AIFF Media Team

NEW DELHI: ATK Mohun Bagan picked up their second win on the trot in the ongoing AFC Cup 2021 on Saturday (August 21, 2021), defeating Maldivian side Maziya Sports & Recreation 3-1 in a thrilling encounter at the National Football Stadium in Male, Maldives.

It was Maziya that struck the first blow in the 25th minute, scoring through Ibrahim Aisham. However, the Mariners made a stunning comeback in the second half, which began through Liston Colaco as he headed home a fantastic cross from Ashutosh Mehta to level the scoring in the 48th minute.

ATK Mohun Bagan continued to press for the initiative and took the lead in the 64th minute through Roy Krishna, who found the net from outside the penalty area after Liston's initial shot was saved by the keeper.

Manvir Singh made it three for the Mariners in the 77th minute with a perfectly placed finish after latching on to a through-ball from midfield.

In the first match of the day, Bengaluru FC played out a goalless draw against Bangladesh side Bashundhara Kings.

With just one more round of fixtures to go, ATK Mohun Bagan sit at the top of Group D with six points from their two games. On the other hand, Bengaluru FC have one point after their two matches.

On Tuesday (October 24, 2021), the Mariners will go up against Bashundhara Kings while the Blues will face Maziya Sports & Recreation. Both matches will be played at the National Football Stadium in Male.

The team finishing on top of the group at the end of three rounds will proceed to the single-leg Inter-Zone Semi-final. A number of Indian players from both Indian clubs are scheduled to join the national team set-up once the AFC Cup action in Group D comes to an end.