When Hyderabad FC and ATK Mohun Bagan cross swords in the first leg of the second semi-final of ISL VIII in Bambolim on Saturday, both will be put through the wringer and their consistency will be tested to the core.

The Athletic Stadium in Bambolim will host the mega fixture between two sides who have really looked the part for most of the season. Hyderabad sat pretty at the top of the heap for a lengthy amount of time; ATK Mohun Bagan regained their touch under Juan Ferrando after former coach Antonio Lopez Habas parted ways with the Mariners midway into the season.

Hyderabad finished third in the league stage and qualified for the semi-finals 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 Jamshedpur 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 scored 17 goals in 17 games, missing the last two games due to illness.

ATK Mohun Bagan, meanwhile, have had a massive turnaround under Ferrando losing just once and winning 14 games to finish third in the table.

For ATK Mohun Bagan, the likes of Liston Colaco and Manvir Singh have been brilliant throughout the season scoring 14 goals between them. Roy Krishna also found his scoring boots in a 1-0 win over Chennaiyin FC and, along with David Williams, the duo have a deadly record in the knockout stages.