ISL 2022-23: 3 areas where East Bengal can improve ahead of the Kolkata derby against ATK Mohun Bagan

In the first Kolkata derby of the Indian Super League (ISL) 2022-23 season, ATK Mohun Bagan will host arch-rivals East Bengal at the Vivekananda Yuva Bharati Krirangan on Saturday (October 29).

After a string of two consecutive losses in their opening games, the Red and Gold Brigade finally registered their first victory of the season on the previous match day when they defeated a shambolic NorthEast United FC side 3-1 in Guwahati.

The win and three points are crucial given the Torchbearers are gearing up to face not just their noisy neighbors but a side in sublime form.

The Mariners might have suffered a defeat at the hands of Chennaiyin FC in their opening game, but against Kerala Blasters, Juan Ferrando's side recorded an emphatic victory. With a margin of 5-2, ATKMB defeated the Yellow Army in match week two of the tournament.

✌️days to go for our first-ever #HeroISL derby in Kolkata! 🤩 🔴🟡

#JoyEastBengal #KolkataDerby #ATKMBEBFC #আমাগোমশাল https://t.co/gu2HIqEVo8

However, in a derby, there's always a fresh slate and every equation flies out of the window. Hence, East Bengal will be yearning to bury past ghosts and write a brighter feature.

On that note, let's take a look at three areas where East Bengal can improve ahead of the clash against ATK Mohun Bagan.

#1 Lack of fluidity in transition play for the Red and Gold Brigade

While a victory against NorthEast United will serve as a massive boost for East Bengal ahead of the derby, the lack of fluidity in transitions could be a major concern for Stephen Constantine's side.

In the 3-1 victory against the Highlanders, the Kolkata giants managed to keep only 39 percent of the possession. Hence, it was important for EB to capitalize on every little opportunity they had with the ball.

Nothing tastes sweeter than victory! ❤️💛

Relive our best moments from #NEUEBFC! 📽️

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Although against NEUFC, the Red and Gold Brigade were mostly successful on the break, their matches against FC Goa and Kerala Blasters are examples of occasions where they failed miserably.

Playing Souvik Chakraborty in the middle of the park didn't work in East Bengal's favor, as the Indian midfielder was overwhelmed by the task at hand. Hence, a duo of either Jordan O'Doherty-Charalambos Kyriakou or Jordan O'Doherty-Alex Lima could suit the occasion perfectly.

#2 Ivan Gonzalez's form in the backline

When the Spanish center-back was brought in during the summer transfer window, East Bengal fans expected Ivan Gonzalez to turn into a savior of their struggling backline.

However, the transition from FC Goa to East Bengal hasn't been the easiest for Ivan Gonzalez. The veteran defender has locked shaky in parts and given the ball away on multiple occasions.

Even against NEUFC, the Spaniard was at fault for the late goal that East Bengal conceded. He failed to keep Matt Derbyshire's run in check and the Englishman scored from a late corner.

Given the prowess of ATK Mohun Bagan's forwards, especially Dimitri Petratos, Gonzalez will have to put up an astute defensive display.

#3 East Bengal's movement in the final third

Despite scoring three goals against the Highlanders, the Torchbearers have some outlying concerns about their output in the final third. So far, Cleiton Silva is the EB forward to have gotten his name on the scoresheet.

Although the likes of VP Suhair, Naorem Mahesh Singh and Semboi Haokip worked tirelessly in the previous game, their movement in the final third was shabby.

“𝑰 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒇𝒊𝒓𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝑰'𝒎 𝒈𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒚! 𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒈𝒐𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕?”

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VP Suhair looked incredibly wasteful in possession whenever he neared the opposition box. During most of the breaks, Cleiton was left stranded alone in the opposition half.

If the East Bengal attackers can provide some support to the Brazilian forward in the final third, it will give them an added edge against an ATK Mohun Bagan defense that has been known to be leaky.