Semi-Final 2, Second Leg – ATK Mohun Bagan vs Hyderabad: Preview and Prediction
ATK Mohun Bagan and Hyderabad will lock horns in the second leg of ‘Semi-Final 2’ of the 2021-22 Indian Super League season at the Athletic Stadium on Wednesday. The Mariners are aiming for their second consecutive final appearance, whereas the Nizams are one step away from making it to the grand finale for the first time in their history.
ATK Mohun Bagan finished in the third position in the league phase. They won seven of their twenty matches, accumulating 37 points in the process. On the other hand, Hyderabad finished one place above them, having secured 38 points in their twenty matches.
The Mariners will have a mountain to climb in this match, as their performance was abysmal in the first leg tie. Hyderabad emerged as 3-1 winners in that match and will only need to avoid a defeat by two goals or more.
Current Form
The ATK Mohun Bagan camp will not be particularly confident going into this match, as they have won their last two matches. They let go of the chance of winning the ISL League Winners’ Shield with a 1-0 defeat against Jamshedpur and then suffered a 3-1 defeat in the first leg of this semi-final.
That being said, Juan Ferrando’s boys did well prior to this dip in form, as the twin defeats were preceded by two consecutive victories – a 1-0 win against Chennaiyin and a 2-0 triumph against Bengaluru.
The mood will be very different in the Hyderabad camp, as they have won their last couple of fixtures. Before getting the better of the Mariners, Manolo Marquez’s men won 2-1 against Mumbai City.
These two victories could not have come at a better time for the Nizams, as before edging past the Islanders, they were handed a 3-0 drubbing by shield winners Jamshedpur.
Head to Head Record
There is nothing to separate these two sides on the basis of head-to-head records, as each team has emerged victorious in one of the five occasions where they have crossed paths, whilst three matches have ended in stalemates.
One such stalemate was played out earlier this season, where both teams gave it all they had in a 2-2 thriller. The return leg ended 2-1 in ATK Mohun Bagan’s favour, but Hyderabad avenged their defeat with the 3-1 triumphed in the first leg of the semi-final.
Team News
Hugo Boumous is likely to be reinstated in the ATK Mohun Bagan starting XI
With this game being a do-or-die affair for ATK Mohun Bagan, Ferrando is likely to make three changes to his team and revert back to the 4-2-3-1 formation, in a bid to match Hyderabad’s shape. Defensive midfielder Deepak Tangri is likely to make way for attacking midfielder Hugo Boumous.
To maintain overseas count, the Spanish tactician is expected to field Manvir Singh and Liston Colaco on the flanks with Roy Krishna leading the lines. David Williams might be benched for this game, whereas Sandesh Jhingan could also get the axe after a subpar performance. Ferrando could use Prabir Das as the right-back and deploy Pritam Kotal in the heart of the defense.
There is no reason for Marquez to tinker with his tried and tested system, and hence, we can expect him to field the same starting XI that featured in the last match. Having said that, it will not be surprising to see a couple of changes depending on the availability of the players.
Both Nikhil Poojary and Asish Rai missed the last match and are facing a race against time to regain match sharpness ahead of this match. If they do pass the late fitness test, the duo is expected to replace Aniket Jadhav and Nim Dorjee Tamang respectively.
Predicted Starting Lineups
ATK Mohun Bagan (4-2-3-1): Amrinder Singh; Prabir Das, Pritam Kotal, Tiri, Subhasish Bose; Joni Kauko, Lenny Rodrigues; Manvir Singh, Hugo Boumous, Liston Colaco; Roy Krishna.
Hyderabad (4-2-3-1): Laxmikant Kattimani; Nim Dorjee Tamang, Chinglensana Singh, Juanan, Akash Mishra; Sauvik Chakrabarti, Joao Victor; Mohammad Yasir, Bartholomew Ogbeche, Aniket Jadhav; Javi Siverio.
Prediction
Given the dire circumstances, ATK Mohun Bagan is expected to throw the kitchen sink at Hyderabad from the first minute, but the Nizams had the second-best defensive record in the league phase. Hence, we have predicted a 1-0 scoreline in favor of the Mariners.