ISL Semi-final Second Leg: ATK v Bengaluru FC match prediction, preview and where to watch
ATK host Bengaluru FC in the second leg of the second ISL semi-final at the Salt Lake Stadium on Sunday, with the defending champions bringing a 1-0 lead to Kolkata after Deshorn Brown's winner at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium last week.
ATK have been almost impregnable at home this season, and will once again back on their faithful, as they look to produce a performance good enough to ensure Bengaluru don't make an ISL final for the first time in their three years in the competition.
Bengaluru do have some niggles to worry about, along with a suspension, but Carles Cuadrat's side have the best defensive record in the ISL this season and know that a clean sheet at the Salt Lake on Sunday will take them to their third straight ISL final.
ATK v Bengaluru FC: Match Information
Date: 8th March 2020
Kickoff: 7:30 PM IST
Live Stream: Star Sports Network and Hotstar
Venue: Salt Lake Stadium, Kolkata
ATK v Bengaluru FC: Team News
ATK have no real issues with either injuries or suspensions but might need a re-jig from the midfield that looked terribly flat at the Kanteerava last weekend. Edu Garcia and Javi Hernandez both started on that day, and it might well be the former Bengaluru man that drops out for Mandi Sosa to come in, while Jayesh Rane could also replace Michael Regin.
For Bengaluru, Albert Serran is a major doubt but has travelled to Kolkata. He picked up an injury in the first leg, that meant he couldn't finish that game. If he's out, Rahul Bheke will slot in at centre-back, with Harmanjot Khabra at right-back.
Nishu Kumar is suspended after his red card in the first leg, and it is expected that Ashique Kuruniyan will replace him in the starting XI.
ATK v Bengaluru FC: Probable Lineups
ATK: Arindam Bhattacharya, Pritam Kotal, John Johnson, Sumit Rathi, Prabir Das, Jayesh Rane, Mandi Sosa, Javi Hernandez, Michael Soosairaj, David Williams, Roy Krishna
Bengaluru FC: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Harmanjot Singh Khabra, Rahul Bheke, Albert Serran, Juanan Gonzalez, Ashique Kuruniyan, Erik Paartalu, Suresh Wangjam, Dimas Delgado, Sunil Chhetri, Deshorn Brown
ATK v Bengaluru FC: ISL Form Guide
Bengaluru FC: W-D-L-D-W
ATK: L-D-L-W-W
ATK v Bengaluru FC Head-to-Head
The Blues have played ATK seven times before, and have lost only once when Williams scored the winner at the Salt Lake Stadium earlier this season.
Bengaluru have won two out of three in Kolkata against ATK though, having conceded only two goals in those three games.
Bengaluru FC wins: 5
ATK wins: 1
Draws: 1
ATK v Bengaluru FC Prediction
Bengaluru are experienced on big ISL nights and have been in semi-finals before. Even last year, they had to turn it around in the second leg at Kanteerava against NorthEast United and managed to do it.
If the Blues get an away goal, ATK have to score three. That might be a bridge too far against a defence as mean as Bengaluru's. We're going for a draw in the second leg, which will take Bengaluru through to the final.
Prediction: ATK 1-1 Bengaluru FC