Bruce Dias 
The first stage of the Indian Super League is coming to an end. Several teams have already secured tickets to the competition’s playoffs. You can follow all the results and latest news of the Indian Super League at the Indian sportsbook Pin-Up Bet, where you will also get a broad betting line on many sporting events and the schedule of future matches. Let’s look into the teams that can surprise us at the second stage of the competition.
Unshakable Mumbai City
Last year’s vice-champions of India, Mumbai City, started the current season brilliantly. The team already takes the first place in the ISL live standings.
Coach Petr Kratky’s team suffered only two defeats this season. In December, they lost a match against Kerala Blasters with a score of 0:2. And already at the beginning of February 2024, Mumbai lost to the Jamshedpur team at home with a score of 2:3. In addition, there were five draws with 14 wins. Thus, Mumbai City leads the standings in the first stage and is already preparing for the playoff matches.
Scottish player Greg Stewart and Spanish payers Iker Guarrotxena and Alberto Noguera contributed to Mumbai City’s early success.
Stability of Mohun Bagan
The Indian football champion, Mohun Bagan team, is fighting with Goa for second place in the standings. Coach Antonio Lopez Habas’s team lost points several times in matches against weaker opponents.
Nevertheless, the team is fulfilling the necessary task and has already secured an early ticket to the playoffs. However, achieving a better result and taking at least second place will give a ticket directly to the semi-finals of the playoffs.
The team’s main star at the first stage is forward Dimitri Petratos, who has already scored 10 goals. Jason Cummings (9 goals) and Armando Sadiku (7 goals) are also quite productive.
Other teams in the Indian Super League playoffs
As you know, the tournament format allows the two best teams of the first stage to advance directly to the semi-finals. Four more teams that take places ranging from 3rd to 6th place will go to the quarterfinals.
Among those who will play in the playoffs are such teams as Mumbai City, Mohun Bagan, Goa, Odisha, and Kerala Blasters. Chenniyin and East Bengal are vying for another ticket.
At the moment, the top of the ISL points table looks like this:
| № | Teams | Points |
| 1 | Mumbai City | 47 |
| 2 | Mohun Bagan | 42 |
| 3 | Goa | 42 |
| 4 | Odisha | 39 |
| 5 | Kerala Blasters | 30 |
| 6 | Chennaiyi | 27 |
Based on Mumbai City’s excellent form, they are the top contenders for winning the tournament. The team is strong enough to achieve its goals.
The Bangalore team was a disappointment. A few rounds before the end of the first stage, they lost all chances to reach the playoffs. Even Sunil Chhetri’s skills did not help. The 39-year-old forward’s performance is still at a high level. He has 5 goals this season. However, more was needed to advance to the next round.
It is worth paying attention to the Goa team. The team was a dark horse before the start of the tournament but was able to surprise many. It made significant progress during the season and demonstrated one of the most impressive performances in the league.
In the 2019/20 season, Goa took the final first place in the season’s first stage. However, the team has never won the main trophy of the season. This year, the team will likely be able to achieve their dream.
