Mohun Bagan SG vs Odisha FC: Three key player battles to watch out for ISL 2026-27 clash

The Mariners will welcome the Juggernauts in Matchweek 5 of ISL 2026-27.

Mohun Bagan look to maintain their impressive winning momentum in the 2026-27 Indian Super League (ISL) campaign when they host Odisha FC on Thursday, 5 November (2026) at the Salt Lake Stadium.

The Mohun Bagan vs Odisha FC fixtures in the last few years have mostly been dominated by the Mariners, who picked up a huge 5-1 win over their opponents in the 2025-26 season.

Odisha FC are heading into their clash against Mohun Bagan without good form on their side.

They’ve failed to win a single game in their first three matches of the 2026-27 ISL and still look to be a slightly disjointed unit at the start of the season.

However, they’ll be determined to amp up their momentum levels with a thrilling performance against Mohun Bagan and try to stun the Kolkata giants at their own yard.

The Mohun Bagan vs Odisha FC match will feature some interesting battles between some of the crucial players in both sides.

Whichever sets of players end up winning these key battles will give their side a huge advantage in their hopes of clinching all three points. Here, we look at the three key battles to look out for in the clash between Mohun Bagan and Punjab FC.

Lee Erwin vs Stephen Eze

Mohun Bagan striker Lee Erwin is eager to maintain his impressive form in the 2026-27 ISL campaign, having been able to score two goals in his last three appearances for the Mariners.

He is slowly starting to justify why the Kolkata giants pushed for his signing with some clinical displays and will look to get more vital contributions in the game against Odisha FC.

However, Erwin will be facing off in a tough test against Odisha FC centre-back Stephen Eze, who has many years of ISL experience under his belt.

The ex-Jamshedpur FC centre-back is a highly combative defender who can track a striker’s runs perfectly to make crucial challenges to frustrate the opposition side.

Eze will look to mark Erwin tightly, not giving him any free room in the final third and stopping him from being a thorn for his backline. For Erwin, this will be a stern challenge to prove whether he can thrive against one of the ISL’s best foreign centre-backs.

The Scottish forward needs to be smart with his movement to confuse the Odisha FC defender, and also needs to be prolific with his finishing to enable the Mariners to get a big win.

Mahmoud Eid vs Alberto Rodriguez

Odisha FC’s new forward Mahmoud Eid hasn’t had the best of starts to his career in the ISL, failing to get a single goal contribution in his three appearances so far.

However, the Palestinian forward has a big chance to introduce himself to the ISL fans in style with an impactful display against Mohun Bagan. Eid will look to be a thorn for the Mariners’ backline with his proactive playing style, looking to get past his marker and receive the ball in the danger zones.

The Odisha FC striker, however, is going to come up against the confident Alberto Rodriguez when attacking the Mohun Bagan goal.

The Spanish centre-back remains a stalwart in the Mohun Bagan backline, with his ability to make crucial clearances and intimidate forwards with crunching challenges keeping an important place for him in the Mariners’ backline.

That is why Eid will have to produce something special and truly unpredictable to be able to get the better of Rodriguez in this upcoming clash.

The Odisha FC striker needs to be particularly smart with his off-the-ball movement and get in the right positions in the box to outwit the centre-back, as well as putting away whatever chances that come his way in clinical fashion.

Dejan Drazic vs Vanlalzuidika Chhakchhuak

Dejan Drazic was finally able to open his goal account for Mohun Bagan by scoring a vital goal against Punjab FC, proving that he can be a decisive player in the big games.

The Serbian forward will now be looking to extend his impressive momentum and be a thorn for the Odisha FC backline. He’ll probably come up against Odisha FC’s full-back Vanlalzuidika Chhakchhuak in this upcoming clash. Zuidika is coming off a pretty solid outing against NorthEast United, where he was able to neutralize much of their threat down his side wing.

Now, the 28-year-old full-back need to look to maintain his promising form by sticking close to Drazic to neutralize his threat and not giving the Serbian forward much space to cause trouble in the final third.

Zuidika has to be diligent with his defensive work to frustrate the Mariners’ frontline and ensure that Drazic doesn’t get too much free space to threaten his side with.

Drazic, meanwhile, will need to be smart with how he moves around the final third – bringing variety to his attacking runs and trying to be surprising with his overall manoeuvring.

The Serbian forward needs to be clinical with his final product, be it trying to create for his teammates or finish off chances himself, if he’s to guide Mohun Bagan to another compelling win.

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