Chennayin, ATK set for showdown

Chennaiyin and ATK have both won ISL twice already and are looking to become the first club to win it three times. The two teams were brilliant in the play-offs. CFC got the better of FC Goa in a thrilling two-legged tie that finished 6-5, while ATK produced a second leg turnaround to defeat Bengaluru FC 3-2 on aggregate.

This is the first time these two sides are meeting each other in the final. Interestingly, neither club has lost an ISL decider - a run that will end for one of them on Saturday. ATK has been one of the most consistent sides this season, with Chennaiyin left to produce a miracle to reach this stage after Owen Coyle took charge of it at the start of December 2019.

In the six matches before his arrival, CFC had won only one and scored just four goals. Since he landed here, the former champion has gone on to win eight games, a tally bettered only by Goa. Now, Coyle is one victory away from completing a miracle. Key to this turnaround has been the form of Chennaiyin’s attack, which has produced goals whenever necessary.

Nerijus Valskis has 14 goals to his name and is fighting for the top scorer award, while Rafael Crivellaro is the creative engine. The partnership between the two has blossomed under Coyle. Winger Lallianzuala Chhangte has also been brilliant and has netted in CFC’s last three games, becoming the first Indian to score in both legs of a play-off tie.

“I have nothing but utmost respect for ATK, for the quality of players it has. We will stick to our style because we believe that we can win games with it. We are still under pressure as we go into the final and we want to be because that’s when we are at our best. The quality kicks in when this team is focussed and concentrated,” said Coyle. ATK relies on Roy Krishna and David Williams’s contributions in attack. Krishna, with 15 goals this season, is also firmly in the race for the Golden Boot.

But equally dangerous is Williams, who scored a brace against Bengaluru in the play-off second leg. While the likes of Edu Garcia and Javier Hernandez will provide supply from the middle, wing-back Prabir Das is a crucial attacking outlet for the Kolkata-based side.

“We have to enjoy the final and try to win it. But we have to respect the opponent. We have 90 minutes and some more to compete for a win. There is only one final. Maybe, some players will not have the opportunity to play another final in their career. We need one heart and the whole mind for the final,” said ATK head coach Antonio Habas, who led the club to its first title back in 2014.

Given the strength both sides have in attack and their tendency to chase a game to the death, one can expect a tightly-fought contest. In fact, both teams have scored 11 goals in the last 15 minutes of the match and there could be twists in the tale late on. In the league stages, ATK defeated Chennaiyin in Chennai before Coyle’s side returned the favour in Kolkata. But now what matters is which team will emergetriumphant in Goa.