ATK Mohun Bagan’s fate has taken a turn for the better after Spanish coach Juan Ferrando took over, and on Wednesday they would be playing with an eye on summitting the points table.
The Calcutta team may well jump to the top of the ISL VIII table if they can beat Hyderabad FC in Margao. Since Ferrando took over from Antonio Lopez Habas, ATK Mohun Bagan have got back to winning ways.
They are now in fourth place with 14 points from eight matches and may overtake Mumbai City, who are at the top with 16 points from nine games.
However, Hyderabad are on a seven-game unbeaten run. Placed second in the league standings, Hyderabad will go top of the table if they win as they already have 15 points in their kitty from eight matches. In fact, even a draw will take the Manolo Marquez-coached side to the top, with a better goal difference.
Ferrando was looking forward to the opportunity of potentially taking ATK Mohun Bagan to the top. “All games are important but it is a great opportunity for us and the club because they have been working hard the last two weeks. It is a pleasure for me,” he said. For ATK Mohun Bagan, Liston Colaco has been in great form. The 23-year-old is their best player at the moment and has netted five goals already, making him the highest Indian scorer in the league this season.
In the last match, Liston scored one of the best goals of the season and against his old club Hyderabad, there will be no shortage of motivation for the Goa boy.
However, Hyderabad have one of the toughest defences. They have conceded only seven goals, the fewest by a team this season.