The business end of any long league has its own excitements and eccentricities. This is the time when titles are won or slipped. Teams in the championship race desperately look to swaddle themselves with momentum and consistency - some key ingredients needed to cross the finishing line.
Post international break, as Mohun Bagan SG prepare to host Chennaiyin FC at the Salt Lake Stadium on Sunday, stakes are high for both teams but have different connotations.
The new year has coincided with Mohun Bagan's remarkable turnaround under Antonio Lopez Habas and they are now in a see-saw battle with Mumbai City FC in the race for the coveted ISL Winner's Shield.
As things stand now, Mumbai City are leading the table with 41 points from 20 matches. But Habas's team - lying 2 points behind and having a game in hand - can regain the top stop by doing a double on the visitors.
Sahal Abdul Samad played a key role in that 3-1 win in the first leg back in October. Sahal is likely to sit out this time through injury but Habas is confident that his team will again be up for the challenge against Chennaiyin, described by the veteran Spanish coach as "one of the biggest teams in the ISL."
It remains to be seen how Bagan - who have won four of their last 5 games - go about keeping their momentum post international break, after hitting the ground 18 days later.
"We are trying (to ensure) that it is not going to affect us. These Fifa dates are normal all around the world," Habas put things in perspective on Saturday.
While it is a two-way race for the Shield, six teams in the fray for the last playoff spot. Despite their inconsistent run, 11th-placed Chennaiyin FC with 18 points from as many matches are still in the mix for finishing sixth and earning the playoff berth.
They have not won any of their last six away matches in ISL 2023-24, losing four times in the process.
"We are still in with a real chance to make the top six. To do that we need to perform really well and look to get a result tomorrow which we'll keep on doing," Chennaiyin coach Owen Coyle said.
