The Indian Super League has reached the knockout stage and the tournament has been fantastic so far. The last few matches of the league stage were nail-biting affairs as some teams had the same number of points. Finally, the teams making the cut are FC Goa, Atletico de Kolkata, Chennaiyin FC and Delhi Dynamos FC.
The draw is such that FC Goa will battle it out against the Delhi Dynamos FC and Atletico de Kolkata will take on Chennaiyin FC. Both the semi-finals will have two legs. With regards to the first match, it will take place in New Delhi. The Delhi Dynamos FC will be playing on their home ground, but the momentum is definitely with FC Goa. The last league game was between these two teams and the Delhi team lost it in spite of being two goals up at half time. Goa were down and out but managed a remarkable turnaround. Romeo Fernandes scored a brace while Joffre Mateu sealed the deal with a late goal. The win ensured that Goa topped the points table while Delhi finished on the fourth position. Due to this, the teams face each other in the ISL semi-finals. The return leg will be held at Fatorda, Goa and fans can get their passes on BookMyShow.
With regards to the second semi-final, the first leg is at Pune. This is quite a surprise as the Pune team isn't in the final four. The Chennai franchise must be quite upset by this decision as they will lose out on the home crowd. The only solace they can find is that the Shree Chhatrapati Shivaji Sports Complex is the same place where they beat FC Pune City in their last league match. The match was a do-or-die situation for them as a loss would result in them getting ousted from the tournament. The return league of this semi-final will be held at the Salt Lake Stadium, Kolkata.
If one looks at this draw, the Atletico de Kolkata are clear favorites. The team won the inaugural edition of the tournament and were in prime form in this season too. At most times, they were on top of the table and had convincing wins over the other heavyweights. In fact, the opening match of the 2015 season was between them and Chennaiyin FC. The former won it with a margin of 3-2 goals. The Kolkata team also beat Chennaiyin FC in the second league game. This gives Kolkata the edge and Chennai will have to play their hearts out if they want to make it to the finals.
