ISL has introduced a new era of football in India while ensuring unlimited fun and exciting moments in each match. Football fans, especially those who share an interest in betting and keep checking sports betting tips, are the ones most excited for this season.
With new players, better strategies, and spectacular performances, ISL 2021-22 has become the ultimate source of entertainment for football enthusiasts.
The ISL or Indian Super League 2021-22 season started on November 19, 2019, featuring the two most prominent teams of the tournament, Kerala Blasters and ATK Mohun Bagan (defending champions), at the Fatodra Stadium in Goa.
This season, FSDL or Football Sports Development limited reported the match schedule for the opening 11 rounds. As per the fixture, the last match of its first leg will be held on January 9, 2022, at Tilak Maidan between Hyderabad FC and Kerala Blasters.
For the second time, Goa has been honored to host the tournament's entirety. This season was decided to be held at three stadiums behind closed doors, including Vasco's Tilak Maidan, Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, and GMC Stadium in Bambolim.
Also, this ISL season will feature 115 games where regular weekday matches are commencing from 7:30 pm onwards. For the Saturday doubleheaders, the league decided to initiate a kick-off time of 9:30 pm.
Indian Super League (ISL) 2021-22: Teams
In 2013, Indian Super League was launched with eight teams. However, with passing years, the three most prominent teams of the I-League - Bengaluru FC, Mohan Bagan, and East Bengal, joined this premier football league when ISL started losing its charm and value as the best Indian football league. In ISL 2021-22, there are 11 teams, namely:
Bengaluru FC
FC Goa
Jamshedpur FC
Mumbai City FC
ATK Mohun Bagan
Chennaiyin FC
Hyderabad FC
Kerala Blasters FC
Northeast United FC
SC East Bengal
The Kolkata-based franchise, the one who won the first season of this premier football league, has proved to be the most dominant club by winning the tournament thrice, once as ATK Mohun Bagan and twice as ATK or Atletico de Kolkata. The franchise won the league title in 2014, 2016, and 2019 and finished as runners-up in the last season of2020. Other clubs like Mumbai City FC and Bengaluru FC have won the league title once each, but Chennaiyin FC lifted the champions trophy twice, once in 2015 and next in the 2017-18 season.
Indian Super League (ISL) 2021-22: Tournament Format
The round-robin tournament format was introduced to ISL, and the league strictly follows that. Every ISL team will play each other twice, once away and once at home. The winning team gets 3 points whereas the losing team gets 0 points. If the match concludes with a draw, both teams will earn one point.
Every team has to play 20 matches in total, and once it's complete, the top four teams will be qualified for the semi-finals, based on the points table. In the semi-final round, the matches will be played over two-legged: one away and one home, which will decide the two qualifying teams for the finals from the winners of both the semi-final matches. A neutral venue is decided early to schedule the ISL finals.
Predicted Golden Boot Player 2021-22: Igor Angulo
If Mumbai City FC retains the league title for ISL 21-22, Igor Angulo may again claim his dominance on the golden boot. Last year, on his debut session for the team FC Goa, he blew the mind of spectators with exceptional skills, scoring fourteen goals in twenty matches. This season, Angulo will focus on achieving something much bigger. With teammates like Rowlin Borges, Ahmed Jahouh, and Bipin Singh by his side, it's hard for opponents to stop this Spanish striker from leading the scoresheet and getting the Golden boot.
Predicted Winners of ISL 21-22: Mumbai City FC
After a phenomenal season last year, Mumbai City FC has strengthened their team by bringing in new talents and one of their most terrifying players in the last year's Golden boot winner - Igor Angulo. He got transferred from FC Goa to Mumbai City FC. Another player that is making the headlines from their team is the young winger Vikram Pratap Singh, who got transferred from the India Arrows last season.
The team is also confident with the potential of this young talent to become a strong point for Mumbai's forward position. One of the significant reasons why Mumbai City is predicted to be the winners of this tournament is their change in management. Des Buckingham, renowned for his management skills in Melbourne City FC, has replaced Sergio Lobera and shared a ton of his experience with Mumbai FC. His presence increases the morale and skills of the players and increases the chances of winning.
