The Indian Super League (ISL) playoffs are here. With six teams fighting for glory, the top two have secured a direct path to the semifinals, while the rest battle through knockouts.
Mohun Bagan SG made history by winning back-to-back League Shields with their eyes locked on the ISL Cup next. Here’s everything you need to know about the road to the final.
How do the playoffs work?
- The top six teams from the league stage qualify for the playoffs.
- The top two teams (Mohun Bagan SG & FC Goa) advance directly to the semifinals.
- Teams ranked 3rd to 6th compete in single-leg knockout matches to decide the other two semi-finalists.
- The semifinals are played over two legs (home & away).
- The final takes place on April 12 at the home ground of the higher-ranked finalist.
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What is the League Shield?
- The team finishing 1st in the league stage over 24 matches wins the League Shield.
- This team also qualifies for the AFC Champions League Two group phase.
- Mohun Bagan SG won the League Shield for the second consecutive season, a first in ISL history.
Which teams qualified for the playoffs?
- League Shield winner: Mohun Bagan SG (1st)
- Direct semifinalist: FC Goa (2nd)
- Knockout participants: Bengaluru FC (3rd), NorthEast United FC (4th), Jamshedpur FC (5th), Mumbai City FC (6th)
Playoff Schedule
Knockout Round
March 29: Bengaluru FC (home) vs Mumbai City FC
March 30: NorthEast United FC (home) vs Jamshedpur FC
Semifinals (Home & Away Format)
April 2: Winner of Knockout 1 (home) vs FC Goa (1st leg)
April 3: Winner of Knockout 2 (home) vs Mohun Bagan SG (1st leg)
April 6: FC Goa (home) vs Winner of Knockout 1 (2nd leg)
April 7: Mohun Bagan SG (home) vs Winner of Knockout 2 (2nd leg)
Final
April 12: Winner of Semifinal 1 vs Winner of Semifinal 2 (at the higher-ranked team’s home stadium)
Content Source: sportstar.thehindu.com