ISL 2016: Atletico de Kolkata beat Kerala Blasters on penalties to win second title in three years

New Delhi: Atletico de Kolkata defeated Kerala Blasters 4-3 on penalties to win their second Indian Super League title in front of a packed Kochi crowd on Sunday.

In the replay of 2014 edition's final, the Kolkata-based team fought back from a goal down to level the score 1-1.

Mohammed Rafi scored the opening goal of the match in the 37th minute to give a good start to the home side even as majority of the 60,000 odd fans in attendance at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium cheered for Sachin Tendulkar's team.

But Portuguese defender Sereno equalised seven minutes later to give the visiting teams a lifeline.

Hailed as the clash between two franchises backed by India cricket legends, Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly, the final match went all the way to extra time after the scoreline remained 1-1 after 90 minutes of regulation time.

But the extra-time also failed to produce a winner, forcing a shoot-out.

Kerela started strongly in the shoot out with Antonio German and Kervens Belfort converting their spot kicks even as Kolkata's influential striker Iain Hume failed from the spot.

However, Ganguly's team responded in style, scoring the remaining four kicks while Ouzin Ndoye and Cedric Hengbart missed for Kerala.