ISL 2018: Well-rested Delhi Dynamos host troubled ATK after international break

Josep Gombau‘s team are on a six-match unbeaten run at home. In their last match, Rana Gharami possibly scored the goal of the season. It, however, did not help his side take the three crucial points despite dominating most of the match as Pune’s Diego Carlos responded with a goal towards the end. Both teams returned with a point each.

Having said that, Delhi created enough chances – 10 shots in the match. They might have even won the match if they were awarded with penalty after Pune’s Matt Mills seemed to have stopped an injury time goal for Delhi Dynamos with an outstretched hand.

The Spanish coach felt they deserved a penalty. He had said after the match, “I am satisfied with everyone’s performance, even though I am not satisfied with the result. We had a few chances towards the end that we missed. We also should have been awarded a penalty. For me, a hand inside the box should be penalty. But there is nothing to say, and we will take positives from this game.”

Delhi are well-rested, having played just one match so far that too in the capital and will now hope to take the top spot in the points table by winning their match against Steve Coppell’s men on Wednesday. The hosts will take confidence in the fact that they have scored in 12 straight ISL matches this year which has become an ISL record.

ATK

ATK training ahead of the match against Delhi Dynamos. (Source: ATK Twitter)

ATK are facing their worst start to an ISL season, having lost two matches at home against Kerala Blasters and NorthEast United to sit with zero points at the bottom of the table.

What is worse for the two-time champions is that they have failed to open their goalscoring account and have conceded three already. The side had managed to pick up at least one point in their opening two matches in the last four seasons.

Despite a strong team with new additions like Manuel Lanzarote, Kalu Uche, John Johnson and Everton Santos, the Kolkata side has failed to find their groove and have been lacking in attack.

Coppell knows it is going to be a tough match against Delhi but is hoping that ATK bounces back. “It’s certainly not the way we wanted to start. This league is like a 400 metres race. So, we will come back. We have a few days of rest now before the next game. It will be a difficult game against Delhi. We will be working hard and try to bounce back,” Coppell had said.

This is going to be an even tougher challenge for ATK considering their miserable away form. In the previous season, the team only managed to win two of their nine away matches.