ISL 2020-21 Fixtures: ATK Mohun Bagan vs Kerala Blasters in season opener, full fixtures, match timings and more

The seventh edition of the Indian Super League (ISL) will kick-off on November 20 with an exciting match that pits defending champions ATK Mohun Bagan against Kerala Blasters at the GMC Stadium in Bambolim, Goa.

The second match of the season will see NorthEast United FC play Mumbai City FC at the Tilak stadium in Vasco on November 21. 

Last year's League Shield winners FC Goa will be up against Bengaluru FC on November 22 while Odisha FC will take on Hyderabad FC in their season opener the following day. November 24 will be special for Owen Coyle as his Jamshedpur FC will open their campaign against his former team Chennaiyin FC. 

Meanwhile, new entrants SC East Bengal have a tasty season opener against their arch-rivals ATK Mohun Bagan on November 27 at the Tilak Maidan stadium. 

Fixtures for only the first 11 rounds, which consists of 55 matches, have been released right now. The schedule for the remaining 55 league matches will be published in December post clarity on calendar dates of Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Competitions matches.

The entire tournament will be held behind closed doors in Goa, thanks in no small part to the Covid-19 pandemic which means the teams will have to stay in a bio-bubble for the duration of the tournament. 

The teams have already started their pre-season in tough circumstances in Goa and will be looking to get themselves in shape with very little time left for the start of the tournament. 

Table of Contents

1. ISL 2020-21: Number of teams
2. ISL 2020-21 teams
3. Venues
4. Format
5. Full fixture list
 

How many teams will participate in 2020-21 ISL?

ISL used to have 10 teams from the 2017-18 season but from the 2020-21 season, it will feature 11 teams in total. 

This is after the entry of the two Kolkata giants - East Bengal and Mohun Bagan - into the ISL. While Mohun Bagan merged with reigning champions ATK to become ATK Mohun Bagan, East Bengal made their entry as 'SC East Bengal' after Shree Cement Ltd came on board as their investors. 

Indian Super League (ISL) 2020-21 teams

ISL 2020-21 venues

The 2020-21 season of the ISL will be played at three different venues. 

The Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Fatorda, the Tilak Maidan Stadium in Vasco, and the GMC Athletic Stadium in Bambolim are the three venues set to host the games. The first game of the season is expected to be held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Fatorda. 

There are 12 training pitches allotted to the teams. Click here to know more about them.

ISL 2020-21 format

The 2020-21 ISL features an unprecedented 115 games, up from 95 last season. All 11 clubs play each other in a double round-robin format.

The top 4 clubs on the points table at the end of the regular season qualify for the playoffs.

ISL 2020-21 complete fixture list, match timings and venue

Fixtures for 11 rounds have been released right now. The rest of the fixtures will be given out in December.