Atletico de Kolkata on Friday beat FC Pune City 4-1 and became the first team to enter the semi-finals of the second season of the Indian Super League (ISL).
En route, the defending champions scored four goals in this edition for the third time.
With nine goals, including his second hat-trick on Friday, Iain Hume is one behind Chennaiyin FC’s John Mendoza’s tally. So it’s all going swimmingly for them. Even the goalposts seemed to be playing for Atletico de Kolkata, denying Adrian Mutu in the 23rd and 52nd minutes and Yendrick Ruiz in the 88th.
Atletico de Kolkata have now notched up a hat-trick of home wins; their run of three consecutive losses beginning away to FC Pune City seeming like it was from another season. “Our training in Madrid is now bearing results. What we have achieved is a combination of discipline, hard work and talent,” said Atletico de Kolkata coach Antonio Lopez Habas.
On Thursday, Pune coach David Platt told HT what makes this league “crazy” is that anybody can beat anybody and that is mostly happening when unforced errors are being punished. So far, FC Pune City have won only at home and it could be because they are used to a smaller pitch in Pune, on wider parks such as the Salt Lake stadium they have conceded space in crucial areas.