MUMBAI: The fixtures of the first 11 rounds of matches for the seventh edition of the Hero Indian Super League are out. ISL 2020-2021 will kick off on November 20 with the season opener pitting defending champions ATK Mohun Bagan against Kerala Blasters at the GMC Stadium in Bambolim, Goa.
New entrants SC East Bengal will make their ISL debut playing in one of the oldest rivalries in Asian football - the Kolkata Derby. For the first time in ISL, SC East Bengal face ATK Mohun Bagan in the biggest spectacle of Indian football on Friday, November 27, at the Tilak Maidan Stadium.
ISL embarks on a unique season with the entire league to be played behind closed doors under a bio-secure bubble in Goa across three venues - JL Nehru Stadium (Fatorda), GMC Stadium (Bambolim), and Tilak Maidan (Vasco). With SC East Bengal's inclusion, the expanded league will feature an unprecedented 115 games, up from 95 last season. All 11 clubs play each other in a double round-robin format. The top 4 clubs on the points table at the end of the regular season qualify for the playoffs.
The first 11 rounds feature 6 double-headers - all Sundays, with Jamshedpur FC and Odisha FC playing in the first 5 PM kick off this season on November 29, at the Tilak Maidan Stadium. Last season's League Shield winners FC Goa begin their campaign against former champions Bengaluru FC at 7:30 PM on Sunday, November 22, at the JL Nehru Stadium in Fatorda.
The schedule for the remaining 55 league matches will be published in December post clarity on calendar dates of Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Competitions matches.
All the matches will take place in Goa as the organisers have create a bio-bubble considering the coronavirus situation.
The 2020-21 season of the ISL will be played at three different venues. The Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Fatorda, the Tilak Nagar Stadium in Vasco da Gama, and the GMC Athletic Stadium in Bambolim are the three venues set to host the games.
There are 12 training pitches allotted to the teams.
The 2020-21 ISL features an unprecedented 115 games, up from 95 last season. All 11 clubs play each other in a double round-robin format.
The top 4 clubs on the points table at the end of the regular season qualify for the playoffs.
The 11 teams participating this season are: ATK Mohun Bagan, Bengaluru FC, Chennaiyin FC, FC Goa, Hyderabad FC, Jamshedpur FC, Kerala Blasters, Mumbai City FC, NorthEast United FC, Odisha FC, SC East Bengal.
The new entrants in ISL this season are the Kolkata giants Mohun Bagan and East Bengal. Mohun Bagan merged with the already-existing ISL franchise ATK to become ATK Mohun Bagan, while East Bengal sold a majority stake in the club to Shree Cement in order to make their long-awaited entry.
To check out the full fixtures, click here...
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