ISL 2020-21 matches: ATK Mohun Bagan vs Kerala Blasters in season opener, full matches, match schedules and more

The seventh edition of the Indian Super League (ISL) will kick off on November 20 with an exciting match that will pit defending champion ATK Mohun Bagan against Kerala Blasters at the GMC Stadium in Bambolim, Goa.

The second game of the season will see NorthEast United FC play Mumbai City FC at Tilak Stadium in Vasco on November 21.

Last year’s League Shield winner FC Goa will face Bengaluru FC on November 22, while Odisha FC will meet Hyderabad FC in their first season match the following day. November 25 will be a special one for Owen Coyle as his Jamshedpur FC will open their campaign against his former team Chennaiyin FC.

Meanwhile, SC East Bengal’s new entrants get off to a tasty start to the season against arch rival ATK Mohun Bagan on November 27 at Tilak Maidan Stadium.

The matches of just the first 11 rounds, consisting of 55 matches, have been released at this time. The schedule for the remaining 55 league matches will be published in December after clarifying the schedule dates for the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Competitions.

The entire tournament will be held behind closed doors in Goa, thanks in large part to the Covid-19 pandemic, which means teams will have to stay in a bio-bubble for the duration of the tournament.

The teams have already started their preseason under difficult circumstances in Goa and will be looking to get back in shape with very little time left until the tournament starts.

How many teams will participate in 2020-21 ISL?

ISL used to have 10 teams from the 2017-18 season, but as of the 2020-21 season, it will have 11 teams in total.

This is after the entry of the two giants of Kolkata, East Bengal and Mohun Bagan, into the ISL. While Mohun Bagan merged with reigning champions ATK to become ATK Mohun Bagan, East Bengal made its entry as ‘SC East Bengal’ after Shree Cement Ltd joined as its investors.

Indian Super League (ISL) 2020-21 Teams

ISL 2020-21 Headquarters

The 2020-21 ISL season will be played in 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 to host the games. The first game of the season is expected to be held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Fatorda.

There are 12 training fields assigned to the teams. Click here to know more about them.

ISL 2020-21 Format

The 2020-21 ISL features an unprecedented 115 games, up from 95 last season. The 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.

ISL 2020-21 full match list, match times and venue

The 11 round accessories have been released at this time. The rest of the matches will be distributed in December.