look to play a big role in this game against his former employers. With Spanish central defender Tiri still nursing an injury, Habas is likely to field the same starting XI on Wednesday.
Despite the loss against the Nizams, Buckingham can afford to trust his players and go ahead with the same lineup. Igor Angulo is expected to lead the lines for the Islanders whilst Cassinho Gabriel is expected to play a big role in creating chances and breaking the resolute ATK Mohun Bagan defense. The Brazilian attacking midfielder’s quick feet and creativity allow him to act as the main creative hub in the Islanders set up after Boumous’ departure.
As an alternate option, the English manager can also take a risk by pairing Brazilian striker Ygor Catatau alongside Angulo upfront to play a more attacking brand of football. In terms of injury issues, the Islanders will miss Vignesh Dakshinamurthy’s presence on the flanks as he suffered an ankle injury against Goa in their opening clash this season.
Predicted Starting Lineups
ATK Mohun Bagan (4-3-3): Amrinder Singh; Pritam Kotal, Deepak Tangri, Carl McHugh, Subhasish Bose; Hugo Boumous, Lenny Rodrigues, Joni Kauko; Manvir Singh, Roy Krishna, Liston Colaco.
Mumbai City (4-2-3-1): Mohammad Nawaz; Amey Ranawade, Mourtada Fall, Rahul Bheke, Mohammed Rakip; Apuia Ralte, Ahmed Jahouh; Raynier Fernandes, Cassinho Gabriel, Bipin Singh; Igor Angulo.
Prediction
Given the quality both teams have at their disposal and also the recently brewed rivalry between them, this game promises to be an entertaining encounter. On paper, the Islanders might match the Mariners in some areas, but the Kolkata-based team has a far superior balance in their squad.
With their attackers scoring goals for fun, midfielders controlling tempo, and defenders being solid as a wall, we have gone with a prediction of 2-1 in favor of ATK Mohun Bagan.