Here is a preview of the Hero ISL grand final clash between ATK Mohun Bagan and Bengaluru FC, including head-to-head matches, prediction, and playing XI.
The Indian Super League final will feature a clash between two regional powerhouses from the East and the South as ATK Mohun Bagan face Bengaluru FC at the Fatorda Stadium on Saturday. Both clubs reached their top performances just in time to secure their spots in Saturday’s championship game after spending most of the league stage at opposing ends of the points standings.
Many were taken aback when Mumbai City FC and Hyderabad FC, who placed first and second in the league this season, were defeated by ATK Mohun Bagan and Bengaluru, the third and fourth-place teams, respectively. ATK Mohun Bagan and Bengaluru FC advanced to the Indian Super League finals by defeating their opponents in a penalty shootout, bringing both semi-finals to an exciting conclusion.
With two titles, ATK Mohun Bagan is presently tied with Chennaiyin FC for most titles in the Indian Super League. With a victory on Sunday, they would undisputedly hold the league’s record with three victories. Although ATK Mohun Bagan’s ISL campaign got off to a rough start this year, they were able to get out of it and turn things around.
ATK’s tenacious defense served as the foundation for most of its success this season, accumulating a 71% clean-sheet record in the Indian Super League this season. This season, Bengaluru FC has won 13 of the 22 games that they have played in the Indian Super League, while ATK Mohun Bagan has claimed victories in 11 of the 22 games that they have played.
ATK Mohun Bagan vs Bengaluru FC Head-to-Head:
ATK Mohun Bagan, who has won 5 of the 8 games they have played, has the advantage in the head-to-head record between these two teams. Bengaluru, in contrast, has only been able to win two games against Mohun Bagan, while one of the meetings between the two superteams ended in a stalemate.
However, both sides made multiple adjustments to their squad and strategies this season, so they would be closely examining their two previous meetings to evaluate and identify weaknesses in one another’s game plans more precisely.
When the two teams met for the first time this season at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium, ATK Mohun Bagan beat the Blues thanks to a sensational match- winning goal from Dimitri Petratos in the 66th minute of the game. But, Simon Grayson’s team exacted revenge when they went to the Mariners’ home field for the second leg of the match following two brilliant goals from Bengaluru’s Roy Krishna and Javier Hernandez.
The two league-stage games were played in various contexts and on the heels of various streaks of form but both teams managed to win one match each.
ATK Mohun Bagan vs Bengaluru FC Predictions
ATK Mohun Bagan is considered to be the favorite to win this match by a number of sports pundits and analysts Although ATK has won 48% of their overall games this season in comparison to Bengaluru FC who have won 57%, the Mariners hold 71% clean-sheet record in the Indian Super League this season.
ATK Mohun Bagan’s Vishal Kaith is leading the race for the ISL Golden Glove 2022-23 award with 11 clean sheets in 22 matches. On the offense, ATK has failed to put as many balls in the net this season, as evidenced by their two goalless semifinal matches against Hyderabad. The team has averaged 1.13 goals per game this year, and the chances of ATK scoring more than 1.5 goals each game is 39% on average.
The fact that the Blues have at least one goal in their past 11 games makes them favorites to score, but it’s unlikely given ATK’s fierce defenses and goalkeeper’s recent performance that they will score many goals. On the other hand, Bengaluru FC’s defense has many shortcomings that have historically been used by opponents to open up scoring chances. Bengaluru has a lower-chances chance of not conceding a goal, as they only have a 30% clean sheet in the 22 league games they played.