Revised list of fixtures for the 2021-22 Indian Super League season unveiled
The revised list of fixtures for the ongoing season of the Indian Super League (ISL) 2021-22 was unveiled by Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL) on Wednesday. The FSDL rescheduled the final 25 league stage matches from the current season, including all the matches that were postponed due to COVID-19 outbreaks last month.
The final match of the regular season will now take place on March 7 with ATK Mohun Bagan facing Jamshedpur FC at the PJN Stadium in Fatorda, Goa, according to a statement issued by the league.
Furthermore, the ISL statement specified that there will be three additional double-headers, all on Saturdays (February 19, February 26, and March 5) to accommodate the six games that were suspended.
Among all the ISL teams, ATKMB, Kerala Blasters FC and Jamshedpur FC were the worst-hit during the COVID-19 crisis. The tournament has been taking place inside a bio-bubble in Goa since November 20 last year.
The matches postponed due to COVID outbreaks were Jamshedpur FC vs Mumbai City FC, ATK Mohun Bagan vs Odisha FC, Kerala Blasters FC vs ATK Mohun Bagan, Hyderabad FC vs Jamshedpur FC, Kerala Blasters vs Mumbai City FC and ATK Mohun Bagan vs Bengaluru FC.
Check out the ISL fixture here.
The Indian Super League 2021-22 season so far
It has been a topsy-turvy football season so far. Even with just the final five weeks of the regular season left, no team has emerged as the runaway favorite to win the league.
While in the initial stages of the season, Mumbai City FC looked set to execute their dominance, the Islanders have quickly fallen from grace. At one point, Kerala Blasters FC enjoyed a 10-game unbeaten run and looked like one of the most consistent sides in the league. However, their progress has been disrupted by COVID-19 cases in their camp.
Hyderabad FC have emerged as one of the favourites with their aggressive, expansive football under Manolo Marquez. It remains to be seen whether they can carry their form through the business end of the season.
Meanwhile, Goa FC have dominated possession, created a plethora of chances against all their opponents but haven't managed to score a bagful of goals. They are ninth in the ISL table after 15 games.
Khalid Jamil's NorthEast United FC have also struggled this season. The Highlanders have lost many of their key players to injuries in various phases of the season.
The team that have stuck to the bottom spot is SC East Bengal. Their season can be summed up by the fact that the Red & Gold Brigade have had more coaches than wins this season.