Indian Super League (ISL) 2022-23 season will start on October 7 with Kerala Blasters hosting East Bengal at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi, Kerala.
All teams – ATK Mohun Bagan, Bengaluru FC, Chennaiyin FC, East Bengal, FC Goa, Hyderabad FC, Jamshedpur FC, Kerala Blasters, Mumbai City FC, NorthEast United and Odisha FC will play each other twice, home and away, in a round-robin format in the league stage followed by the playoffs stage.
With COVID-19 easing out and restrictions more relaxed, fans will be allowed back in stadiums for the first time in two years.
ISL 2022-23 will see a new playoffs format. The top two teams in the league stages will automatically make it to the semi-finals. The teams from third to sixth will then play each other (3rd vs 6th and 4th vs 5th) in a single-leg playoff to determine the other two semi-finalists.
Defending champions Hyderabad FC will play their first match against Mumbai City FC on October 9. The iconic Kolkata Derby – played between ATK Mohun Bagan and East Bengal – will be held on October 29 and February 25.
The league stages of ISL 2022-23 will run over five months, for the first time in history. It is scheduled from October 7, 2022, to February 26, 2023. The ISL playoffs will be held in March 2023.
A typical matchweek in ISL 2022-23 will feature games from Thursday to Sunday. In total, there will be 117 matches played across 10 venues.
New ISL playoff format:
Eliminator 1: 3rd placed team vs 6th placed team
Eliminator 2: 4th placed team vs 5th placed team
Semi-Final 1 1st Leg: 1st placed team vs (Winner – Eliminator 2)
Semi-Final 2 1st Leg: 2nd placed team vs (Winner – Eliminator 1)
Semi-Final 1 2nd Leg: (Winner – Eliminator 2) vs 1st placed team
Semi-Final 2 2nd Leg: (Winner – Eliminator 1) vs 2nd placed team
Final: (Winner Semi-Final 1) vs (Winner Semi-Final 2).
Picture Courtesy: ISL Media
