Sergio Lobera emphasises importance of Mohun Bagan getting back to winning ways in ISL clash

Mohun Bagan will face Punjab at home, aiming to secure a comfortable win

Mohun Bagan SG are aiming to end their three-match winless run in the 2025-26 Indian Super League, when they face off against Punjab FC at the Salt Lake Stadium, Kolkata on Sunday (12 April, 2026). Having picked up just two points from their last three matches, the Mariners look to regain their winning run to close the gap to league leaders Mumbai City.

Sergio Lobera insists that his squad remains upbeat heading into the Punjab FC clash, as he stated before the game: “The mentality of my players is always that we’re excited for new opportunities, especially when you don’t get result, you want to win. We have had another chance to play at home tomorrow in front of our supporters and get three important points. We are excited for the game ahead and ready for the challenge.”

What Mohun Bagan must do to end last-minute goal conceding issues

When asked about how Mohun Bagan should look to stop last-minute goals after they conceded one in their 1-1 draw against Jamshedpur FC recently.

The Spaniard explained: “For sure, it shouldn’t happen. If we analyse the game, maybe if we had played the same game and we scored the second goal with all our chances and we conceded in the last 30 seconds, everyone would’ve spoken about it being an amazing result. We had the last chance for Dimitrios Petratos against BFC. If we had scored that goal, then we could speak about two amazing games in difficult positions.

“It’s not possible to change everything. This is a short season; if we had a 36-game season, then at the end of the season the best team would be the champions of the league. But with fewer games, other teams have a chance to win as well. We did a lot of things well in the last games, but we must improve in some of them. We must learn, and it’s not acceptable to get these types of situations, because the margin for errors is very small,” he added.

Advice to players to bounce back

Lobera spoke up about the advice he’s given the players in their three-match winless run.

He stated, “I don’t think we’ve had an advantage because of starting the pre-season early. Maybe it was the case in the first 2-3 games, but now all the teams have worked for a long time to help themselves in tactical positions and fitness. The numbers show that we have 2 points from the last three, and we have scored two goals in the last three games. I don’t want to find excuses; we have the best squad in the league, and as a coach, I must take the responsibility.”

“With these numbers, we won’t get the target, but I trust my players. I told them from the beginning that the team that can manage the difficult moments will be the team to become champions. I think we did things well in the last few games, and we didn’t deserve to win in the Mumbai City game. It’s not only about numbers, but feelings. We had clear chances to score against BFC to win, and we had a chance to kill the game against Jamshedpur, but there are no excuses. It’s very important to win the next game, and we need to be focused, because there is no margin for mistakes if we want to win the title,” he also added.

Midfielders at fault for lack of goals?

When questioned on if he feels his midfielders are at fault for Mohun Bagan struggling to score goals as of late.

Sergio Lobera claimed: “I don’t agree with that because I feel we are creating very clear-cut chances. We are the second-highest scorer in the league, and we have the highest-scoring player in the league. So the problem is not in the middle. When you can’t kill the game in specific moments, then as a coach, I feel that you need to have a concern.

“But the team is consistently creating chances; we had the options to score a second goal against Jamshedpur, and we also created against BFC as well. The numbers show that we are creating chances, and the only thing we must do is win the next game. The style of play I use in terms of attacking football, but it’s not enough to score only one goal in the last few games,” he further quipped.

Need for patience in Mohun Bagan squad and set-piece troubles

Lobera also insisted that Mohun Bagan must keep their eyes on the prize and stay calm as their title challenges might also drop points in the next games.

He argued: “We are not the best team when you are winning, and we’re not disastrous when we lose. For some people, it’s not black or white in football. As a coach, you need to find solutions, and I’m not happy with our current numbers; I have the responsibility to improve them.

“I feel that I have a team with enough experience to manage these difficult situations. When you play for Mohun Bagan, you are under pressure in every game because you must always win. That is good for us, as it compels us to work extra hard. We have experienced players who have a winning mentality, they are calm and excited about the next games,” he also stated.

When asked about Mohun Bagan’s set-piece problems, with the Mariners failing to score goals from corners as of late.

Spanish gaffer explained: “It’s one of the things that we need to improve on set-pieces. Obviously, in terms of set pieces, we must improve because we have a lot of options. We had 17 corners against Mumbai City, eight in the last game, and we must learn to score in these situations.

“I’m happy with my assistant coach, and he’s the boss for set-piece training. We are working together; we must improve and not find excuses. I have amazing players doing this, we can’t compare with last season, but we have strong players in finishing actions, and we need to take our responsibility as a staff and look to improve on set-pieces, it’s one of the most important things we must improve upon,” he also claimed.

Sahal Abdul Samad’s lack of minutes

Finally, when questioned about Sahal Abdul Samad’s lack of minutes, with the midfielders only getting 50-odd minutes of playing time so far this season.

Sergio Lobera stated, “Sahal is an amazing player, but we also have other amazing players in the squad who deserve to play more. The problem is that it’s the rules on which players play in which position, and another is who is replaced to come in for him? In which position does Sahal come in? Thapa and Apuia are doing well. In attacking midfield, we need to analyse from a global perspective. Sahal is in my plans. I don’t like talking about individuals.

“It’s painful that as a coach I can’t give him the opportunities he deserves, but it’s not easy for me to bench many very good individuals in the squad. If players like Sahal are in the opponents’ squad, he’d be in the first XI. It’s about trying to manage a situation, trying to get the balance on what to do with on-the-ball and off-the-ball. When you need to play four foreigners and have a 22-man squad, it’s not easy to select the best players for the starting XI,” he finished off with.

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