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What's the story?
East Bengal may not have got the best starts in the I-League but their junior team has scripted an emphatic win over ATK in the U-15 I-League inflicting an 8-0 in their fixture.
Hasan Ali Mollah was the standout performer in the match scoring four goals at the Barasat Stadium on Thursday. Among the other scorers from the ‘red and gold’ brigade are Mukesh Singha, Akshay Dey, Bijay Mandal and Sourav Mondal.
In case you didn't know...
Arch-rivals Mohun Bagan also thrashed ATK by a 13-goal margin their opening Kolkata Zonal game of the Youth I-League on November 9.
The heart of the matter
With their senior team struggling in the ongoing Indian Super League, both the senior and the junior sides of ATK need to pull up their socks to make a comeback in their respective Leagues. The juniors are now placed at the bottom of the six-team Kolkata zone in the Youth I-League having failed to secure even a single point from their 4 matches.
Both the Kolkata giants, Mohun Bagan and East Bengal are jointly placed at the top of the standings with 7 points each from their three matches so far. ATK will play against the Sports Authority of India in their next encounter. East Bengal are scheduled to play Mohammedan Sporting club, while Mohun Bagan will face off with United Sports Club in their respective matches.
What's next?
The Kolkata Derby of the junior teams was scheduled to play on November 13 earlier, but was postponed owing to security issues as the Test match between India and Sri-Lanka was being held simultaneously. The match between the old-rivals could very well be the deciding factor at the top of the table.
Author's take
East Bengal and Mohun Bagan are looking like the favourites to finish in the top two positions from the Kolkata region. Time can only tell whether other heavyweights like ATK and Mohammedan Sporting can make a comeback and give the top two a run for their money in the business end of the playoffs.
