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ISL: Liston Colaco's touches & Subhasish Bose's dribbling skills: Five interesting stats about ATKMB before Kolkata Derby

ATK Mohun Bagan started their Indian Super League (ISL) campaign on a bright note after they defeated Kerala Blasters 4-2 in the tournament opener. Now, they look to continue their rich vein of form against arch-rivals East Bengal in the Kolkata derby on Saturday evening.

Their big guns in Roy Krishna & Hugo Boumous have already started firing and the duo has been ably supported by India international Liston Colaco in the attacking third. The youngster showed courage and determination while taking on defenders and his stunning strike from the edge of the box that looped over Albino Gomes would further boost his morale. In fact, no other Indian had more touches (seven) in the opposition box other than him.

But in a derby nerves can play a role. There might be butterflies in the belly, at least in the opening minutes, and since it will be his first appearance in the 'boro match' it remains to be seen how he handles the pressure. However, the absence of a crowd might help him settle down quicker as the roar will be on social media rather than on the ground.

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It will be an interesting battle on the left flank as Colaco will go up against an experienced campaigner like Mohammad Rafique. The 30-year-old is a veteran of several derbies and will look to contain the youthful exuberance of Colaco with his wisdom. But he might be beaten for pace as the Goan winger is relatively faster than him.

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Here are five interesting facts about ATK Mohun Bagan

  1. ATK Mohun Bagan have lost just four matches since the beginning of last season during the regular season (W13 D4), the least amongst all teams along with Mumbai City FC.
  2. No team has won more of their last 10 league games in ISL than ATK Mohun Bagan (7 wins); the Mariners have only lost twice and drawn one game during this run.
  3. ATK Mohun Bagan have conceded a minimum of one goal in each of their last seven games in ISL, their longest streak in the history of the Indian Super League.
  4. For any player to have attempted a minimum of 50 shots in the Indian Super League since the beginning of the 2019/20 season, ATK Mohun Bagan’s Roy Krishna has the second-best shot conversion rate (31%) in the tournament. He has scored 30 goals from 97 attempted shots during this period.
  5. ATK Mohun Bagan’s Subhasish Bose has a dribble success rate of 78% since the beginning of the 2020/21 season, the best rate for any player in the tournament (min. 20 dribbles attempted); the ATKMB player completed 25 of his 32 dribble attempts.

(Stat Courtesy: Opta Jeev)

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