6 Talking points from ATK Mohun Bagan's 1-0 win over East Bengal

The Durand Cup 2022 witnessed an equal-footed Kolkata derby but for a moment of madness which spelled jubilation for ATK Mohun Bagan, and agony for East Bengal. While Sumeet Passi's unfortunate own goal will perhaps outshine the match, we take a look at some of the other points of discussion which have come out in focus after the match.

Fifth derby win in a row for the Mariners

Ever since ATK Mohun Bagan came into being, the Red and Gold have failed to win a single derby meeting. The last time East Bengal won the encounter was back in January, 2019, when both teams still plied their trades in the I-League.

The past four defeats have been inflicted in the Indian Super League with the victors scoring three goals past the losers on three occasions. With a new management and head coach, East Bengal will hope to repay the favour in the upcoming ISL season.

Was that a red card offence from Asish Rai?

At the 47th minute, East Bengal defender Ivan Gonzalez and ATKMB's Asish Rai slided in for the ball. After the tackle, Rai was seen elbowing Gonzalez on the face. For the Red and Gold fans, this was a straight red card, but referee CR Srikrishna didn't think it to be a serious offence to dole out marching orders.

Perhaps in another match or another match official would have whipped out the red card instantly, but we will never know. If, and only if, the Mariners were reduced to 10 men, the story could have had a totally different ending.

Sumeet Passi's poor form

The Red and Gold's No. 6 has been rather dull for Stephen Constantine's side ever since he captained the team to a draw in their Durand Cup opener against Indian Navy. Passi, despite getting the required service from time to time, hasn't been able to convert the chances into goals.

While the 45th minute howler against local rivals is still forgivable, a missed pass here and an awry header there is certainly a chance wasted in this East Bengal side which usually sit back and hit on the counter-attack.

Moreover, Passi continues playing on the pitch despite players like Cleiton Silva and Aniket Jadhav occupying the bench. VP Suhair has been a bright spark in this nascent team but his injury has surely been a huge setback.

Wasteful ATK Mohun Bagan

While Liston Colaco is known for his long-range goals, the goan can be very wasteful with his attempts. In the derby too glimpses of this haphazard shooting was witnessed. Moreover, the 23-year-old is not an out-and-out striker by trade.

After the departure of Roy Krishna, the Mariners have really struggled with their finishing in the final third. Manvir Singh is there, but he too can miss chances quite easily. While crosses and cutbacks were coming inside the East Bengal box, there was no one present or arriving to slot them home.

Juan Ferrando will have to take a look at this, and even perhaps look at the transfer market to get themselves who can provide goals to the team.

Substitutes made East Bengal more attacking

The Red and Gold fans saw their team sit back in the first half as the team seemed content with this tactic. However, after conceding the goal, Constantine's three half-time changes worked wonders, even though it didn't materialise any results.

The introduction of Cleiton Silva, Aniket Jadhav, and youngster Himanshu Jangra meant that East Bengal played further up the pitch and were eager to get a goal. Jadhav, especially, was active on that right flank. The winger almost found the net with a thumping shot early in the second half, but the strike only brushed the side netting.

While Jangra didn't get much of the ball on the left flank, Silva was pretty up front, trying to hold off ATKMB defenders and creating chances for the wingers. He did get some shots away but all of them were coolly collected by Vishal Kaith.

Red and Gold defence stood strong

If it wasn't for the own goal, East Bengal could have quite possibly come away with a point, such was their defence. In particular, Charalambos Kyriacou and Ivan Gonzalez were outstanding in that backline. Goalkeeper Kamaljit Singh too made some crucial saves.

Ashique Kuruniyan brought serious problems for the Red and Gold in the first half throughout keeping the defenders at their feet. However, Kyriacou kept up with his speed, as he fended off the Indian forward's dangerous crosses quite a number of time. Even at the 57th minute, the Cypriot made a goal-saving clearance off the line as Florentin Pogba's volley was heading straight for the back of the net.

Spaniard Ivan Gonzalez was mostly impenetrable in defence, making smart tackles and interceptions. He came close to scoring in the 34th minute as his fizzing shot was just wide off the target.

Kamaljit was exceptional in goal as well, especially when he had to fend off Ashique's shot at point-blank range in the second half, which still kept East Bengal in the game.