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After ending their Indian Super League (ISL) 2020-21 campaign at the second place, behind Mumbai City FC, ATK Mohun Bagan needed to go through two play-off rounds to secure a berth in the upcoming AFC Cup.
The Mariners were up against Sri Lanka's Blue Star SC, who had beaten Nepal's Macchindra FC earlier, and Bangladesh's Abahani Limited Dhaka in consecutive play-offs.
With fans back in the stadium, the Green and Maroon Brigade put on a show for their home crowd in both ties and earned their place in Group D of the 2022 AFC Cup.
In the first match, the Mariners managed to conquer the Sri Lankan giants, netting five times (two goals from Joni Kauko and Manvir Singh each and one from David Williams).
The second tie was slightly tricky, with Abahani Dhaka Limited being a strong side. However, a hat-trick from David Williams was enough to get the job done for Juan Ferrando's team.
On that note, let's take a look at the 3 things we learned from ATK Mohun Bagan's AFC Cup Play-offs.
#3 Prabir Das retaining position in ATK Mohun Bagan line-up
Former gaffer Antonio Lopez Habas deployed his side in a 3-5-2 formation in which the right wing-back's position would be occupied by Manvir Singh.
Prabir Das found it difficult to make it to the starting line-up on most occasions. Since Juan Ferrando's appointment, there has been a change in the setup and the way games were approached by the side.
The defense would consist of a four-man backline and the wing-backs would be required to stretch the opposition. This is where it clicked for Prabir Das. The right full-back's pace and crossing ability became an asset for the Mariners.
One of his notable performances was against Hyderabad FC in the return leg of the two-legged semi-final where he combined with Kiyan Nassiri and outpaced Akash Mishra to deliver crosses into the box.
Prabir's return to form was also visible in the two AFC Cup play-off games. He was threatening with his pace and crossing ability against Abahani Limited Dhaka and also recorded an assist when his cross was turned in by David Williams.
He created another opportunity for Finnish international Joni Kauko. But the midfielder's effort was off target.
#2 Joni Kauko finding form
Joni Kauko joined the Green and Maroon brigade at the start of last season. But the Finnish international failed to find his form for quite some time and struggled to fit into the mix.
Kauko steadily grew into the team as the ISL neared its conclusion. ATK Mohun Bagan were knocked out in the semi-final by Hyderabad FC, who were eventual winners of the ISL trophy.
However, the Finnish box-to-box midfielder played a huge role in the AFC Cup play-offs. Scoring twice in the first encounter and setting up David Williams for his opener against Abahani Limited Dhaka in the second tie, Kauko's overall performance was a treat for every fan.
#1 Young stars finding their place in Juan Ferrando's mix at ATK Mohun Bagan
Since the arrival of Juan Ferrando, the younger lot at ATK Mohun Bagan have found themselves more involved in games, compared to Antonio Lopez Habas' regime.
Players like Kiyan Nassiri, Gursimrat Singh, Ravi Bahadur Rana, Abhishek Suryavanshi, and Sheikh Sahil were all involved in some capacity in the two play-off encounters held in Kolkata.
The younger breed displayed courage and the ability to control the game to the liking of their gaffer. Over time, these players are more likely to find themselves with more games to play and serve as the building blocks of ATK Mohun Bagan's future.
