ATKMB will look to firm up its semifinal chances

Faces a struggling Odisha FC which will be playing only for pride

ATK Mohun Bagan will seek its second successive entry in the play-off zone with a win against Odisha FC, when the two meet in an ISL-8 fixture at the Tilak Maidan Stadium on Thursday.

The runner-up of the previous edition, ATKMB is currently on 30 points from 16 matches, firmly placed among the top four, and needs some more points to secure its position.

Meanwhile, Odisha FC’s semifinal dreams are over after its loss against Bengaluru FC and it will only be playing for pride. Placed seventh with 22 points from 18 matches, the best it can achieve is finishing in the top half of the league table.

ATKMB will aim to get its winning form back after it escaped with a 2-2 draw against Kerala Blaster with a last-minute goal in its previous outing. For ATKMB’s Spanish coach Juan Ferrando, there is enough to be confident about his team’s consistency — the side is unbeaten in its last 12 matches.

ATKMB achieved this even without the presence of its key foreigners like Roy Krishna and Hugo Boumous, who had to sit out with injuries in the last few matches. The team was served well by its Indian cast, especially Liston Colaco and Manvir Singh, who took over the responsibility of keeping the team on the winning track with considerable finesse.

Finland midfielder Joni Kauko filled up the apparent void in the offensive, shepherding his Indian colleagues to bring up their best. Kauko till now has been involved in five goals, among which three were assists and the remaining two he netted himself.

For Odisha FC it has been a story of failure at the decisive stage. The team made a good start to the season but failed to sustain the momentum when it mattered. It fell off in the second phase of the competition managing just six points (out of a possible 21) in the last seven games.