Mohun Bagan SG 3-2 Odisha FC: Key Takeaways from ISL 2026-27 clash

The Mariners go atop the ISL 2026-27 points table

Mohun Bagan SG were able to jump back to the top of the 2026-27 Indian Super League (ISL) points table with a 3-2 win over Odisha FC at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata on Thursday 5 November, 2026.

It was a chaotic match that stormed into life in the second half, which began with a beautiful goal from Dejan Drazic in the 47th minute. However, the Juggernauts romped back with an equalizer a few minutes after that through a solid finish from Mahmoud Eid.

Drazic scored once again in the 74th minute, only to see his side lose the lead for the second time as Everton scored in the 79th minute. However, Lee Erwin saved his side from dropping points with a well-taken goal in the 87th minute mark to help the Mariners get their fourth win in-a-row in the 2026-27 ISL.

It was a real rollercoaster of a clash where the momentum kept swinging back and forth between the two teams. Ultimately, Mohun Bagan’s quality stood through to help them get the win, but the activities in the match had many things to ponder about.

In this article, we will take a look at the talking points from the Mohun Bagan vs Odisha FC clash.

Mohun Bagan have a Number 9 overload

Lee Erwin headed into the Mohun Bagan vs Odisha FC clash with some pressure on his shoulders, knowing that the match also marked Jamie Maclaren’s return to the matchday squad. Maclaren missed the first four matches of the 2026-27 ISL campaign because of an injury & is now raring to reclaim his starting role up-front for the Mariners.

But going by Erwin’s efficient performance, that won’t be an easy task for the Australian forward at all. The Scottish striker was a vibrant figure in the Mohun Bagan frontline against Odisha FC, dragging their defenders into uncharted territory and working hard in opening up free space for his teammates as well.

He capped off a hard-working performance with a brilliant close-range finish, with the goal raising his confidence and ensuring that an interesting friendly battle will ensue for the no.9 role in the Mariners’ side.

Odisha FC are not an easy team to beat

Odisha FC suffered a late heartbreak in their clash against Mohun Bagan SG, which was a case of so close yet so far for them. The Juggernauts, however, showcased a lot of braveness and heart with how they went toe-to-toe with one of the genuine title contenders of the 2026-27 ISL.

TG Puroshothatam didn’t allow his players to park the bus and simply just look to steal  a point, but urged them to take the fight to the Kolkata giants.

That mentality reflected positive on the Odisha FC players spirit, as they kept going at the Mohun Bagan backline and their hard work enabled them to become the first team to score two goals against the Mariners in the 2026-27 ISL.

Odisha FC might not have a win in the ISL campaign so far, but the kind of fight they displayed against Mohun Bagan guaranteed that they aren’t a team to roll over for intimidating opponents or make things any easier for them either.

Dejan Drazic thrives from positional tweaks

Dejan Drazic was at his clinical best for Mohun Bagan in their win against Odisha FC and what might’ve helped his cause was a slight tweak in his position for the clash.

After being used in the left-wing role for Mohun Bagan in recent matches, Drazic was given the license to play just behind Erwin because of the absence of Sahal Abdul Samad and Miguel Figueira. That ended up being a masterstroke for Panagiotis Dilmperis, as it unlocked the menacing nature of the Serbian forward.

Drazic was a huge problem for the defenders with his off-the-ball runs, as he kept getting into the danger zones without being restricted. He ended up being played the ball close to the goal before his excellent trickery for his first goal.

The new role also enabled Drazic to make that run into the penalty area for his second goal and the Serbian forward enjoyed the freedom this position gave him, creating quite a few chances too. Perhaps this is his ideal role to keep going forward in the ISL season.

Centre-back partnership questions keep lingering over Mohun Bagan

Mohun Bagan may have won four of their first five matches in the 2026-27 ISL, but they’ve only managed one clean sheet. The Mariners don’t look a rock-solid defensive unit in their last few matches and the Odisha FC clash was arguably their worst defensive performance of the campaign.

The Mariners basically gifted the visitors two goals in the second half, with Mahmoud Eid and Everton both getting too much empty space to threaten into before their strikes. There are now questions popping up about what exactly Mohun Bagan’s ideal centre-back pairing is.

With Rahul Bheke benched for this game, Alberto Rodriguez didn’t look in sync with Mehtab Singh, as both centre-backs made errors leading to goals. Rodriguez doesn’t seem to have formed that kind of intuitive understanding with either Mehtab or Bheke in the centre-back partnership as he did with former centre-backs over the last few seasons.

Panagiotis Dilmperis needs to work on adding more security to Mohun Bagan’s defensive shape in the upcoming break, ensuring that opponents don’t get as much free room or open scoring chances as the Odisha FC players did.

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