The Indian Super League (ISL) 2022-23 season came to an end on Saturday with ATK Mohun Bagan beating Bengaluru FC in the final.
From the 117 matches gone by to decide the title winner and ISL Shield Winner, Sportstar looks at the best five matches from the season.
ATK Mohun Bagan 2-2 Bengaluru FC - Final (ATKMB won 4-3 on penalties)
With the title on the line, the game wasn’t exactly high on quality with three of the goals coming from penalties. Both teams were cautious with their shape, not allowing the opposition to get easy openings at goal. Mistakes inside the box, however, allowed both teams to open the scoring from the spot before Roy Krishna headed in late to put Bengaluru ahead. Dimitrios Petratos added his second goal from a penalty in the 85th minute which took the game into extra time.
With both teams unable to find a winner, it needed the shootout where Vishal Kaith saved Bruno Ramires’ effort before Pablo Perez skied his penalty to hand ATK Mohun Bagan its maiden ISL title.
Mumbai City FC 2-2 ATK Mohun Bagan - League stage
Mumbai City and ATK Mohun Bagan set the tone for what was to come in the fifth round of the season in this scintillating 2-2 draw in Mumbai. The match had all the ingredients and quality for being regarded as the game of the season. Lallianzuala Chhangte opened the scoring in the fourth minute with a thunderous effort from distance. It was an open game from there on with both teams going for it with Joni Kauko equalising early in the second half with a deflected strike.
Rostyn Griffiths put Mumbai City ahead after capitalising on an error from Vishal Kaith on the line to head the ball into the net. With Mohun Bagan going down to 10 men immediately after, Mumbai City should have seen out the game but Carl McHugh headed in from a free-kick to help the Mariners take home a point.
ATK Mohun Bagan 1-2 Bengaluru FC - League stage
Bengaluru hadn’t had the best of records in the bio-bubble against ATK Mohun Bagan and had lost the home encounter in December. But when it went to Kolkata against one of the best defensive teams in the league, it needed the former Mariners to get the Blues the win.
After a back-and-forth slugfest for much of the game, the opening goal came in the 78th minute courtesy a sublime volley from Javi Hernandez after Roshan Naorem Singh picked him out on the edge of the box with his cross. Roy Krishna then punished a Kaith error which allowed him to slot the ball into the empty net in stoppage time, which provided Bengaluru with breathing space after Petratos’ long-range strike deflected off Alan Costa to give Mohun Bagan with a flickering hope of an equaliser.
FC Goa 3-5 Mumbai City FC - League stage
The stage was set for an unbeaten Mumbai City to go the home of its bitter rival to seal the Islanders’ second League Winners Shield. And Mumbai City did it in quite some style.
Goa, however, opened the scoring in the fifth minute through Noah Sadaoui before a Greg Stewart free-kick from just outside the box levelled the scores for Mumbai City. The away side then went ahead after Chhangte set up Jorge Pereyra Diaz to tap in but Goa hit back immediately through Brandon Fernandes. Stewart again scored from another free-kick three minutes later by curving the ball low around the wall with Goa then going close to equalising again before half-time.
In the second half, Chhangte won and converted a penalty before Vikram Pratap Singh scored from a corner to establish a three-goal cushion for Des Buckingham’s men as Bryson Pereira’s effort in the 84th minute proving a mere consolation for Goa. Mumbai City went on to seal the League title in front of the fans of Goa.
Kerala Blasters 3-2 Bengaluru FC - League stage
There is plenty of action and drama packed when these two teams face off. And after taking on each other behind closed doors for two years, the Blasters’ Manjapadda welcomed its fierce rival Bengaluru in Kochi. With the rain pouring down, Blasters put on a clinic in overcoming Bengaluru.
Sunil Chhetri opened the scoring from a penalty but it was all Blasters there after with Adrian Luna pulling the strings. Marko Leskovic bundled the ball into the net for the equaliser after the ball ricocheted off Prabir Das from a Luna effort before the Uruguayan squared the ball for Dimitrios Diamantakos to smash home from close range. In the second half, Diamantakos played in Apostolous Giannou, who rounded Gurpreet Singh Sandhu to score a third for Blasters.
Hernandez struck a powerful volley in the 81st minute but Blasters saw out the result.
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