ISL 2023-24: Talking points from Gameweek 1

Yash has been part of Khel Now since 2021, covering PKL, Indian Football and various other sports.

Published at :September 26, 2023 at 9:54 PM

Modified at :September 26, 2023 at 9:54 PM

ISL 2023-24: Talking points from Gameweek 1

Gameweek 1 of the ISL saw revenge, drama and resurrection!

The 10th edition of the Indian Super League (ISL) is up and running. The first round of fixtures saw Kerala Blasters, Mohun Bagan, Mumbai City FC register their first wins while East Bengal and Jamshedpur FC shared spoils.

It was an entertaining opening week of the Indian top flight with some goals, galore and drama. On that note, let us take a look at some notable talking points from Gameweek 1 of the ISL 2023-24.

Kerala Blasters settle scores with Bengaluru FC

ISL 2023-24 GAMEWEEK 1 TALKING POINTS KERALA BLASTERS — Kerala Blasters players celebrating their win over Bengaluru FC. (Courtesy: ISL)

The Indian Super League opener for the season saw Kerala Blasters host their arch-rivals Bengaluru FC at home. The game was expected to be a blockbuster and the stakes were very high given what happened in this fixture (playoffs) last season.

After an evenly poised first half, Kerala Blasters started strong in the second half and took the lead through an own goal from Bengaluru's new recruit Keziah Veendorp. They later went on to score one more with skipper Adrian Luna capitalising on Gurpreet Singh Sandhu's mistake. There couldn’t have been a better way for Kerala Blasters to begin their season. Revenge earned, and in style!

Mohun Bagan and Mumbai City FC start strong

ISL 2023-24 GAMEWEEK 1 TALKING POINTS MOHUN BAGAN BRENDAN HAMILL — Mohun Bagan celebrate their win over Punjab FC. (Courtesy: ISL)

The league’s two high profile teams Mohun Bagan and Mumbai City FC went off to a good start with victories in their opening match. Mohun Bagan thrashed newly promoted side Punjab FC 3-1 at the Salt Lake stadium.

ISL 2023-24 GAMEWEEK 1 TALKING POINTS JORGE PEREYRA DIAZ — Glimpse from the NorthEast United vs Mumbai City FC game. (Courtesy: ISL)

Mumbai CIty FC came out with all three points in a tough match against NorthEast United at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium in Guwahati. Both sides are locked on three points which means they are already fighting neck-to-neck for the top of the table finish.

Punjab FC handed heavy blow, NorthEast United earn praise

ISL 2023-24 GAMEWEEK 1 TALKING POINTS LUKA MAJCEN — Punjab FC skipper Luka Majcen motivating his team after scoring a goal. (Courtesy: ISL)

It was a debut to forget for newly promoted side Punjab FC, as they were handed a 3-1 defeat by defending champions Mohun Bagan in Kolkata. The debutants looked good, but couldn’t handle the super powers of Bagan.

ISL 2023-24 GAMEWEEK 1 TALKING POINTS DES BUCKINGHAM JUAN PEDRO BENALI — Des Buckingham admitted after the game that NEUFC have changed a lot under Juan Pedro Benali. (Courtesy: ISL)

On the other hand, NorthEast United put up a very good show against Mumbai CIty FC and have sent a message across the league that they’re a different side this year. The Highlanders gave a very tough time to the Islanders and are expected to be a surprise package this season.

Yash Pratap Singh

Yash has been involved in the Indian Football circuit since his school days. He has been covering various sports since 2020 and has also covered a couple of on-ground events, including the 2022 FIFA U17 Women's World Cup in Odisha.