Unlike the rest of Europe, English football will continue on its high-speed trajectory over the festive period, with the games coming thick and fast. This is a tradition enshrined in the minds of football fans on the island, with Christmas and the New Year unfathomable without football. Over on the continent, every other European league will pause for breath to give teams some time to spend with their families, and to recharge their batteries ahead of January. In such a scenario, it can get quite frustrating for fans of non-English teams as they see the amount of football on offer across the Channel. However, there is a decent solution available for this, online and mobile betting. There are a number of apps available online which allow fans to use betting providers such as bet365, and with a number of features and in-play options of the app available, fans can follow their teams easily over the festive period.
However, one league that does not stop during this time is the Indian Super League, or the ISL. India does not really have a very strong Christmas tradition, being a majority-Hindu country, and so the ISL has always played matches during this time and the New Year. This season has seen FC Goa top the standings so far after nine matches, with defending champions Bengaluru FC two points behind in second spot, and ATK another point behind in third. Both Goa and Bengaluru have had strong starts to the campaign, losing just one game apiece, and they had drawn 1-1 in their meeting early on during the second matchday. Goa and ATK are the highest scorers with 18 goals scored so far, but Bengaluru’s title charge has been based on their solid defence; they have only conceded five goals in nine games, and are thus second despite scoring only 11 goals themselves. This season has also seen two new teams join the fray – Hyderabad FC and Odisha FC. Hyderabad are coached by former Hull City manager Phil Brown, but at the moment, are floundering at the bottom of the ten-team league on just five points. Odisha have made a better fist of things, but are still only in 7th place. There has been big news elsewhere in the league, as a majority stake in Mumbai City FC was bought by the City Football Group, more commonly recognized as the holding group that owns Manchester City, among others. CFG had been looking to make an entry into the Indian football scene for a couple of years, according to reports, and they finally took the plunge with the Islanders. This is extremely promising for Mumbai City as well as all of Indian football, as this provides talented youngsters the chance to show their skills in front of members of one of the biggest football conglomerates in the world, and if they provide even a fraction of the investment they have provided to Manchester City, Mumbai City could soon dominate the ISL in a similar way. Thus, the ISL is in full flow over the festive season, and fans can tune in if they want a change from their regular diet of English football.
