Here’s all you need to know about the semi-finals of the ISL 2021-22 season.
Jamshedpur FC team celebrates after winning the League Shield. Twitter/@JamshedpurFC
The league stage of the Indian Super League 2021-22 season is over and we now move on to the business end of the tournament as four teams battle it out in the semi-finals. The semis will be two-legged. The four teams that have qualified for the semis are Jamshedpur FC, Hyderabad FC, ATK Mohun Bagan and Kerala Blasters.
Jamshedpur were crowned the new League Shield champions by the virtue of topping the table. Owen Coyle’s team was the best by some distance as they finished with 43 points from 20 matches, having won 13, drawn four and lost just three.
Here’s all you need to know about the semi-finals of the ISL 2021-22 season:
Which teams have qualified for the semis?
Jamshedpur FC, Hyderabad FC, ATK Mohun Bagan and Kerala Blasters.
Jamshedpur had a mixed start to the season, winning six of the first 13 matches, losing three and drawing four. However, after that 3-1 loss to Bengaluru FC, they changed gears and went on a winning spree, winning all their rest seven matches to top the group.
They will meet Kerala Blasters in the semis. The two played out a 1-1 draw in their first meeting in the league stage but Jamshedpur won the second match 3-0.
Hyderabad were the second team to qualify for the semis. They finished with the second-most number of wins after Jamshedpur — 11. And scored 38 points, drawing five and losing four.
They will face Mohun Bagan in the semis. In the two meetings between these two sides in the league stage, the first one ended in a 2-2 draw while Mohun Bagan edged Hyderabad 2-1 in the second encounter.
Mohun Bagan had a see-saw ride at the start which saw them part ways with manager Antonio Lopez midseason after a four-match winless streak. They appointed Juan Ferrando as their new manager and he turned their fortunes around as Mohun Bagan went on a 12-match unbeaten streak which helped them qualify for the semis, finishing third with 37 points. Overall they had a 15-match unbeaten run in the season.
Kerala Blasters too experienced a bumpy ride and in the end, there was intense competition for that fourth spot with Mumbai City FC. The two locked horns in one of the most important matches of the season on 2 March and Kerala turned up trumps with a 3-1 win, which gave them an upper hand. They drew their last match against FC Goa 4-4 and Mumbai lost to Hyderabad in their final match as Kerala qualified for the semis with 34 points from 20 games.
Top scorers of each of the clubs in semis:
Jamshedpur FC: Greg Stewart — 10 goals from 19 matches, along with 10 assists.
Hyderabad FC: Bartholomew Ogbeche — 17 goals from 17 matches along with 1 assist. He’s also the top goal scorer in the league so far.
ATK Mohun Bagan: Liston Colaco — 8 goals from 20 matches, along with three assists.
Kerala Blasters: Jorge Pereyra Diaz and Alvaro Vazquez with 8 goals each.
Semi-finals schedule and timings:
Semi-final 1 first leg:
Jamshedpur FC vs Kerala Blasters FC — 11 March — 7:30 PM IST — PJN Stadium, Fatorda
Semi-final 2 first leg:
Hyderabad FC vs ATK Mohun Bagan — 12 March — 7:30 PM IST — Athletic Stadium, Bambolim
Semi-final 1 second leg:
Kerala Blasters vs Jamshedpur FC — 15 March — 7:30 PM IST — Tilak Maidan Stadium
Semi-final 2 second leg
ATK Mohun Bagan vs Hyderabad FC — 16 March — 7:30 PM IST — Athletic Stadium, Bambolim
Final:
Semi-final 1 winner vs Semi-final 2 winner — 20 March — 7:30 PM IST — PJN Stadium, Fatorda
Where to watch the matches?
The matches will be broadcast live on TV on the Star Sports Network. You can also watch live streaming of the games on Disney + Hotstar and JIO TV in India
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