Hero Indian Super League (ISL) 2022-23 approaches the business end of the season, as Mumbai City FC became the first team to qualify for the play-offs.

14 goals were scored across five games that included two draws and only one team was able to keep a clean sheet. Matchweek 15 saw league leaders Mumbai City FC extend their lead at the top to four points.

Hyderabad FC’s five-match winning run was put to a halt by Chennaiyin FC at the G.M.C. Balayogi Stadium in a 1-1 draw. Up north, Jamshedpur FC came out victorious against East Bengal FC away from home with a 1-2 win, making sure they got all three points for the first time in 11 games.

Double-header Saturday saw Bengaluru FC put on a triumphant performance at home against Odisha FC to help make progress towards the top six whereas Mumbai City continued their unbeaten run against ATK Mohun Bagan with a 1-0 win.

Meanwhile, NorthEast United FC put up a spirited performance to earn their first draw of the season in their 2-2 draw against FC Goa in a 2-2 draw in the concluding fixture of Matchweek 15.

With another enticing week coming to an end, here are the key takeaways from matchweek 15:

Chennaiyin FC cause a dent in Hyderabad FC's race for the League Shield

Petar Sliskovic continued his magnificent goalscoring spree as he headed yet another goal that was on the verge of winning the Marina Machans the match. However, a penalty late in the game spoiled the party for the visitors as Bartholomew Ogbeche converted from the spot to add his 60th Hero ISL goal in the bag while also scoring his 30th goal in the yellow of Hyderabad.

As a result of the draw, Hyderabad FC now lag behind Mumbai City FC in the race for pole position, with the gap between the two stretched to four points. While Chennaiyin FC will look to draw inspiration from this game in their fight for the play-offs spot. 

Jamshedpur FC finally broke their winless hoodoo

Coming to Kolkata on the back of a 10-game winless streak, Jamshedpur FC came from behind to register a 2-1 victory over the Red and Gold Brigade. A trickery of the right substitutions reaped rewards for head coach Aidy Boothroyd as they caused a massive tremor in East Bengal FC's fight for the top six.

As for East Bengal FC, the only positive out of the game was the fine form of their striker Cleiton Silva, who sits at the top of the leaderboard for goals scored, netting his ninth goal of the season under Stephen Constantine.

Are Bengaluru FC finally gaining consistency?

Bengaluru FC registered a formidable win over Odisha FC, securing a back-to-back win for the first time this season. Striker Roy Krishna reappeared on the scoresheet as the Blues found three different goalscorers to score three goals for the first time this season.

Odisha FC, on the other hand, are having a worrisome run in their away fixtures. With this loss, the Kalinga Warriors have won just two of their seven away games, losing the rest five. Head coach Josep Gombau would want his team buckle up in their fight for the top six.

Unbeaten Mumbai City FC remain unfazed

No team has been able to stop the high-flying Mumbai City FC thus far. They travelled to Kolkata to face a big opponent in ATK Mohun Bagan in Saturday’s double header and came out with all three points yet again, while also being able to keep a clean sheet in their 1-0 win, as they became the first team to qualify for the play-offs this season.

On the contrary, ATK Mohun Bagan, who started their new midfielder Federico Gallego in the game, fell short of success despite throwing the kitchen sink at the Islanders, courtesy of Phurba Lachenpa's heroics in front of the goal who made five crucial saves in the game.

"Creating opportunities is the most important thing but honestly, the performance of Mumbai City FC's goalkeeper (Phurba Lachenpa) was excellent," said Juan Ferrando in the post-match press conference. 

NorthEast United FC earn their first draw of the season

FC Goa came to Guwahati in a bid to strengthen their position in the top six but failed to create an impact against a side at the bottom of the table in the standings. Although in the last spot with four points, the Highlanders put up a fight in front of their home fans, which was enough for head coach Annese to believe they would create something special for the future.

A tale of penalties, the game ended in a gripping 2-2 draw, which resulted in both the teams staying in their respective positions.