ISL 2024-25: Unmissable Playoff Knockout Matches This Weekend
by Devesh Jaganath | by Devesh Jaganath
Bengaluru FC vs. Mumbai City - Sri Kanteerava Stadium
The first ISL playoff knockout fixture this weekend takes us to the Sri Kanteerava Stadium, where Bengaluru FC will be playing host to Mumbai City. The Blues ended the regular season in third place with 38 points, while the Islanders finished sixth with 36 points.
Bengaluru have shown remarkable improvement this season, posting a record of 11 wins, five draws and eight defeats, which has earned them a spot back in the playoffs after ending last term down in 10th place with just 22 points.
Mumbai City, on the other hand, experienced a major fall from grace this season and only managed to secure a playoff spot in their final match of the campaign with a 2-0 win over the Blues, which allowed them to leapfrog Odisha into the top six.
For the visitors, Nikolaos Karelis ended the season as their top scorer with 10 goals in 18 games, and he will have fond memories of this ground, having picked up an assist and a goal at this venue when these sides met here earlier this month.
As for the hosts, Sunil Chhetri is the undisputed danger man in attack. The 40-year-old striker leads the Islanders’ scoring charts this season with 12 goals in 24 matches, but he did end the campaign netting only once in his last seven appearances.
Despite having home advantage, most of the best online betting sites have installed Bengaluru as the outsiders in this contest, and you can get our experts’ thoughts on how this match will play out by checking out our Bengaluru FC vs. Mumbai City prediction here on SportyTrader!
NorthEast United vs. Jamshedpur FC - Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium
On Sunday, we head to the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Shillong for the second playoff knockout between NorthEast United and Jamshedpur FC. The Highlanders and Men of Steel finished the season with 38 points apiece and in fourth and fifth place, respectively. They were separated only on goal difference.
NorthEast United have made impressive season-on-season progress. In the 2022-23 campaign, they finished rock-bottom in the league with just five points, while last season they moved up to seventh place and missed out on the playoffs by just one point.
However, the Highlanders made no mistake this season, securing 10 wins, eight draws and just six defeats in their 24 games, and ended the campaign on an upward trajectory with three wins in their final four games, including a 2-0 victory over their upcoming opponent on February 13.
Jamshedpur, on the other hand, have returned to prominence this season following back-to-back campaigns finishing second-bottom in the league standings. The last time they featured in the postseason was in 2021-22 when they won their first ISL Shield, before bowing out in the semi-final of the playoffs to Kerala Blasters.
The hosts have been led by the incredible performance of Alaeddine Ajaraie, who is the top scorer in the league this season with 23 goals in 24 matches. He has scored more than three times as many goals as the visitors’ leading marksman Javi Hernandez, who has netted seven times to date.
The latest Indian Super League betting odds show that bookmakers are firmly in the corner of the hosts to win this match. You can also take a look at our in-depth football predictions for more key stats in this crucial matchup ahead of kickoff.
Don’t forget, all the action from this weekend’s playoffs will be covered live on our Indian Super League livescore page!
