ISL 2020-21: FSDL announces fixtures of remaining 11 rounds
The Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL) announced the fixtures of the remaining 11 rounds of the Indian Super League (ISL) 2020-21 on Saturday.
The organisers had announced only the first 11 rounds of fixtures at the start of the league. There was a possibility of AFC Champions League and AFC Cup matches being held in the February-March period due to which FSDL hadn't rolled out all the fixtures. But with the two getting postponed to June 2021, the path is now clear for the rest of the ISL matches to be held in the next two months.
All eyes will be on the reverse fixture of the Kolkata Derby, which will be played on February 19 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Fatorda, Goa. The Mariners will play their final league fixture against Mumbai City FC on February 28 as both teams aim for spots in the AFC Champions League 2022.
Race for the top-four spots wide open in the ISL
The ISL 2020-21 will have 7 more double-headers on Sundays to wrap up the league by March. ATK Mohun Bagan are currently on top of the table with Mumbai City FC placed second. FC Goa started slow but Juan Ferrando's side has drastically improved and now finds itself in the third position.
Sides like NorthEast United FC, Hyderabad FC, and Jamshedpur FC will give their best to secure a much-coveted top-four spot. Bengaluru FC, Chennaiyin FC, and Kerala Blasters have not performed up to the expectations so far. New entrants SC East Bengal and Odisha FC are yet to win their first game of the season.
Key ISL fixtures to watch
17 January: FC Goa vs ATK Mohun Bagan
20 January: Kerala Blasters vs Bengaluru FC
31 January: ATK Mohun Bagan vs Kerala Blasters FC
02 February: SC East Bengal vs Bengaluru FC
05 February: Bengaluru FC vs Chennaiyin FC
08 February: Mumbai City FC vs FC Goa
19 February: ATK Mohun Bagan vs SC East Bengal
21 February: Bengaluru FC vs FC Goa
21 February: Kerala Blasters FC vs Chennaiyin FC
28 February: Mumbai City FC vs ATK Mohun Bagan
You can find the full schedule here.
The league winners will qualify for the AFC Champions League 2022, while the ISL trophy winners will earn a place in the play-offs for AFC Cup 2022.