ISL Final to be on March 18; Mumbai under consideration to host

by Ayan Abdulla February 8, 2023

The Mumbai Football Arena in Andheri, Mumbai is being considered to host the 2022/23 Hero Indian Super League final. Kolkata and Kochi are in the discussion too.

The playoffs will be played in a new structure with the top six teams qualifying, this time around. The top two teams will directly enter the semi-finals. The teams which finish 3rd to 6th will play a single-leg eliminator game to book their places in the semis. In the semi-finals, the winner of eliminator 1 will play against the second-placed team while the winner of eliminator 2 will battle it out against the shield winners. 

Eliminators 1 and 2 will be played on the 3rd and 4th of March. The first leg of the semifinals will take place on March 7th & 9th while the return legs will be held on March 12th & 13th. The final is scheduled to be played on March 18.

According to reports, Mumbai has a good chance to host the 2022/23 Hero Indian Super League final. Kolkata or Kochi is the other possible venue to host the final on the 18th of March.

If Mumbai gets the hosting rights, It will then be the third time that Mumbai or its Suburbs will be hosting an ISL final and the second time in the Mumbai Football Arena. The final of the first ISL season was played at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai, the then-home venue of Mumbai City FC where Atlético de Kolkata defeated Kerala Blasters. Mumbai again played hosts in an ISL Final when Bengaluru FC and FC Goa played the 2018-19 final at the Mumbai Football Arena with the former winning the title.

In the current season, Mumbai City FC have been top form having remained unbeaten in the campaign so far. They currently hold the top spot and have booked the semi-final spot. If Mumbai does get the hosting rights of the final, City fans would be hoping that The Islanders continue their unbeaten run all the way to the finals of the competition so that they get to cheer their club at home on the d-day once again.

Format / Dates of playoffs as per the positions in League table

· Knockout 1: 3rd March – 4 (Home team) vs 5 (Away Team)

· Knockout 2: 4th March – 3 (Home team) vs 6 (Away )

· Semi-final 1 – 1st leg: 7th March – 1 (Home team) vs Winner of Knockout 1

· Semi-final 2 – 1st leg: 9th March – 2 (Home team) vs Winner of Knockout 2

· Semi-final 1 – 2nd leg: 12th March – Winner of Knockout 1 (Home team) vs 1

· Semi-final 2 – 2nd leg: 13th March – Winner of Knockout 2 (Home team) vs 2

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