ISL 2016: Atletico de Kolkata 1-1 Kerala Blasters - 5 Talking points
It was a game of two halves as Atletico de Kolkata battled out a draw against Kerala Blasters FC. While the first half saw a goal from each side, the second half was marred by a string of fouls and misplaced passes. However, the draw was enough for ATK to secure a place in the top 4. But, Kerala need to register a win in their last game to have a shot at playoffs.
Let us reflect on the top 5 talking points of the match which was played at Rabindra Sarovar Stadium, Kolkata.
#5 Atletico need to ramp up their defence in dead ball situations
The visitors drew first blood, courtesy a goalkeeping howler from Debjit Majumder. An apparently innocuous cross from Mehtab Hossain was fumbled by Debjit. The resultant flick found CK Vineeth who headed the ball into an empty net.
That set the tone for the rest of the night for the ATK backline. Throughout the entire match, they seemed vulnerable in dealing with long balls. The lack of steel was especially evident from dead ball situations. Corners from either side put the 5’9” Atletico goalkeeper under immense pressure. Although, Debjit managed to stop a few long-range efforts, the confidence exuded by Arnab Mandal & Co. was at an all time low.