The league stage of the Indian Super League (ISL) 2023-24 season has culminated and Mohun Bagan Super Giant merged on top, winning its maiden League Shield.
The ISL league stage did not disappoint, with the race to the shield going down to the last matchday, where Mohun Bagan ousted Mumbai City.
With playoffs on the horizon, Sportstar looks at five players who made a significant impact during the league stage.
Dimitrios Diamantakos
Every successful team needs a talisman, and Dimitrios Diamntakos has been that for the Kerala Blasters this season.
The Greek has been prolific in front of goal and leads the Golden Boot race with 13 goals in 17 matches, which is a testament to his scoring prowess.
In recent times, Adrian Luna has played the role of the Blasters talisman to perfection. However, Ivan Vukomanovic’s well-oiled unit lost an important cog when the Uruguayan was ruled out of the season with a knee injury.
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At a time, when Kerala Blasters needed someone to lead the charge, Diamantakos has played the role to perfection and has almost achieved cult status among the Manjapaddas (Kerala Blasters fans) with his performance this season.
Apart from his scoring record, the Greek has also contributed, bagging three assists in the league stage.
Madih Talal
All eyes were on Punjab FC after it became the first team to gain ISL promotion after winning the I-League title for the 2022-23 season.
After a shaky start, Staikos Vergetis’ men finally started to find some rhythm, and Frenchman Madih Talal was at the epicentre of the proceedings, pulling the strings from midfield and being one of the most crucial players of the Punjab attacks.
Talal tops the assists charts for the 2023-24 season with 10 from 22 games. He also played a part in finding the net for his team, bagging six goals in the same number of matches.
Despite the poor start, Tala played a major role in the Shers’ resurgence, and they were even in contention to make the playoffs at one point. However, that did not happen, but they managed an eighth-placed finish, ahead of clubs like East Bengal, Bengaluru FC and Jamshedpur FC, in their first season of the ISL.
Dimitrios Petratos
After Diamantakos, another Dimitrios has taken the league by storm this season in the famous colours of green and maroon. Dimitrios Petratos of the Mohun Bagan Super Giant has undoubtedly been one of the ISL’s most impactful players this season.
Scoring the deciding goal in the Durand Cup final against East Bengal, the Australian came into this season’s ISL with the perfect momentum, and he never stopped.
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Mohun Bagan scored the most number of goals in the league stage (47), and Petratos has been the Mariner’s highest scorer. Apart from his 10 strikes, he also has six assists, making it 16 goals contributions in the 20 matches he has played - a stellar record for a forward.
After playing a crucial role in guiding Mohun Bagan to the league shield, he will set his eyes on helping his team retain the ISL Cup title. Also, with two matches to go, he has the chance of winning the Golden Boot this season, after narrowly missing out last season to Diego Mauricio.
Lallinzuala Chhangte
Mumbai City could not defend its League Shield, falling at the final hurdle after losing 2-1 to Mohun Bagan Super Giant in the deciding match.
However, that does not negate the fact that Mumbai City has been one of the most dominant outfits in the ISL this season. And playing an important role in head coach Petr Kratky’s setup is Indian forward Lallianzuala Chhangte.
Lallianzuala Chhangte has the highest goal contributions among Indian players this season. | Photo Credit: Focus Sports/ISL
Chhangte won the AIFF Men’s Footballer of the Year Award after the 2022-23 season, and the Mizo has carried forward his excellent form to this season.
With seven goals this season, he is the joint-highest Indian scorer this season along with teammate Vikram Partap Singh. But what has made Chhangte such an important asset is his ability to create chances as well. He also has six assists, making it 13 goal contributions (the highest for an Indian this season).
Subhasish Bose
It might be tough to be captain of a side like a star-studded side like Mohun Bagan Super Giant, which has in its ranks, quite a few natural leaders. But Subhasish Bose has played the role to perfection.
A rock at the back for the Mariners, Bose has featured in every ISL match for the Mariners this season. It is not just his defensive capabilities that make Bose such an important player. The 28-year-old’s immense work rate, sharpened even further after Antonio Lopez Habas became head coach, has been of paramount importance in the Mariner’s journey towards winning the League Shield.
In terms of numbers, Bose has won 32 tackles, 131 duels (including 47 in the air), made 21 blocks and has 112 recoveries to his name.
Bose has also shown his worth during attacks, creating 14 chances for his team, and his ability to find the forward man from deep often goes under the radar, with the player having a passing accuracy of 77 per cent.
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