Next Gen Cup: ATK Mohun Bagan, Bengaluru FC play out goalless draw

ATK Mohun Bagan and Bengaluru FC played out a goalless draw in their last group stage fixture of the Premier League Next Generation Cup here on Tuesday.

Both teams came into this game on the back of defeats to Stellenbosch FC and West Ham United in their respective previous games. A win would have helped them in the second position in the group.

They had faced off against each other in the semifinals of the Reliance Foundation Development League (RFDL) earlier this month. The greater familiarity between the two teams is reflected in the cautious approach that both of them adopted in taking the game onto each other.

The two sides created ample goal-scoring opportunities. Bengaluru were within touching distance of breaking the deadlock in the first half, but some resilient defending from the Mariners thwarted them.

The strength of both the teams was partially depleted when Lalrinliana Hnamte from ATK Mohun Bagan and Harmanpreet Singh from the Blues were sent off in a quick turn of events as the half-time whistle neared. Both the teams took the field in the second half with a player short and that perhaps further affected their ability to put the ball into the back of the net.

Bengaluru ended the tournament without opening their account whereas the Mariners have a point to their name after three games courtesy of their 1-1 draw to West Ham United in their opening match of the season.

-IANS

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