New Delhi : The Indian Super League (ISL) is closing in on the final stages of the league campaign and battles for the League Shield and playoff spots are tightening with every game, according to the official website of ISL. The top six teams make it to the playoffs with the top two teams securing a direct place in the semi-finals. The remaining four teams battle it out for a place in the semi-finals via a playoff round where teams finishing in third and fourth spot enjoy home advantage in a one-off tie.
The team finishing top of the table wins the League Shield and also qualifies for the AFC Champions League Two group stage. Mohun Bagan Super Giant need three more points to win the League Shield without having to depend on any other result. However, they can also win the League Shield even if they lose their next two matches and avoid defeat against FC Goa (FCG) in their final game.
They can also win the League Shield if FC Goa lose to Kerala Blasters FC. Even if the Gaurs (FCG) beat the Blasters, the Mariners (MBSG) can seal with League Shield with a win over Odisha FC (OFC).
The Mariners have secured a top-two finish and secured a direct place in the semi-finals. The Gaurs need to win all their remaining games which includes an away match against Mohun Bagan SG and hope that the Mariners fail to win both their remaining two matches. The Gaurs need eight points from their remaining four matches to seal direct semi-final qualification. They can secure a top-two finish with fewer points if Jamshedpur FC drop more points in their remaining matches.
Manolo Marquez's men have qualified for the playoffs. Jamshedpur FC are out of contention for the League Shield after defeat to NorthEast United FC (NEUFC). Khalid Jamil's men need to win all their remaining games and hope FC Goa drop five points from their remaining four matches. Jamshedpur FC need five more points from their four remaining matches to seal playoff qualification. They can also secure a playoff spot if they beat Odisha FC and suffer defeats in the other three matches.
The Highlanders (NEUFC) have no chance of winning the League Shield in ISL 2024-25 Juan Pedro Benali's men's chances of finishing in the top-two places are mere mathematical. They need to win all their remaining games and hope that FC Goa don't collect more than two points in their remaining games, Jamshedpur FC drop five more points and Mumbai City FC (MCFC) drop points in any one of their remaining matches for NorthEast United FC to finish in the top-two spots by winning all their remaining games.
The Highlanders have their fate in their own hands and need six points from their remaining games to be assured of qualifying for the playoffs without depending on any other result. They can qualify with fewer points if other results go their way. Bengaluru FC (BFC) have no chance of winning the League Shield in ISL 2024-25. The Blues (BFC) would need to win all their remaining games which would include a win over Mumbai City FC and hope FC Goa don't collect more than three points in their remaining four games and Jamshedpur FC drop three more points in their remaining four matches for Gerard Zaragoza's team to leapfrog all three teams in the second spot.
The Blues' fate is in their own hands and need eight points from their remaining four matches to qualify for the playoffs without depending on any other results. If they beat NorthEast United FC in the next match, they can qualify with four points from their last three matches as they would have a superior head-to-head record against the Highlanders. The Islanders (MCFC) are out of contention for the League Shield in ISL 2024-25.
Petr Kratky's men would need to win all their remaining matches which would include a win over Bengaluru FC and hope the Gaurs collect no more than three points in their four remaining games and Jamshedpur FC drop four points in their remaining four matches to allow Mumbai City FC to leapfrog all three three teams into the second spot. The Islanders need eight more points from their remaining matches to qualify for the playoffs. They can qualify with fewer points if other results go their way. The Kalinga Warriors (OFC) have no chance of winning the League Shield in ISL 2024-25.
Odisha FC have no chance of finishing in the top-two spots. The Kalinga Warriors no longer have their fate in their own hands and would need NorthEast United FC to drop four more points for them to qualify by winning all their remaining games. If they can't catch NorthEast United FC, they would need the Islanders or the Blues to drop five more points from their remaining games. Kerala Blasters FC are out of contention to win the League Shield.
The Blasters have no chance of securing a top-two finish. The Kochi-based side's playoff hopes were dealt a blow after losing to Mohun Bagan SG. They now need to win all their remaining matches which would include a win over Mumbai City FC and hope the Islanders drop five more points in their remaining three matches. Or they would have to hope that NorthEast United FC drop six more points from their remaining three matches. Even if either of the scenarios plays out, they would still need Odisha FC to drop points in any one of their remaining games and hope that they have a superior goal difference to Punjab FC (PFC) who can finish on the exact same points tally as the Blasters if both win all their remaining games.
The Shers (PFC) are out of contention for the League Shield. The Shers' have no chance of securing a top-two finish. The Shers' playoff hopes were dealt a blow after losing to Chennaiyin FC. They now need to win all their remaining matches and hope that NorthEast United FC drop six more points from their remaining three matches, Odisha FC to drop points in any one of their remaining games and hope that they have a superior goal difference to Kerala Blasters FC FC who can finish on the exact same points tally as the Blasters if both win all their remaining games.
Chennaiyin FC are out of contention for the League Shield and the top-two finish. Owen Coyle's team's chance of making the playoffs are very slim. They would need to win all their remaining matches which would include a win over NorthEast United FC and hope the Highlanders lose their other two matches, the Shers drop three more points in their remaining matches. They would also need Kerala Blasters FC to drop four more points in their remaining matches and Odisha FC to drop five more points in the rest of the league season for them to have a chance.
East Bengal FC are out of contention for the League Shield and a place in the top two. Oscar Bruzon's chances of making the playoffs are extremely slim. They would need to win all their remaining games which would include wins over Punjab FC and NorthEast United FC and still need the Highlanders to lose their other two matches. They would also need Kerala Blasters FC to drop four more points, Odisha FC to drop six more points and Chennaiyin FC to drop points in any one of their remaining games this season for them to have a chance of qualifying for the playoffs. Hyderabad FC and Mohammedan SC are out of contention for a place in the playoffs this season.