The Indian Super League (ISL) 2022-23 season has already witnessed a number of records being broken and created. With 6 teams battling for the Hero ISL trophy, there is still much drama to be unraveled. In order to qualify for the playoffs, these teams will need to finish with a minimum of 27 points in their final five matches.
The ISL 2022-23 Playoffs will take place from March 03 to March 13, with the top two teams qualifying for the semis. Teams finishing 3rd to 6th will participate in a single-leg play-off. The ISL 2022-23 season race for the playoffs is hotter than ever. But which teams are eligible for the playoffs? Let’s read on.
With the league stage of ISL 2022-23 coming to a close, there’s only one playoff spot up for grabs. So far, Mumbai City FC and Hyderabad FC cosily occupying the top two spots, with Kerala Blasters FC, Bengaluru FC and ATK Mohun Bagan joining them in the playoffs. FC Goa and Odisha FC are the two teams still in contention for the last playoff spot.
ISL 2023 Playoffs Schedule
| Eliminator 1 | March 3 | 7:30 PM(IST) | 4th-placed team vs 5th-placed team |
| Eliminator 2 | March 4 | 7:30 PM(IST) | 3rd-placed team vs 6th-placed team |
| Semifinal 1 – 1st leg | March 7 | 7:30 PM(IST) | Mumbai City FC vs Winner of Eliminator 1 |
| Semifinal 2 – 1st leg | March 9 | 7:30 PM(IST) | Hyderabad FC vs Winner of Eliminator 2 |
| Semifinal 1 – 2nd leg | March 12 | 7:30 PM(IST) | Winner of Eliminator 2 vs Mumbai City FC |
| Semifinal 2 – 2nd leg | March 13 | 7:30 PM(IST) | Winner of Eliminator 1 vs Hyderabad FC |
| Final | March 18 | 7:30 PM(IST) | Semifinal 1 Winner vs Semifinal 2 Winner |
Standings
(Last updated on February 23rd)
| Pos | Club | M | W-D-L | GD | Points |
| 1 | Mumbai City FC | 20 | 14-4-2 | 33 | 46 |
| 2 | Hyderabad FC | 19 | 12-3-4 | 19 | 39 |
| 3 | ATK Mohun Bagan | 19 | 9-4-6 | 5 | 31 |
| 4 | Bengaluru FC | 19 | 10-1-8 | 2 | 31 |
| 5 | Kerala Blasters FC | 19 | 10-1-8 | 1 | 31 |
| 6 | Odisha FC | 20 | 9-3-8 | -2 | 30 |
| 7 | FC Goa | 19 | 8-3-8 | 3 | 27 |
| 8 | Chennaiyin FC | 19 | 6-6-7 | -2 | 24 |
| 9 | Jamshedpur FC | 20 | 5-4-11 | -11 | 19 |
| 10 | East Bengal FC | 19 | 6-1-12 | -14 | 19 |
| 11 | NorthEast United FC | 19 | 1-2-16 | -34 | 5 |
Mumbai City FC
Mumbai City FC have qualified for the playoffs as they have finished first in the league stage. The Islanders are looking to secure their place in the top two and also win the League Winners Shield.
Mumbai City FC has already set several records this season, including the longest all-time unbeaten streak of 18 games in a single ISL season.
- Match 1. Hyderabad FC 3-3 Mumbai City FC – 9 October 2022
- Match 2. Mumbai City FC 2-0 Odisha FC – 15 October 2022
- Match 3. Mumbai City FC 1-1 Jamshedpur – 22 October 2022
- Match 4. Kerala Blasters FC 0-2 Mumbai City FC – 28 October 2022
- Match 5. Mumbai City FC 2-2 ATK Mohun Bagan – 6 November 2022
- Match 6. Chennaiyin FC 2-6 Mumbai City FC – 12 November 2022
- Match 7. Mumbai City FC 4-0 Bengaluru FC – 17 November 2022
- Match 8. NorthEast United FC 1-3 Mumbai City FC – 25 November 2022
- Match 9. Mumbai City FC 4-1 FC Goa – 1 December 2022
- Match 10. East Bengal FC 0-3 Mumbai City FC – 16 December 2022
- Match 11. Mumbai City FC 2-1 Chennaiyin FC – 24 December 2022
- Match 12. Odisha FC 2-4 Mumbai City FC – 2 January 2023
- Match 13. Mumbai City FC 4-0 Kerala Blasters FC – 8 January 2023
- Match 14. ATK Mohun Bagan 0-1 Mumbai City FC – 14 January 2023
- Match 15. Mumbai City FC 4-0 NorthEast United FC – 19 January 2023
- Match 16. Jamshedpur FC 1-2 Mumbai City FC – 27 January 2023
- Match 17. Mumbai City FC 1-1 Hyderabad FC – 4 February 2023
- Match 18. FC Goa 3-5 Mumbai City FC – 11 February 2023
Mumbai City FC’s 20-game league stretch has come to an end, with their next appearance coming in the ISL semi-finals on March 7. Despite losing two games, the Islanders scored an impressive 46 points in 20 games, including 14 wins.
