ISL: Hyderabad and ATK Mohun Bagan in battle for supremacy in second semifinal

Hyderabad FC face former champions ATK Mohun Bagan in a blockbuster first leg of the second semifinal in the Indian Super League here on Saturday. Hyderabad sat atop the standings for many weeks before Jamshedpur FC dethroned them while ATKMB found their mojo back under Juan Ferrando after former coach Antonio Lopez Habas parted ways with the Mariners midway into the season. Hyderabad are in the midst of their most successful season in ISL.

They finished third in the league stage and qualified for their maiden semifinals, but their dominance was there for all to see. Manolo Marquez's men won 11 of their 20 games and were in pole position to win the League Shield but for Jamshedpur who thrashed them 3-0 in a crucial game towards the end of the league stages. It was a depleted Hyderabad side and the result was an aberration by all means to what has been a spectacular season for them.

At the heart of their success has been the talismanic striker Bartholomew Ogbeche who has so far banged in a whopping 17 goals in 17 games, but missing the last two games due to illness. "We are recovering. We are preparing, and in terms of physical condition, we will have to wait till the last moment to see how the players are.

We are ready to play a very strong side," Marquez said. "The good part is that this is the first time you reach the semifinals. The players will be nervous but in my opinion, the players will play freely and we have to enjoy this historic moment," he added.