Chennaiyin knockout defending champions Kolkata to reach ISL final

Both teams made a couple of changes to the line-ups they used in the first leg of the semi-final. With Kolkata desperate for goals, Antonio Habas made a bold move and changed his team's formation from 4-2-3-1 to a very attack-minded 3-4-3. The injured midfield duo of Borja Fernandes and Ofentse Nato was replaced by Nallappan Mohanraj and Dejan Lekic.

Mohanraj and Rino Anto operated as the wingbacks, while Jaime Gavilan and Arata Izumi, both attacking midfielders, played at the center of the park.

The home side were quick off the block, and Lekic tried his luck with a thunderous effort from long range. The left footed strike fizzed past the post - just a foot wide. But it was an early indication of Kolkata's intent.

Chennaiyin were trying to slow down the pace of the game and made the most of any stoppages in the match. The visitors went down at every possible opportunity to win free kicks, and Kolkata obliged with cheap fouls in the opening segment of the game.

Edel came off his line to collect the loose ball, but Lekic was first to it and poked it past the former Atletico goalkeeper. The crowd erupted in joy, and the tie was brought back to life.

The Chennaiyin goalkeeper made a crucial save minutes later to protect Chennaiyin's two-goal advantage. Arata Izumi's long range shot got two deflections, off Blasi and Lekic, before reaching Edel in goal, but the big man showed good reflexes to keep it from crawling into the far corner of the goal.

Chennaiyin were lucky to have conceded just one goal at the halftime break.

A melee ensued on the pitch in the 54th minute, when Mohanraj headbutted Mendoza right in front of the referee, but to Chennaiyin and Marco Materazzi's dismay, the Japanese referee showed only a yellow card to the left back.

At the other end, Mendoza wasted a chance to settle the game. After a delightful exchange of passes with Jeje down the left wing, the striker was through on goal, but somehow failed to keep his shot on target, despite the goalkeeper being in no man's land.

Kolkata's hopes of an unlikely comeback were raised late in the match when Iain Hume scored one of the best goals of the tournament in the 86th minute. Lekic set up Hume with a wonderful flick at the edge of the box, and the Canadian striker's stunning left-footed volley went into the top corner of the net. Edel was finally beaten, and it required something special to do so.

Fikru came on the pitch and scored a rare goal to settle the tie in the 89th minute. The goal arrived from another big blunder from the goalkeeper, who raced to the left wing to take a throw-in. Mohanraj failed to control the ball, and Fikru robbed him in the final third. With the goalkeeper way off his line, the Ethiopian striker had the easy task of running into an empty let with the ball.

He even managed a somersault after the goal, something which the Kolkata fans cherished in the inaugural season when he donned the red and white; such is football.

Chennaiyin will feel they deserved the break, considering how they were at the other end of a similar heartbreaking semi-final exit last year. They will now face Goa in the final as we await the rise of a new champion.