Atletico de Kolkata (ATK) ended their group stage engagements with their eighth draw of the Indian Super League (ISL) football tournament in a 0-0 tie against FC Pune City at the Rabindra Sarovar stadium.

Pune coach Antonio Lopez Habas failed to win both the group stage matches against his former employers as both sides fired blanks in an otherwise inconsequential encounter.

The hosts, who have alreadt qualified for the semi-finals, have 20 points from 14 outings while Pune bowed out with 16.

ATK forward Juan Belencoso missed four clear-cut chances in both halves while the visitors failed to create many in a turgid affair.

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ATK will now have to wait to learn their semi-final opponents as table-toppers Mumbai City FC and Delhi Dynamos lock horns on Saturday.

As expected, the hosts made wholesale changes to the team that drew 1-1 against Kerala Blasters. The likes of Helder Postiga, Borja Fernandes and Iain Hume were given rest while Henrique Sereno and Debjit Mazumder were also made to cool their heels.

Pune keeper Arindam Bhattacharya was called into action as soon the fifth minute when he palmed away a stinging Javi Lara free-kick saved after a darting run by Abhinash Ruidas down the left flank was pockmarked by Rahul Bheke.

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Minutes later, Javi Lara had acres of space in front of him to run at the rival defence but Arindam again pulled off a good save to deny the in-form Spaniard.

ATK looked the likelier of the two sides to take the lead as Belencoso first side-netted a Ruidas cross to follow it up with an effort over the bar after some slick play saw Ruidas feed the profligate Spaniard inside the box.

Pune had their only chance at the half-hour mark when Anibal Rodriguez missed from the edge of the box. The first half ended goalless.

Belencoso missed another golden opportunity six minutes into the second period when the tall striker headed wide a Bidyananda Singh cross from handshaking distance.

Pune got two chances in quick succession but both substitute Dramane Traore (introduced in place of Momar Ndoye in the 72nd minute) and Sanju Pradhan missing.

ATK coach Jose Molina replaced Jewel Raja to bring in Stephen Pearson, who minutes after coming on, was part of a twin miss.

First the Scotsman’s shot from just inside the box was parried away by Arindam but only as far as a lurking Belencoso who somehow conspired to muff one of the easiest of chances.

Hume was brought on in the dying minutes of the match but the score remained unchanged.

IANS

FC Pune City resurrected their bungling Indian Super League (ISL) football campaign with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Atletico de Kolkata on Sunday.

Goals from Eduardo Ferreira (41st minute) and a successful penalty by Anibal Rodriguez (56th) ensured three points for Pune at the Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex Stadium at Pune.

ATK striker Iain Hume kept them in the game after converting a penalty in the 69th minute but Pune held on for an important win.

It was their first home win of the tournament ensuring a two-position jump to sixth on the points table with nine points from eight matches.

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Pune City were at the bottom of the table with six points prior to this clash but are now placed sixth, above Kerala Blasters (nine points) and FC Goa (seven).

The win was also important for Pune City coach Antonio Habas who was up against his former club. After two successful seasons with Atletico de Kolkata, Habas had switched to Pune City and was under-pressure to deliver for his new employers.

Pune took the field on the back of a wretched run of form that saw them win just one match in the first seven matches.

ATK had the first chance in the match in the eighth minute when the former Portugal striker took a powerful shot which went just wide.

After much probing, Pune City took the lead in the 41st minute through Ferreira.

A few minutes earlier, the Brazilian needed medical attention after clashing with Postiga. He had a cut across his face but continued bravely and headed home Jonatan Lucca’s corner to give his team the lead.

Pune City made it 2-0 in the second session after the referee adjudged ATK defender Pritam Kotal to have handled Tato’s cross inside the penalty box.

Rodriguez stepped up to take the spot-kick and converted even though ATK goalkeeper Debjit Majumder had managed to get his hand to the ball.

The visitors were thrown a lifeline in the 68th minute when Postiga won a penalty, having being brought down by his Pune’s marquee player Mohammed Sissoko.

Hume’s penalty was initially saved by Pune goalkeeper Edel Bete, formerly of ATK, but the Canadian pushed in the rebound ball.

Pune then held on to their lead negotiating ATK’s goalbound forays.

IANS

FC Goa edged past hosts FC Pune City 1-0 in an Indian Super League match. Rafael Luiz netted the all-important goal from a free-kick in the 32nd minute at the Balewadi stadium.

The win meant Goa went up to the seventh place, on seven points from eight games, pushing Pune to the bottom of the eight team tournament with six points from seven games.

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Pune are now winless in five straight matches while it was Goa’s only second victory of the competition.

FC Goa chief coach Zico made as many as five changes to the team that lost the last match at home against Delhi Dynamos. Zico preferred to strengthen his defence with three international players while goalkeeper Laxmikant Kattimani, Sanjay Balmuchu and Robin Singh also returned to the side.

FC Pune City coach Antonio Habas, who had never lost a match against Goa, made three changes, at least one necessitated with the two-match suspension of defender D Ravanan.

Pune dominated the early phase of the match. Midfielder Sanju Pradhan beat Goa’s Mandar Rao Dessai to essay a pass for striker Dramana Traore with five minutes gone, but defender Gregory Arnolin cleared it out.

Pune enjoyed more posession, with marquee man Mohammed Sissoko in the thick of things.

but they couldn’t convert that domination into goals.

Goa also had sighters on goal with Jofre Mateu, having been fed by Goa striker Robin Singh, blazed his shot high and wide.

Goa eventually took the lead in the 32nd minute. Joffre won a free-kick just outside the box after being brought down by Pune defender Augustine Fernandes.

Rafael stepped up and curled the ball well into the far corner of the nets, past Pune goalkeeper Edel Bete who was distracted by the presence of Robin Singh in the defensive wall.

Pune came close to securing the equaliser just before the half-time break as Jonatan Lucca cut past five Goa players but his shot was well saved by goalkeeper Laxmikant Kattimani.

In the second session, Pune could not breach the solid defensive line manned by captain Gregory Arnolin, Rafael Dumas and Luciano.

IANS