Being the only other club besides ATK to win the Hero Indian Super League (ISL) over the years, Chennaiyin FC know what it takes to lift the prestigious trophy. Backed vociferously by their passionate fanbase named the ‘Super Machans’, the former champions have been a club to look out for in every season.

They finished the inaugural season as table-toppers in the league phase before missing out on reaching the final. However, they set the record straight in the very next season by edging past FC Goa in the final on the back of a late surge, to be crowned the 2015 Hero ISL Champions. Chennaiyin though failed to secure a semi-final berth in 2016 but came back strongly this season under new head coach John Gregory.

At the start of the current season, Chennaiyin retained the maximum number of players with Jeje Lalpekhlua, Karanjit Singh and Jerry Lalrinzuala, all continuing their stay with the southerners. The management splurged on strengthening their defence by signing some of the most experienced defensive minds and mixed the rest of the team with a healthy blend of foreign and Indian talent. As Chennaiyin get ready to compete in their third semi-final over four seasons, here’s a look at their journey to the semis.

A modest start to the season

Chennaiyin’s season started with a 2-3 loss against FC Goa, but they picked up their reigns quickly to register three consecutive victories, before again succumbing to a loss at the hands of Mumbai City FC. In the first five matches, Chennaiyin scored nine times while conceding seven. A number of players did grab eyeballs, but overall the start was adequate for the confidence of the team.

An unbeaten streak followed

In the next five matches, Chennaiyin continued their good form to remain unbeaten in five consecutive matches, picking up an impressive 11 points from the available 15. However, each one of the three matches they won in this period were won by a one-goal margin, which indicated how balanced and strong they were defensively. They scored seven times while conceding just four.

A few hiccups before eventually booking a berth

While the first 10 games of the season saw them remaining unbeaten on eight occasions, the remaining five saw a few ups and downs. After the unbeaten streak, they were condemned to two defeats in the next three games. However, Gregory ensured those losses didn’t shake the confidence of the team as they came back to finish strongly by remaining unbeaten in their last five matches. They picked up three victories, three draws and two losses in the last eight to ease into the semi-finals in second spot.

Key records achieved in the league phase

Some statistics which separate the former champions from the rest of the contenders are:

• Finished the league phase with the minimum number of losses to their name (4)
• Their tally of 40 yellow cards is the highest by a single club this season
• They have 11 different players in the squad who have scored for them this season, which is the most by a team this season
• Six of their 24 goals have been scored by defenders, the most by any defensive unit this season

Chennaiyin FC will gear up to take on FC Goa in semi-final 2 on Saturday at Goa, before hosting them at Chennai on Tuesday for the return leg.