Hyderabad FC
Hyderabad FC, last season’s champions, has enjoyed a solid start to the 2022-23 season. The club has accumulated 39 points from 19 matches and is second in the league table. The same as Mumbai City FC has already qualified for the playoffs.
They will face Kerala Blasters FC on February 26, the final match of the league season. The next one will be the semi-final on March 9. Head coach Coach Coach Marquez encouraged his team to continue training hard as they prepare for a tough match in Kochi.
“As usual, we will train, we will go to Kerala, we will play and then let’s see what happens. We will be back in Hyderabad again and we will train. It’s true that when we play the semifinals, the opponent will come in a very strong final match (qualifying match) between the third (ranked team) and the sixth (ranked team). Yes, we have to train hard and keep going because if you don’t train in a good way, there will be problems,” concluded Marquez.
ATK Mohun Bagan
ATK Mohun Bagan has a strong team. Among their key players are defender Brendan Hamill, who is looking to lift the AFC Champions League, and Australian striker Dimitri Petratos.
ATK Mohun Bagan put up a strong performance when it mattered most. Saturday’s 2-1 home win over Kerala Blasters FC was impressive. Two goals from midfielder Carl McHugh helped Juan Ferrando’s side secure their seventh home win at Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata.
With the win, the Green Shirts remain unbeaten against Kerala Blasters FC, who have won five of their six matches and drawn just one in the past three seasons. After sitting comfortably in third place in the Hero ISL standings, the Yellow Army is now in fifth place in the league standings.
The Mariners have secured their place in the playoffs with a win over Kerala Blasters FC. Entering the final round of the league stage with three teams on 31 points, it will be a tug-of-war for third and fourth place.
This Saturday’s last match against East Bengal FC will be a good opportunity to fight for the third place and make sure they finish with a better goal difference than Kerala Masters FC and Bengaluru FC.
Bengaluru FC
After a disappointing start to the season, Bengaluru FC have turned their fortunes around and they’re now firmly in playoff contention. Simon Grayson’s men have won their last seven matches to bring themselves up to 4th place in the league table.
Bengaluru FC have qualified for the playoffs after Club Goa defeated Chennaiyin FC. The Blues need to beat the Goans on the final day and finish with a better goal tally than Kerala Blasters FC to secure a top four finish.
Kerala Blasters FC
The Kerala Blasters FC are a popular club in the Indian Super League. They have a huge fan following in the state and their popularity is not just limited to the football field.
The team was founded in May 2014 and is owned by Magnum Sports Private Limited. The co-owners include industrialist Nimmagadda Prasad, film actor Chiranjeevi and Indian film producer Allu Arvind.
After Chennaiyin FC’s win over FC Goa, the Blasters have qualified for the playoffs for the second consecutive season, a first in the history of the Hero ISL.
As far as the battle for the top four is concerned, Kerala Blasters FC needs to beat Hyderabad FC and hope that Bengaluru FC drops points.
FC Goa
FC Goa has been one of the most successful teams in the Indian Super League (ISL) since its inception. The Gaurs have made five playoffs appearances and two finals in the history of the league.
After a strong start to the season, FC Goa have dropped a few points, but they are still in the hunt for the final playoff spot. If they can defeat Bengaluru FC on Thursday, they will qualify for the playoffs.
With an Indian contingent in their ranks, FC Goa will be a tough opponent to beat in the ISL 2022-23 season. They have a strong home support in Fatorda and a quality training facility to use as a base.
Odisha FC
Odisha FC has completed all their fixtures. Their playoff fate is now in the hands of FC Goa. Jamshedpur FC ended their season with a dominant 2-0 win in the ISL at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar on Wednesday. This dealt a potentially fatal blow to Odisha FC’s playoff ambitions.
Goals from Harry Sawyer and Ritwik Das gave the Red Miners their third win in four games and kept FC Goa alive in the playoffs this season. Odisha FC needed just a point in this match to lock up qualification, but will now have to count on FC Goa not winning on Thursday against Bengaluru FC.
A win or draw for Bengaluru FC will help Odisha FC qualify for the ISL playoffs for the first time ever.
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