ISL 2022-23: Four teams most likely to reach knockouts

For
the
remaining
four
playoff
berths,
there’s
a
dogged
race
that’s
going
on
between
five
teams.
Kerala
Blasters,
ATK
Mohun
Bagan,
Goa,
Odisha
and
Bengaluru
all
remain
in
the
hunt
for
the
remaining
4
places
in
the
knockouts.
Only
four
points
separate
the
Blasters
who
are
in
third
place
to
the
Juggernauts
who
are
seventh.

Here
are
the
four
best-placed
teams,
in
no
particular
order,
who
are
most
likely
to
reach
the
ISL
knockouts:

#1
Kerala
Blasters

Matches:
18

Points:
31

Goal
Difference:
+2

Last
season’s
runners-up,
Ivan
Vukomanovic’s
side
are
just
five
points
behind
the
Nizams
who
are
second,
but
they
have
a
game
in
hand.
It
means,
mathematically
the
Blasters
can
overtake
the
defending
champions
should
they
lose
all
of
their
remaining
matches
and
if
the
Tuskers
win
their
remaining
two
games.

Interestingly,
they
will
lock
horns
with
Manolo
Marquez’s
side
in
their
final
league
outing
in
a
match
that
may
decide
which
team
will
finish
second.

Even
though
the
three-time
ISL
finalists
lost
narrowly
to
Simon
Grayson’s
side
0-1,
they
look
best
placed
to
finish
third.

#2
ATK
Mohun
Bagan

Matches:
17

Points:
28

Goal
Difference:
+5

Even
though
the
recent
draw
with
Jamshedpur
was
a
missed
opportunity
for
the
Mariners
to
seal
their
playoff
berth,
Juan
Ferrando’s
side
has
only
played
17
games,
collecting
28
points
with
three
games
remaining.

They
are
scheduled
to
take
on
the
Nizams,
the
Blasters
and
East
Bengal
next.
Winning
all
three
of
their
remaining
games
may
help
the
Kolkata-based
club
to
pip
the
Tuskers
into
third
place,
should
they
drop
some
points
in
their
remaining
two
games.

The
outcome
of
their
next
two
games,
against
the
two
sides
that
are
above
the
Mariners
in
the
league
table,
will
decide
their
fate.

#3
Bengaluru

Matches:
18

Points:
28

Goal
Difference:
+1

The
Blues
are
level
on
points
with
the
Mariners,
both
clubs
have
28
points
each
although
Ferrando’s
side
has
a
game
in
hand.
Grayson’s
side
will
still
fancy
their
chances
as
they
have
won
all
of
their
previous
six
matches,
and
they
haven’t
dropped
a
point
since
the
turn
of
the
year.

In
their
remaining
two
matches,
Sunil
Chhetri
and
Co
will
take
on
the
Islanders,
and
the
Gaurs.
With
such
fine
margins,
it
may
boil
down
to
the
goal
difference,
and
the
Blues
have
the
worst
GD
(1),
among
all
teams
that
are
in
the
race
for
the
remaining
playoff
berths.
Thus,
it
goes
without
saying
that
Grayson’s
men
will
have
to
win
their
last
two
matches
or
things
could
get
tricky.

#4
Goa

Matches:
18

Points:
27

Goal
Difference:
+4

Carlos
Pena’s
side
is
in
sixth
place
in
the
standings
and
occupies
the
final
qualification
berth
for
the
knockouts.
They
are
currently
level
on
27
points
with
the
Kalinga
Warriors,
and
both
teams
have
2
matches
remaining,
however,
the
Gaurs
have
a
positive
goal
difference
(+4)
compared
to
Josep
Gombau’s
men
(-2)
which
may
well
decide
the
fate
of
these
two
sides.

In
their
next
two
outings,
Edu
Bedia
and
Co
will
lock
horns
with
Chennaiyin
and
Grayson’s
side.
While,
on
the
other
hand,
the
Juggernauts
will
take
on
NorthEast
United
and
the
Men
of
Steel.

Gombau’s
side
has
potentially
easier
fixtures
but
their
negative
goal
difference
could
cost
them
if
both
clubs
finish
level
on
points.

Article
by
Mohak
Arora,
Sports
Expert,
Parimatch
brand