ISL Matchday 24 Preview and Betting Tips – Semis On The Line

• ISL Matchday 24 Preview
• Goa Need Four Points To Secure Second Place
• Odisha Seek To Stay Within Playoffs Spots
• Misfiring Mumbai City Hoping To Cling On
• Jamshedpur’s Push For Semis Continues

Mohun Bagan Super Giant secured their second successive Indian Super League (ISL) Shield after a narrow win against Odisha FC last weekend at the Salt Lake Stadium. Substitute Dimitri Petratos scored in the third minute of second-half stoppage time to sink the Juggernauts, who were down to ten men.

The regular season will conclude in the next couple of weeks and while the league title race is over, the battle for the second spot and the remaining playoff spots is still on and fierce. The top two teams in the table will secure direct semifinal qualification, while the four below qualify for the quarterfinals.

As things stand, FC Goa and Jamshedpur FC are vying for the second spot. Separated by five points, both clubs have already confirmed their playoff presence. However, both will be eager to skip the extra knockout game and reach the semis. Bengaluru FC are also level on points with Jamshedpur FC but they have played a game more.

FC Goa are favourites to nab second place with Jamshedpur FC finishing in third. Further down the table, North East United FC and Mumbai City FC are level on points. The latter has a game in hand. Odisha FC are waiting to pounce on them as the Juggernauts are sitting just three points off the fifth and sixth place.

Goa Need Four Points To Secure Second Place

Punjab FC started the season with confidence and were in the playoff zone during the initial phase of the regular season. Playing in only their second ISL season, many had expected them to be near the bottom of the table. Eventually, they fell out of the playoff qualification zone and are no longer in the race for knockout football.

FC Goa are four points away from securing their playoff semifinal berth. They are five points clear of Bengaluru FC and Jamshedpur FC. Armando Sadiku set the ball rolling for the Gaurs this season after scoring in the first seven matches. After that, Iker Guarrotxena took the goalscoring responsibility and the Spaniard will be the man to watch out for.  

Punjab FC have never beaten FC Goa in the ISL. The reverse fixture earlier this season at the Fatorda Stadium ended 2-1 in favour of the hosts. However, when these two sides last met at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Delhi last season, the spoils were shared after a six-goal thriller. Despite that, FC Goa will come into this game as strong favourites.

Prediction: FC Goa to win

Odisha Seek To Stay Within Playoffs Spots

Odisha FC have racked up 29 points from 22 games this season and are sitting in seventh place on the ISL table. Three points ahead of them are Mumbai City FC and North East United FC with a points tally of 32. The former has a game in hand, but that game is against the newly crowned league champions Mohun Bagan SG.

The Highlanders and the Islanders cannot afford any slip-ups at this juncture. The Juggernauts will hope for the opposite of that. They are up against a vulnerable Mohammedan SC side who recently extended their losing streak in the league to five games. During this abysmal run, the ISL newcomers have conceded 15 goals and scored just two.

Hugo Boumous and Diego Mauricio have been instrumental in the final third for the Juggernauts this season and they will surely cook something special in the upcoming match. When these two clubs met at the Kishore Bharati Krirangan earlier this season, the game ended in a goalless draw - a result Odisha FC would not like to replicate now.

Odisha FC have lost just two out of 11 home games in the ISL this season and will be strong favourites to win this encounter against Mohammedan SC.

Prediction: Odisha FC to win

Misfiring Mumbai City Hoping To Cling On

The pressure of winning the league is off Mohun Bagan SG’s shoulders. After their win against Odisha FC, the Mariners extended their unbeaten streak in the ISL to ten games. During this run, they have won eight and drawn two games. The defence has done an incredible job and has enabled the club to secure six successive shutouts.


The pressure will be on striker Jorge Ortiz to get off the mark for Mumbai City FC and share the goalscoring burden with Lallianzuala Chhangte. There are no problems in the final third for the visitors as they have Jamie Maclaren, Subhasish Bose, Jason Cummings, and Dimitri Petratos.

The reverse fixture in Kolkata earlier this season ended in a 2-2 draw after Thaer Krouma scored a 90th-minute equaliser for Mumbai City FC. It will be difficult to predict the outcome of this game, but the desperation to win could back the Islanders to win this tight encounter.

Prediction: Draw

Jamshedpur’s Push For Semis Continues

Kerala Blasters FC are almost out of the playoff race and it has been a season to forget for them. After winning just seven out of 21 league games this season, the Blasters have racked up just 24 points and are sitting in eighth place, level on points with East Bengal FC, Punjab FC, and Chennaiyin FC. They are eight points off the final playoff qualification spot.

To make matters worse, the hosts will come into this game after two back-to-back defeats against Mohun Bagan SG and FC Goa. Not only did Kerala Blasters FC lose, but they also failed to score in both games. Star players like Jesus Jimenez, Noah Sadaoui, and Adrian Luna have failed to deliver in recent matches.

Jamshedpur FC were in a similar spot over the past couple of weeks but managed to bounce back in their last game by confirming their playoff presence with a 2-0 victory against Mohammedan SC. The Red Miners will be eager to improve their away record as they have won just four out ten games on the road this season.


Jamshedpur FC have visited the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi on eight occasions in the ISL. After six successive stalemates, the hosts registered home wins against the Red Miners in the last two seasons. Khalid Jamil’s men have the opportunity to end their barren run in Kochi with a stellar win and inch closer to second place.

Prediction: Draw