Anayav's goal leads Mohun Bagan to defeat in ACL 2 first match
Anayav 1 (Anayav) Mohun Bagan 0
Sanchita Chatterjee, BS News Agency, Kolkata: Mohun Bagan Super Giant played only one match in AFC Champions League Tier 2 last season. In that match, they drew 0-0 with Tajikistan's Ravsan Kulov at Yuva Bharati. And this time on Tuesday, Bagan Bahini lost 0-1 to Turkmenistan's Ahal FC in the first match of Champions League 2 at home. The goal scorer of the match was super sub Enver Anayev. Bajimat came on the field in place of Berenov and scored a goal. There, Bagan Brigade came under pressure and lost the match at the beginning of the tournament. Despite winning the ISL Shield and Cup, champion coach Jose Molina had to hear a 'go back' for this defeat. Bagan's next match is against Sepahan in Iran on September 30. Now it remains to be seen whether Bagan can turn around in that match.
The day before the match, the green and maroon head coach Jose Molina gave a glimpse of who could be in the first eleven. When asked whether Subhashis, who has recovered from injury, would be in the team, Molina said that those who have been in training and playing since the beginning of the season, without injury or illness, are more likely to be in the first team. Following that theory, Molina named the team against Ahal.
Although Subhashis is fit, Molina did not hesitate to play Abhishek, who caught the eye in the Durand Cup, at left back. There was no doubt about the remaining three back four, Aldred, Alberto, and Ashish. To avoid risks against unknown opponents, the Bagan coach did not go for an overly aggressive formation. That is why he placed Deepak Tangri in the defensive blocker position with Apuya in front of the four backs. At the same time, to keep the attack active through the wing, he kept Liston on the left and played Kian on the right due to Manbir's injury.
Striker McLaren was absent from practice for a while due to illness. That is why Molina did not keep him in the first eleven. Instead, he paired Sahal with Jason Cummings up front. However, Sahal or Cummings were not in a familiar rhythm today in the first half. So, even if Kian or Liston attacked through the wing, they were repeatedly blocked by the solidity of Ahal's defenders. Just as Munsiana was lacking in making the final pass in the attacking third, Cummings and Sahal were not in the right place, it was not possible to make Ahal's defense uncomfortable.
The opponent Ahal coach Egiz probably did not order to go for a close attack from the start because it was an away match. Instead, he maintained shape and discipline and tried to counterattack by attacking the Bagan half to score a goal. In the first half, Mohun Bagan did not have a single goal opportunity, there was no shot on goal. There, in the 32nd minute, Ahal almost got a goal. Basimov took a corner shot from outside the box due to Tagaev's turn. The ball avoided the feet of the Bagan defense footballers and touched Berenov's feet in the middle of the box and hit the post, beating goalkeeper Vishal. The green and maroon fans present in the gallery gasped.
Berenov reached the goal area again in the 57th minute. The way Berenov, who caught the ball in the Bagan midfield and passed the opponent's defense footballers and reached the box with the ball without any obstacles, was amazing. He also took a shot. However, goalkeeper Vishal's trusted hand saved Berenov's goal attempt and gave the Bagan Brigade some relief.
Realizing that Ahal was coming out of the box and increasing its attack in the second half, Bagan coach Molina made two important changes to the team. He brought in McLaren and Tangri in place of Kian and brought in Anirudh Thapa to bring variety to the attack and increase the pressure. The result could have been the same if Cummings had not used the opportunity like a fool. In the 68th minute, Thapa's through ball found Cummings in the Ahal box. Only Ahal goalkeeper Berdiev was in front. In that situation, it is incomprehensible why Cummings went to the right to pass the ball to McLaren instead of taking a shot on goal himself. The Ahal goalkeeper blocked McLaren's shot with that moment of time.
Molina made two more changes in the hope of scoring. He brought in Liston and Abhishek and brought in Robson and Subhashis. Nothing good came of it, but the rhythm of Bagan's game deteriorated. In the 81st minute, goalkeeper Vishal temporarily saved the team from conceding a goal in the attack of Ahal by jumping to the left and clearing the ball. Bagan's Robson caught the ball and extended a long, high cross towards Sahal. Sahal's shot went wide of the post.
Even then, Ahal did not give up trying to score. In the 83rd minute, with that unwavering attitude, they scored. Basim received the ball just outside the Bagan box and gently passed Enver Enayev forward. He cleverly placed the shot and put it past goalkeeper Vishal and into the net. This Enayev played for Arkadag against East Bengal. This time, he brought the team valuable 3 points in the away match in the Ahal jersey.
Mohun Bagan: Vishal, Ashish, Aldred, Alberto, Abhishek (Shubhashis), Kian (McLaren), Apuya, Tangri (Uncapped), Liston (Robson), Sahal, Cummings.