ISL 2015: Chennaiyin have one foot in ISL final after trouncing Kolkata

Both the teams made three changes to their line-ups for this match. Chennaiyin were missing Mehrajuddin Wadoo and Elano due to suspensions, while their influential midfielder Rafael Augusto was out of contention with an injury. Marco Materazzi was forced to field midfielder Harmanjot Khabra as the right back, while Zakeer Mundampara started in the midfield, alongside Manuel Blasi and Thoi Singh.

It was Chennaiyin who started the match on the front foot and Stiven Mendoza tested Amrinder Singh in the Atletico de Kolkata goal with a shot in the second minute, from a corner. The Indian custodian was, however, up to the mark and kept it out. Few minutes later, Bruno Pelissari tried his luck with a long range effort, which fizzled over the bar.

After probing for a considerable amount of time, Chennaiyin finally took the lead in the 38th minute of the game. The goal arrived from a free kick as Bruno Pelissari's swerving strike was too much for Amrinder to deal with. The goalkeeper will have to partially take the blame for the goal with his bad positioning.

Kolkata received another major blow few minutes later when Borja Fernandes had to be substituted after failing to recover from a knock he picked up earlier in the match. The Spaniard was replaced by Croatian striker Dejan Lekic, but there was no change in formation. Jaime Gavilan dropped deep to partner Ofentse Nato at the base of the midfield, Iain Hume replaced Gavilan as the playmaker, while Lekic played as the lone striker upfront.

Lekic threatened to score at the start of the second half, when he was allowed too much of time and space at the edge of the box. The striker evaded Blasi with his swift movement and drilled a shot which went just wide of the goal.

Chennaiyin, however, doubled their lead in the 56th minute with Jeje Lalpekhlua scoring his sixth goal of the season, thanks to a major blunder by goalie Amrinder Singh. Mendoza evaded the offside trap and chased after a long ball down the left wing. Amrinder came long way from his goal and failed to get the ball, or the man.

Mendoza extended Chennaiyin's lead, and potentially put the tie out of Kolkata's reach, when he scored his 12th goal of the season in the 68th minute. Jeje scooped the ball over Kolkata defender Tiri to release Mendoza. The Colombian striker blissfully placed the ball into the back of the net with a left footed shot.

Bernard Mendy made two crucial blocks, the first of which was with his face, to deny Lekic from scoring in the 75th minute and that was the last clear chance Kolkata created in the game. Chennaiyin had a late scare when Mendoza limped off the pitch with an injury, after being treated earlier in the match.