The fans got to witness a nail-biting thriller on Monday evening as ATK Mohun Bagan edged out Hyderabad FC 4-3 in a tense penalty shootout in the second leg of the semi-final.
The first leg had ended in a goalless draw and the second leg also ended in the same way, with the scoreline reading 0-0, including the regulation and extra time. It led to the penalty shootout ultimately, where the Green and Maroon brigade emerged as the winners.
It was ATKMB captain Pritam Kotal who sealed the deal for his team after Hamil missed the penalty for his side. The other scorers for the Mariners were Dimitri Petratos, Federico Gallego and Manvir Singh.
Credit also should be given to ATKMB shot-stopper Vishal Kaith who stopped Javier Siverio from converting his penalty. Bartholomew Ogbeche’s shot also hit the post, which proved costly for his side. The players who scored for the Nizams are Joao Victor, Reagan Singh, and Danu. But those three shots didn’t prove enough for them in the end.
With this win, the Mariners have set up a clash with Bengaluru FC in the final at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Goa on Saturday. Both sides finished outside the top two in the league stage, with ATKMB finishing third and Bengaluru finishing fourth. It was Mumbai City FC who won the ISL Shield this time, but the eventual ISL 2022-23 champions are going to be either the Mariners or the Blues.
ATKMB manager Juan Ferrando seemed ecstatic after the win on Monday and he is looking forward to the final on Saturday.
“We’re very happy because I know when we play at home the supporters are very close to the players and the support is amazing. In some moments of the match when the players are tired and not feeling fresh, the supporters tried to help the players and we’re very happy that we have reached the final while playing at home. The mood and the vibes are great and now we’re looking forward to Saturday. I hope the fans are traveling to Goa for the final and the atmosphere for ATK Mohun Bagan is going to be fantastic,” Ferrando stated.
