From unbeaten Mumbai City FC to season's first goalless draw: Key takeaways from MW11
The Hero Indian Super League (ISL) crossed the halfway mark in matchweek 11 and it delivered quite the spectacle as teams are gearing up for the playoff spots.
The Hero Indian Super League (ISL) 2022-23 season reached the halfway mark in matchweek 11 and it delivered some intriguing action. The race for the top spot and the top six is finely poised with just ten points separating the top seven teams.
After 51 matches, the Hero ISL 2022-23 saw its first goalless draw between Odisha FC and ATK Mohun Bagan. Three teams managed to keep a clean sheet and only three teams managed to notch full points this gameweek.
Mumbai City FC extended their unbeaten run to 10 games as they breezed past East Bengal FC in a 3-0 win.
Bengaluru FC managed to scrape past Jamshedpur FC at home through an early Danish Farooq goal whereas FC Goa secured a 2-1 victory against NorthEast United FC.
In the concluding game of Matchweek 11, Chennaiyin FC and Kerala Blasters FC had to settle for the points in an exciting match beetween the southern rivals.
Before we head into the latter stage of the league, here are the key takeaways from Matchweek 11:
First goalless draw of the season
Odisha FC and ATK Mohun Bagan were at the centre of this gameweek as the two teams shared a goalless draw, the first one this season after 51 matches in Hero ISL 2022-23, the longest it has taken for a goalless draw in a season in Hero ISL history.
The two teams played an end-to-end game as neither team managed to come out on top after having several close shaves at the goal. Both teams playing an attacking brand of football and cancelled out each other when it came to scoring goals as well as conceding it, which in turn resulted in an exciting draw.
The Islanders dominate the first half of the season
The former Hero ISL champions have shown their class by being the only unbeaten team in the league so far as they end the first half of the season without losing a single game against any opposition.
The Des Buckingham-led side clawed to a three-goal victory along with a clean sheet against East Bengal FC, causing them more misery at their home this season while cruising closer to shattering more records on their way.
Bengaluru FC register their third win of the season
The Blues put in a tremendous shift in their 1-0 win over Jamshedpur FC but need to regroup themselves to continue their winning momentum in the second half of the league. Chhetri and Co. are yet to win back-to-back games and that needs to be looked at if they want to change their position in the league standings this season.
On the other hand, things have gone downhill for Aidy Boothroyd’s Jamshedpur FC as they continue to suffer in the bottom half of the table, having registered one win and one draw in ten games.
Fourth home win of the season for FC Goa
FC Goa continue to collect points on their home turf as they put up a comprehensive 2-1 victory over NorthEast United FC. Two first half goals by Edu Bedia and Iker Guarrotxena put the visitors on backfoot as the hosts had the lion's share of possession in their fourth home win of the season.
Alternatively, the Highlanders’ head coach Vincenzo Annese believes his team has been working hard and the results will come through as the side is yet to collect points this season and will look to gather more effort in the second half of the season.
The Blasters fail to breach Chennaiyin FC’s fortress
Chennaiyin FC extended their unbeaten home record against Kerala Blasters FC to seven games as the two teams shared the points in a 1-1 draw in the concluding game of Matchweek 11. The southern rivalry lived up to its billing as both teams held their ground and couldn’t find a winner until the last minute of the game.
A win would have taken the Marina Machans closer to the playoff spots, but now they will have to build themselves up in the second half of the season to be contenders for that spot.