Sergio Lobera warns Mohun Bagan players to be wary of Odisha FC in clash against former side

Mohun Bagan SG aim to stay top of the ISL table

Mohun Bagan look to get their fourth win in a row in the 2025-26 Indian Super League when they face off against Odisha FC, Sergio Lobera’s former employers, on Friday (6 March 2026) at the Salt Lake Stadium, Kolkata. The Mariners look to maintain their winning streak under Lobera, who aims to get one over on his former side in what should be a thrilling clash on Friday evening.

Sergio Lobera is urging his Mohun Bagan side to have a positive approach against the Juggernauts, as he stated before the game: “Obviously when you play against a former team, it’s always special because I had very good moments and memories with them.

“But my personal feelings are one thing; we need to be professionals, and we know we’ll play against a good team. They have a very good starting XI. I know their players really well because most of the first XI are ones I coached in the last two years, and I know which can be dangerous if we don’t play well,” he added.

Have Odisha FC gotten weaker since 2024-25 season?

When asked if he feels that Odisha FC have become weaker as a unit since the 2024-25 season, Lobera claimed: “We know to be realistic and tell the truth. When you don’t have foreign players at the highest level, you lose the opportunity to fight for something importance. But I know the likes of Carlos (Delgado), Savior Gama and Thoiba Singh in my first XI, as well as Rahul KP.

“It might be true that Odisha needs to improve in some positions. But I feel they have a very competitive first XI, they have dangerous Indian players who can move really well between the lines and can approach the spaces in a good way. We need to be more careful. Could they have been more competitive with more foreign players? Most probably, yes,” he also quipped.

Idea on strongest Mohun Bagan XI

Lobera was also asked if he feels to have a strongest starting XI at Mohun Bagan after the first three matches of the campaign, and he replied: “Obviously when you have such an amazing squad that I have, it’s not only about rotations. We have a very good level of players, those who play and those from the bench as well as those coming from the bench. I must manage the situation as a coach, but as always I’ll try to choose my best XI to win the game.”

Robson Robinho situation and 5 PM kickoff issues

The Spanish gaffer also rubbished speculation over Robson Robinho struggling with injury troubles before joining Mohun Bagan, as he stated: “I’m very happy about Robson in terms of tactically and what he’s given to us as a player, in terms of his positioning. A lot the times, the most important thing about the team.

“I feel hopefully he can be ready to help the team. Let’s see what happens in the next two training sessions. We need to realize he hasn’t played 90 minutes for a long time, and sometimes you need to manage his minutes. That is why I made the substitution in the last game to save him from major harm in the last game,” he also stated.

When asked upon if he feels that the Mohun Bagan players’ performance levels could be impacted by having to play in increasing humid conditions in the 5 PM kickoff against Odisha, Lobera stated: “I think we need to try to find solutions for that, as it’s not good to find execuses. There are many teams playing at the 5 PM kick off, and we need to learn to play at this time.

“If you ask me if I would like to play at 7:30 PM, yes. But this is a competition and we are ready for that, we cannot find excuses and must be ready to play at this time. I must try to find solutions to my players on how to tackle the conditions better,” he further stated.

What must Mohun Bagan do to keep place atop ISL table?

Finally, when questioned on what Mohun Bagan must do to sustain their place on top of the ISL table, the Spanish gaffer replied, “We are happy to be at the top, as it’s not easy to win three games in a row. But we’re at a club with a winning mentality, and we’re a champions club. This is the way we need to follow. When you are in a top club like Real Madrid or Barcelona, you are thinking of winning every game and when you lose one game, you need to take care.

“Especially in this shorter season, the matches are fewer, but I’m very happy with the team’s performance, and I feel we are in the right path; we can improve, and we must work on that. Our target is to keep this first position at the end of the season; we need to be ambitious, but we need to focus by a step-by-step style to win the title,” he finished off with.

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