ISL semi-finals: A look at incredible second-leg comebacks of all time

A last-gasp winner can either escalate the heartbeats, bring out bursts of joy, and let the triumphant side go wild, or dash hopes, bring tears, and put an end to thousands of hours of hard work.

Playoff games that highlight neck-to-neck fights and captivating duels heat up individual battles for their knockout nature. The Indian Super League (ISL) has experienced a number of breathtaking moments in semi-final fixtures over the decade, where the losing team in the opening leg made it through to the final with a superb second-leg display.

FC Goa secured a clinical victory on their home soil in the return leg of the semi-final against Delhi Dynamos in 2015 to make it into the final for the first time in league history.

Robin Singh's first-half goal powered Delhi Dynamos past FC Goa in the first leg, providing a crucial advantage ahead of the second leg. Despite the Gaurs suffering a narrow 0-1 defeat away from home in the first leg, they registered a 3-0 victory in the return leg with a dominating outing.

FC Goa leveraged their home strength, staging a commendable performance against the ten-man Delhi Dynamos. Jofre Mateu, Rafael Coelho, and Dudu Omagbemi were on target as the Gaurs marched on to the final with a 3-1 win on aggregate in the semi-final.

Bengaluru FC faced a stern test against NorthEast United FC in the semi-finals of their first ISL Cup-winning season in 2018-19, where a spirited second-leg performance helped them reach the final.

The Blues succumbed to a 2-1 defeat against the Highlanders in the first leg in Guwahati. Banking on home support, Carles Cuadrat's men came back from a one-goal deficit as they put three past Pawan Kumar in the decisive second leg.

Despite the first half ending goalless, Miku opened the scoring for the hosts in the 72nd minute after missing a couple of chances. A quick counter-attacking move in the 87th minute saw the Blues taking the lead, thanks to Dimas Delgado's unmarked run and precise goal. Sunil Chhetri further scored another in injury time, sealing a dominant win at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium.

ATK FC recorded a comeback for the ages in a do-or-die situation against the defending ISL Cup winners in the crucial semi-final second leg in 2019-20

Antonio Habas' men were edged out by a 0-1 scoreline in the first leg in Bengaluru courtesy of a Deshorn Brown goal. Moreover, Ashique Kuruniyan scored an early goal in the second leg to double the lead for Bengaluru FC.

Banking on their home support and Habas' tactical supremacy, ATK FC pulled off a stunning comeback to make it to the final. Roy Krishna scored the opener for the hosts with his fantastic strike from a narrow angle inside the opponent's box in the first half. Krishna's forward partner, David Williams, levelled the scoreline with his spot-kick in the 63rd minute.

The Aussie forward scored the winner with his outrageous bullet header in the 79th minute to send the home side through in challenging circumstances. Local lad Prabir Das provided two assists in this high-voltage semi-final match and played a pivotal role in ATK FC's ISL Cup-winning season in 2019-20.

Mohun Bagan Super Giant produced another remarkable comeback in their maiden League Shield-winning campaign in 2023-24.

The Mariners went down fighting in the first leg of the semi-final as Odisha FC gained a slender advantage with a 2-1 victory. However, MBSG, who demonstrated their fighting spirit and champion mentality throughout the season, proved their mettle once again with a dominant performance on their home turf.

Jason Cummings's simple tap-in broke the deadlock in the 22nd minute, setting the stage for another thrilling comeback. Super-sub Sahal Abdul Samad scored a dramatic winner in the dying minutes of the second half added time to cap an astonishing MBSG fightback against Sergio Lobera's men, paving their way to back-to-back ISL Cup finals.