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ATK edged past Delhi Dynamos FC 4-3 at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar to secure a semi-final berth in the ongoing Super Cup on Friday evening.
Although Delhi Dynamos FC drew first blood in the 15th minute, ATK came back pretty well, scoring three goals in quick succession. Balwant restored parity just eight minutes later. Manuel Lanzarote made it 2-1 five minutes after equaliser while Balwant scored his second in the 34th minute.
A lapse of concentration from the ATK’s stopper helped Delhi Dynamos FC to reduce the lead till the end of the first half.
Balwant Singh once again rose to the occasion as he completed his hat-trick in the 51st minute of the game to snatch the game away from them.
Even though Nandhakumar pulled one back one for the Dynamos, the two time ISL champions held on to the lead till the final whistle.
Let us have a look at the 5 talking points from the match:
#5 ATK still needs to work on their defence
ATK might have overcome a weaker Delhi Dynamos FC in the quarter-finals, but the fact that they have conceded three gaols speaks a lot of their defensive incapability in the match. With two experienced central defenders in the squad in the likes of John Johnson and Andre Bikey, ATK was expected to perform better at the heart of the defence.
John Johnson did not perform as per his reputation and was substituted in the second half. He was even booked which might have forced him to play cautiously following the booking. Andre Bikey also had a poor day in the field, while the third goal was scored after the ball deflected off his leg.
With superior attacking sides waiting in the upcoming matches, it will be a challenge for ATK’s defence. FC Goa, Chennai City FC and North East United FC still in the tournament, coach Steve Coppell needs to work hard with the defence line ahead of their next match.
#4 Supporting act from Jayesh Rane
Jayesh Rane generally came as a substitute in the 2018-19 Indian Super League, he did fairly well having scored twice and assisted on several occasions. He was never the centre of attraction but did his job quietly for his team. But he probably gave his best performance for ATK against on Friday evening in the last eight clashes.
He was involved in three goals out of the four ATK scored in the match. A nice pass from the sidelines which was perfect for Balwant Singh, resulting in the third goal for ATK. He played a vital role in their fourth goal as well. Following a sprint down the wings, Jayesh made a cross which was tapped in well by Balwant to complete his hat-trick.
Jayesh Rane has been around the Indian football circuit for quite some time now, this is probably the peak of his career. He needs to work hard to keep up the momentum for the remaining matches in the Super Cup as well as in the future.
#3 Delhi Dynamos FC's attacking blunders
The central defenders of Delhi Dynamos FC were shabby throughout the 90 minutes of play. They failed to check the repeated moves from the opponents. More importantly, they could have conceded many more but they were lucky to lose by just by a difference of a single goal.
In each of Balwant’s three goals, he was left unmarked by the defenders, which allowed to take advantage of the situation and score the goals.
Even though Sajid Dhot played well, the other defenders had a bad day at the office. Dutchman Gianni Zuiverloon was not up to the mark and was shaky at certain moments as was his other compatriots Narayan Das and Martin Crespi.
Another reason for the poor display may be the lack of match practice because they qualified for the quarter-finals after being awarded walkovers in each of the previous two rounds of the competition.
Gokulam Kerala FC and East Bengal did not field their respective teams in the previous fixtures against the Delhi Dynamos FC.
#2 Magnificent Manuel Lanzarote
Manuel Lanzarote once again showed his class as he did regularly for ATK even when the rest of the squad played pretty ordinary football.
It was his vital pass which helped Balwant Singh equalise when they were down 0-1 in the first half. His touch was gentle but effective, just the quality a playmaker should possess.
He scored the second goal for ATK, which was again a masterclass for the Spaniard. He placed the ball with his left foot with a gentle strike from quite some distance. The ball hit the inner part of the woodwork and went into the net, giving them a 2-1 lead.
Apart from the two goals in which he was involved, Lanzarote was the lifeline for ATK in the midfield.
His distribution was exceptional and the Spanish flair was clearly visible in his play. With ATK set to face even tougher opponents in the semi-final of the Super Cup, the foreigner is set to play a key role.
#1 Brilliant display from Balwant Singh
Just when everyone had given up their hope on Balwant Singh, he has answered his critics with style.
After a forgettable 2019 Indian Super League season, he has been on fire in the ongoing Super Cup. The striker scored a hat-trick to secure ATK’s spot in the last four of the knockout tournament.
After trailing for quite some time in the first half, Manuel Lanzarote produced a brilliant pass after receiving the ball from Gerson Vieira which fell perfectly for Balwant Singh. Apparently, it seemed that the forward was in an offside position, but eventually, the flag stayed down. He covered a bit of ground before slotting it home past the goalkeeper to make it even at the Kalinga Stadium.
The second was even better from the veteran, after an anticipated run, he received the ball from Jayesh Rane. After rushing past two defenders, he fired a diagonal shot which made it 3-1 for ATK, while he completed his hat-trick in the 51st minute. This was Balwant’s fourth goal in this year’s Super Cup.
