Margao: ATK Mohun Bagan, the runners-up in the Indian Super League (ISL), will face Kerala Blasters FC in a high-profile first game at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here later on Friday, offering lots of action as the new football season gets underway.

Kerala Blasters FC finished second-worst in the standings last season, while ATK Mohun Bagan nearly missed out on the trophy. With the stakes being fairly even in the forthcoming encounter, both teams will be striving for three points and a strong start to their season.

In their previous five competitive matches, ATK Mohun Bagan have won two, lost two, and drawn one, including a 1-2 loss to Mumbai City FC in the ISL final last season. ATK Mohun Bagan, on the other hand, had been very steady in the 2021 AFC Cup until they were humiliated 0-6 by Nasaf FC of Uzbekistan in the inter-zonal semifinal. Kerala Blasters FC, on the other hand, have failed to win in each of their last five ISL matches, which explains why they ended 10th last season with only three victories. Despite their participation in the 2021 Durand Cup, they sent out a second-string team that was eliminated in the group stage.

ATK Mohun Bagan has made a few minor but substantial personnel changes in preparation for the next season. Amrinder Singh has been brought in to fill the hole left by Arindam Bhattacharja's resignation. Sandesh Jhinghan, on the other hand, has been a major presence, and it would be interesting to see how Sumeet Rathi fills his shoes. Liston Colaco on the wings and Hugo Boumous in the playmaking zone add to the team's already impressive lineup.

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