Atletico de Kolkata rested many of their first team players, making eight changes from their previous game, having already secured qualification to the semi-final, but did enough to find the winner in the game. Eventually, they had to settle for a point in a 0-0 draw against FC Pune City after squandering atleast two good chances to score at the Rabindra Sarobar Stadium on Friday.
It was also the last round-robin game for both teams. Kolkata currently lie in third spot but will drop to fourth if Kerala Blasters or NorthEast United win the last game before the knockout stages get under way. In case of a draw in the last match, ATK will finish third with 20 points. Pune finished their ISL 2016 campaign in sixth position with 16 points.
Pune’s Arindam Bhattacharya had a good game between the sticks as ATK constantly raided his goal, especially in the first half. Worryingly for the home side, striker Juan Belencoso missed three good chances to break the deadlock.
In the first half, the Spaniard came close through a glancing header off a corner. Pune created a couple of half-chances in the second half as Momar Ndoye’s pace down the left flank caused ATK problems. Sanju Pradhan’s shot from the edge of the box went narrowly above the bar.
Belencoso missed from two yards out after Bhattacharya parried the ball into the ATK striker’s path, and the ball was inexplicably skewed wide of the goal. Bidyananda Singh, who had an excellent outing could have done better as he found space to run into the box but Bhattacharya, on this occasion, did well to cut out the shooting angles and block the shot.
