Indian Super League: Top seven all-time highest-scoring matches in ISL history

The league has seen some goal fests over the seasons with the top two spots featuring the same sides.

Goals are the best part of football. Whenever we talk about high-scoring fixtures, our country’s top-tier league, the Indian Super League (ISL) always keeps us enthralled with many exciting games and goals galore.

This is a summary of the highest-scoring games of the Indian Super League since its inception in 2014. Only FC Goa holds the record for the biggest winning margin. They scored seven goals and kept a clean sheet against Mumbai City at Fatorda on 17th November 2015.

In this ongoing season, we have also witnessed a couple of matches that have rained goals. A fresh addition to the high-scoring fixtures in the history of the Indian Super League (ISL) is the 10-goal thriller between NorthEast United & Chennaiyin FC. This was incidentally played on the '10th' of December!

On that note, let's glance through the all-time top-scoring matches in the ISL.

7. FC Goa 7 - 0 Mumbai City (2015)

The Gaurs made the ISL's 100th fixture a momentous one by hammering Mumbai City 7-0 at the Fatorda Stadium on 17th November 2015. In that match, more than one player scored a hat trick for the first time. FC Goa strikers Dudu Omagbemi (33', 52', 79') and Semboi Haokip (41', 52', 79') both delivered stupendous attacking performances.

FC Goa opened their account in the 34th minute when Dudu combined with Haokip and put it past the line. Since then, Haokip and Dudu's partnership became more lethal and brought more miseries to the Mumbai City backline. Reinaldo scored the seventh and final goal of the game in the 90th minute. This is Mumbai City's biggest loss ever.

6. Odisha FC 4 - 4 Kerala Blasters, (2019-20)

Both sides have shared the honours between them after a breath-taking goal fest. The game got off to a rapid start when Kalinga Warriors' Spanish forward Manuel Onwu put them ahead in the very first minute of the game assisted by Jerry Mawihmingthanga.

The Spaniard netted a hat trick (1', 36', 52') while Bartholomew Ogbeche scored a brace for the Blasters (82', 90+4'). After conceding an early goal, Kerala Blasters immediately bounced back and equalized, courtesy of an own goal from Odisha FC defender Narayan Das. Martin Perez Guedes (44' P) however, gave the Juggernauts the lead before half-time.

The contest kept heating up with continuous attacks from both sides. Ultimately, the spoils were shared between them. In that season, Odisha FC ended their maiden ISL campaign in the sixth position, with 26 points in their bag.

5. Kerala Blasters 3 - 6 Chennayin FC, 2019-20

There was no shortage of entertainment as it rained goals in the nine-goal affair between Kerala Blasters and Chennaiyin FC at Kochi. Despite dominating the game till the 39th minute, Kerala lost their rhythm as Rafael Crivellaro opened the account for the Marina Machans. He then doubled Chennaiyin's advantage before half-time.

But more drama was to come in the second half as Nerijus Valskis (45’, 90+2’) and Lallianzuala Chhangte (59’, 80’) scored braces for the Marina Machans. Kerala meanwhile, tried to bounce back and Nigerian forward Bartholomew Ogbeche (48’, 65’, 76’) stepped up to take things into his own hands. He eventually scored the first hat trick of the ISL season and made the scoreline 4-3. But till the final whistle, Chennaiyin FC kept pounding on the KBFC wall and managed to end the game on a winning note.

4. FC Goa 5 - 4 Chennayin FC, 2016

FC Goa and Chennaiyin FC signed off their 2016 campaign with a great contest which is considered one of the most enticing matches of the Indian Super League history. Both teams had nothing to lose since they were unable to make their way out to the final four.

In this match, Chennayin FC boss Marco Materazzi decided to field eight Indians in the starting XI. Rafael Coelho (6’, 76’) and Sahil Tavora (68’, 90’) scored a brace each, and Jofre (21’) struck once for the Gaurs. Jerry Lalrinzuala (4’), Dudu Omagbemi (28’), John Arne Riise (88’), and an own goal from Gregory Arnolin (14’) resulted in the Marina Machans' goals.

Young Tavora came as a substitute and made the scoreline 3-3. Coelho made it 4-3 for the visitors a few minutes later. However, more twists were waiting, as in the dying minutes of the game John Arne Riise converted a penalty to level up the scoreline (4-4). But local boy Tavora created the difference as his last-minute strike helped the Gaurs to end their forgettable campaign on a winning note. FC Goa finished at the bottom of the table with 14 points that season.

3. NorthEast United FC 3 - 7 Chennayin FC, 2022-23

It was a ten-goal torrent and one of the highest-scoring matches of the current Indian Super League season. The fixture remained witness to a breath-taking performance by Dutch midfielder Nasser El Khayati. He scored a hat-trick (11', 40' & 48') and bagged two assists to set a new record for the most goal contributions in a single game.

Petar Sliskovic's brace (45' & 57') and goals from Julius Duker (68') and Joe Zoherliana 79' (OG) made it the worst-ever defeat for NorthEast United at home. After the loss, the Highlanders recorded their ninth consecutive defeat of this season.

Wilmar Jordan's goal from the spot in the 36th minute along with Romain Philippoteaux's (73') & Rochharzela's (90+4') goals meant consolation strikes for the Highlanders. It was NEUFC's new head coach Vincenzo Alberto Annese's first game in charge.

2. Odisha FC 6 - 4 East Bengal, 2021-22

Whenever these two sides meet, they treat the fans to goals galore and kept the goals flowing till the final whistle of the game. There were 11 goals scored the last time they faced each other. In the first encounter of these two sides in the 2021-22 campaign, Odisha FC and East Bengal scored a record 10 goals together. Odisha FC did their homework and took advantage of the Torchbearers' weakness from set pieces.

To add more miseries to their woe after their 0-3 loss against the arch-rivals ATK Mohun Bagan. A brace from Aridai Cabrera (71', 90+3') & Hector Rodas (33', 40') and a goal each for Isak Vanlalruatfela Ralte (82' ) and Javi Hernandez (45') meant the Kalinga Warriors ran out the winners while Darren Sidoel (13'), Semboi Haokip (80') and Daniel Chima Chukwu ( 90', 90+1' P) scored for East Bengal. Both defences proved to be leaky as a total of 5 goals were scored in the final 20 minutes.

1. Odisha FC 6 - 5 East Bengal, 2020-21

Odisha FC defeated East Bengal 6-5 in their final encounter of 2021-22. This broke the all-time Indian Super League record for the most goals in a game. Both the teams' campaigns had been over for that season with nothing but pride left to play. The game was littered with defensive mistakes that showed why these teams finished where they did but made for a fantastic end-to-end contest.

Braces from the Indian youngsters Jerry Mawihmingthanga (51' & 68') and Paul Ramfangzuava (49' & 67') along with goals from Lalhrezuala (33') and Diego Mauricio (69') contributed to the result. East Bengal started the match brightly through a brilliant goal from Anthony Pilkington. They tried to bounce back to retake the lead, with Aaron Holloway netting a brace(60', 90'). While Jeje (74') made up their tally with an own goal from Ravi Kumar (37'). A total of 11 goals were scored on the night, making it the highest-scoring match in the history of the tournament.