ATKMB beat BFC on penalties to clinch the ISL 2022-23 title (Twitter)
ATKMB edged out BFC 4-3 on penalties after the game ended 2-2. All four penalty takers for the Mariners scored, while Bruno Ramires and Pablo Perez missed their spot kick for the Blues to hand the title to Juan Ferrando’s men
ATK Mohun Bagan got the better of Bengaluru FC 4-3 on penalties after the game ended 2-2 after 120 minutes of play to claim the Indian Super League 2022-23 title at the Fatorda Stadium on Saturday.
Dimitri Petratos opened the scoring on the night as he dispatched a penalty expertly after Roy Krishna handled the ball within the confines of the danger area.
ATKMB held their lead up until the very last kick of the first half when BFC were given a spot kick and Sunil Chhetri stepped up to convert with aplomb and even the scoring.
The second half was off to a pragmatic start as both teams tried to get one over the opponent having already netted one each.
But, it was the Fiji International, Krishna who gave BFC the lead in the game for the first time as he powered a header into the net following a corner from the right which was helped onto his position at the far end of the net.
Just when it seemed like BFC were destined to lift the cup, ATKMB received yet another penalty with less than 10 minutes of play remaining.
And Petratos once again stepped up to take the crucial penalty and made no mistake in smashing the ball into the net to force extra time.
Both sides had chances to win the game before extra time as Chhetri’s acrobatic effort went wide after the veteran couldn’t catch the ball convincingly.
Prabir Das rose to the occasion at the other end as he got the ball away from near the goal line in a clearance that was as good as a goal, given the circumstances.
Manvir Singh had a clearcut chance to give ATKMB the title in the second half of extra time as he was presented with a golden opportunity to head the ball into the net from near the far post. But, the 27-year-old fluffed his attempt as the ball rolled harmlessly wide of the target.
With nothing to separate the teams after 120 minutes of play, penalty shootout was the order of the day.
ATK players Petratos, Kiyan Nasiri, Manvir Singh and Liston Colaco all converted their penalty kick, while BFC’s Bruno Ramiers and Pablo Perez missed their spot kick to hand the trophy to the Kolkata-based team.
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