The final of the 2021-22 edition of the Indian Super League (ISL) will be held on March 20 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Margao, a record fourth time it will be hosting the title clash of the lucrative league.
The two-legged semifinals will take place on March 11-12 and March 15-16 respectively, league organisers Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL) said on Thursday while releasing the schedule.
The entire tournament is being played in Goa this time in a bio-bubble as part of Covid-19 measures. Despite the bubble, there were Covid-19 outbreaks in team camps, which disrupted the schedule. Players and coaches had complained about the lack of proper systems in place to handle the cases.
In one of the most closely-contested seasons of ISL, nine teams still remain in contention to advance into the semi-finals.
Only 19 points separate the current top-placed team, Hyderabad FC (29) and NorthEast United FC (10), in 11th.
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The five bottom-placed teams have played 17 games each of the 20. Hyderabad and Bengaluru FC have played 16; ATK Mohun Bagan, Kerala Blasters and Mumbai City have played 15 and Jamshedpur has played only 14.
The 'away goal' rule will not apply in the semi-finals this season. Teams with the highest goal aggregate in their respective two-legged ties will progress to the final.
For ATK Mohun Bagan, currently in second place, they will not have sharpshooter Roy Krishna if they make it to the knockout stage.
The Fijian will be leaving India on March 8, after his team’s final group stage match, to join his national squad for Oceania’s World Cup qualifiers in Doha. Fiji will be in action from March 17 to 24.
The league phase ends on March 7. The team finishing on top of the table will be crowned winners of the League Shield, earning a direct group-stage entry into the AFC Champions League next season.
Hero ISL 2021-22 semi-finals and final dates
March 11 - Semifinal 1 – 1st leg
March 12 - Semifinal 2 – 1st leg
March 15 - Semifinal 1 – 2nd leg
March 16 - Semifinal 2 – 2nd leg
March 20 - Final
(With inputs from PTI)
