A statistical look at the first two weeks of ISL 2019-20

The Indian Super League (ISL) kicked off its sixth season on October 20, with Kerala Blasters winning the opener 2-1 against two-time champions, ATK. A game fought till the end, it seems to have set the tone for the rest of the season.

Here we take a look at all the statistics that make the first two weeks of ISL 2019-20 different from others.

Attacking prowess

In the first two weeks, the ISL clubs have gone on to score at an average of 2.69 goals per game. On the other hand, big victories have been hard to come by. In fact, only four games have seen three or more goals being scored by a single side.

The first 13 matches have seen 313 shots attempted, at an average of 24.08 shots per game. Both those numbers are the second-highest across all seasons so far, with only ISL season two recording better numbers.

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Shortage of passes

Though the number of shots have bettered from last season, passing numbers have taken a hit. Only 9351 passes have been attempted thus far, which is just better than the inaugural season. All the other seasons have been more productive in this department. Added to this, the number of successful passes has been the worst when compared to other seasons.

Home advantage counting

Teams also seem to be more comfortable at home this ISL season as compared to the previous ones. They have scored 22 goals at home, joint-highest the ISL has seen after 13 matches. The number of home wins (6) are also double the number of away wins (3) this season.

Read | Why Bengaluru FC won’t retain their ISL crown this season

Indians coming to the fore

Indian footballers have come into their own in the past two ISL seasons, scoring 13 and 9 goals - the highest in the ISL over the years. They have also turned providers, recording 13 assists both in ISL 5 and 6, also the highest numbers the league has seen.

Star signings living up to expectations

A quick glance at the list of highest scorers this ISL season will prove that the marquee signings have been doing the job they were brought in for, shrugging off any new league blues they might have had pre-season. Here’s a look at the top four:

Though we may not have witnessed many free-flowing games, the fact that teams are competing well against one another is a good sign for Indian football. Several boxes have been ticked in the initial games, and it sets up the season well for the weeks to come.

Read | Five best transfers of ISL 2019-20 season

Featured image courtesy: Instagram / @indiansuperleague