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About two-thirds of the way into the league stages of the 2016 ISL, there is very little to separate the eight teams. The team at the top is separated from a clutch of three teams at the bottom by just seven points, and with two of those teams having a game in hand over them. There has been one home win less than the away wins. Unlike previous seasons, we are yet to witness a hat trick, but the Indian players have started coming into their own, especially over the last one week. ESPN India's Anuj Vignesh, Arjun Namboothiri, Debayan Sen and Saket Parekar bring you a quick review of all of the eight teams and analyse their prospects of making the final four in December. Atletico de Kolkata: Things starting to look up Despite going unbeaten for the first five games, ATK have never really blown an opposition away. Their three victories so far have all been scrappy, one-goal margin wins, featuring late winners and goals from set pieces. On the bright side, they have only lost twice, and never by more than one goal. During the 2015 campaign, they saved their best for November, scoring 18 goals and winning five out of their seven matches in the month to assure themselves of a playoff spot. Three of their five remaining games are winnable fixtures at home - against NEUFC, Kerala and Pune. If Iain Hume's return to goalscoring form is a sign of things to come, ATK look set to make the semis for a third straight year. Saket Parekar Chennaiyin FC: Lack of stability What is Chennaiyin's best XI? That's a question that even head coach Marco Materazzi doesn't appear to have an answer to. In the absence of Stiven Mendoza and Elano Blumer, Materazzi has tried to be a little too smart, tinkering with the formations each match, and trying out new combinations that have not always worked. John Arne Riise has played in centre-back, left-back, and even in midfield. Bernard Mendy has been deployed as a centre-back, as well as a left winger. Jeje Lalpekhlua and Dudu Omagbemi have not been given a consistent run of games to form an understanding up front, while midfielders Hans Mulder and Raphael Augusto have also been left out of the XI for key games. As a result of all the chopping and changing, Chennaiyin currently lie seventh in the table, with the fewest wins among all teams. Anuj Vignesh Delhi Dynamos FC: Title favourites? For a tactically disciplined full-back in his playing career, Gianluca Zambrotta has transformed Delhi Dynamos into arguably the most fluid and attacking team of the tournament so far. In Richard Gadze, Kean Lewis, Milan Singh, Badara Badji, Florent Malouda and their most consistent performer Marcelo Pereira, Delhi have both the firepower and the depth to go far this year. They have completed more passes than any other team, taken the most number of shots, and scored the most number of goals. With 17 points, they are currently top of the table, and can already begin planning for the playoffs. Anuj Vignesh FC Goa: Down but not out Goa came into the season with almost the same team that made the finals in 2015 with Zico at the helm. Five losses from their opening seven games put them into a negative spiral that they are just recovering from. With controversial refereeing decisions, red cards and Zico's outbursts at press conferences, Goa have not painted a happy picture for the ISL. They have won two of their last three games and Zico has bought in Robin Singh to partner Rafael Coelho up front, with Romeo Fernandes and Mandar Rao Desai on the flanks. This has seen them create more opportunities while being compact in midfield. Yes, this has been their worst season and yes, they have set a bad example, but surprisingly, due to the format of the ISL, FC Goa, even at the bottom of the table are still in it. Arjun Namboothiri FC Pune City: The team that needs goals Pune City had an imperfect start to the 2016 season, with the withdrawal of Eidur Gudjohnsen as marquee player and his subsequent replacement with Mohamed Sissoko leaving the team short of genuine strikers. That imbalance has been evident in a team that has quality in defence and midfield, but is yet to identify a reliable strike partnership. On the bright side, their eight goals have come from seven different sources, and with Eugeneson Lyngdoh coming into the team in their last match in Mumbai, they were able to withstand the home side's pressure long enough to notch up the second of their three wins that has come away from home. This bodes well for the team managed this season by 2014 winner Antonio Habas, as they have four of their remaining five games to be played away, and must look to make the most of their lone remaining home game against Delhi Dynamos. Debayan Sen Kerala Blasters FC: The Underdogs Three games, two lost, zero goals scored. Kerala were rock-bottom at the start of the campaign. They didn't have a left-back in their squad, their midfield was non-existent and their strikers looked like older versions of themselves. Steve Coppell then changed things. Michael Chopra came into the starting XI, Kervens Belfort was given the freedom to roam in and around the left wing and their defence built a formidable wall in front of goal. The team notched up 11 points in 6 games to enter the top half of the table. Enter CK Vineeth, back from Bengaluru FC duty. Not only did the BFC forward provide Kerala a better version of Chopra, he scored three goals in two games to become an instant hero. With Sandesh Jhinghan and Cedric Hengbart imposing in defence, Belfort and Vineeth firing up front, Kerala are suddenly in with a serious chance to make the play-offs. Arjun Namboothiri Mumbai City FC: Dark horses Mumbai came into the ISL season as one of only three teams to have never made the top four in previous seasons. This has largely been down to their poor record on the road, with the win over Atletico de Kolkata in the last match of the 2015 season as their lone away win in 14 ISL games. They built on that success with a win away to Pune City in the opening game of this season, and have since won two further away games in Kolkata and Guwahati. Mumbai's success this year has been based on solid defensive organisation. But the fact that they have scored just nine goals in 10 games points to their lack of incisiveness in the final third. Bengaluru FC players including Sunil Chhetri and Amrinder Singh have now joined the squad and will have to fit in seamlessly, as Mumbai's remaining four games are all potential banana skins. They first travel away to FC Goa, and then face Kerala Blasters, Chennaiyin FC and Delhi Dynamos at their new home this season in Andheri, where they have just one win from four games. Debayan Sen NorthEast United FC: Playoff dream fading again After narrowly missing out on a playoff spot last season, NEUFC started the 2016 campaign brightly, leading the table for much of October. However, four straight defeats in as many games - three of them at home - mean that they are in danger of failing to make the semis yet again. While Nelo Vingada has addressed their defensive issues well, they have struggled to score this season, finding the net only seven times - the lowest in the league. Nico Velez's indifferent form isn't helping, and their only goal threat seems to be leading scorer Emiliano Alfaro, who is clearly overburdened. To make things trickier, remaining fixtures include trips to Kolkata, Chennai and Kochi, and a visit from high-flying Delhi Dynamos. Saket Parekar
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