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AFC Cup 2022: Gokulam Kerala shock ATK Mohun Bagan with 4-2 statement win

I-league winners Gokulam Kerala stunned ISL heavyweights ATK Mohun Bagan 4-2 with a statement win of their AFC Cup 2022 debut.

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Having successfully retained their I-league crown recently, Gokulam Kerala stunned Indian Super League (ISL) heavyweights ATK Mohun Bagan with a statement 4-2 win in the AFC Cup 2022 at Salt Lake Stadium on Wednesday. 

The match between Gokulam Kerala and ATK Mohun Bagan was goalless at half-time but six-second half goals from both sides proved to be an entertaining affair. 

Luka Majcen got a couple of goals for Kerala, while Rishad Puthanveettil and substitute Jithin Subran also bagged one goal apiece. 

READ| ATK Mohun Bagan vs Abahani Dhaka: David Williams' hat-trick secures crucial 3-1 win in AFC Cup 2022

For ATK Mohun Bagan, Liston Colaco and Pritam Kotal were on the scoresheet. 

In a battle between the two heavyweights of the top-tier ISL and the second-tier I-League, Gokulam Kerala dished out a much more compact and technical display than Bagan. Fresh from winning an unprecedented I-League double at the same venue last Saturday, Gokulam Kerala led the way with their Slovenian centre-forward Luka Majcen. 

The win also gave the Malabarians an early advantage in securing the only available berth from group D for the AFC Cup Inter-Zone semi-finals. Playing in front of a strong home support, ATK Mohun Bagan squandered many chances in a dominating first half.

READ| ISL 2022 semi-final: Hyderabad FC script history, enter maiden final after 3-2 aggregate win over ATK Mohun Bagan

Fijian star centre-forward Roy Krishna missed back-to-back opportunities in the 18th minute -- first a one-on-one from Liston Colaco's cross and then from Joni Kauko's assist when the ball came off the inside of the post.

In the 29th minute, Kauko had a shot at the target from inside the box but the Finnish midfielder hit straight to Rakshit Dagar, as Gokulam Kerala had anxious few moments to begin with.

The two-time reigning I-League champions were cautious to start with in their maiden appearance in the continental showpiece, resulting in a goalless first half. Gokulam struck thrice within a space of 11 minutes to virtually close out the contest. 

A late strike from Jithin Subran meant that Liston Colaco's free-kick from outside the box proved to be nothing more than a consolation. 

With inputs from PTI

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