Mohun Bagan vs Kerala Blasters FC | ISL 2025/26 Match Review

byRichik Nag -

A New Beginning under the dark clouds of Indian Football, Mohun Bagan vs Kerala Blasters Match Review


Football is a sport we all love. Love being the purest of all the emotions, is also very sacred. Love requires care, attention and selflessness. Love requires commitment and truthfulness. Over the years, the fans of the beautiful game in this part of the world have displayed all these emotions time and again, at different venues. But what happens when the very same people who have been appointed to safeguard this love, whose very job is to ensure that this sacred relationship doesn't get broken up, don't do their jobs properly? Well, that's when we get Indian football.

After months of uncertainty, which at times felt like decades of darkness plunged into the absolute depths of human despair, the ISL was finally back on Saturday. On a day we celebrate love, Mohun Bagan fans were there in numbers to witness the club they've learnt to love like their own mother. With the clouds of an uncertain future still very much hovering over our heads, the caravan of Indian football begun it's 12th edition.

Bagan faced Kerala Blasters for the opener, again. Yes, the same old opener, but no one complained. People were celebrating. The grounds were open once again. The people who want to be on the pitch, who want to sweat it out for the game they love, were back. Everyone was glued to their screens. A new era of Indian football was about to begin.

A new era was going to begin at Bagan as well. After years of flirting with the rumors of appointing Sergio Lobera as the gaffer, Bagan finally pounced on the chance to get his highly sought after signature. The man who is famous for the way he sets his team up, the way his team play, the standards they set on the field have made him one of, if not the best, coach in ISL. All eyes on Bagan's new coach. An all-star team needed a star coach too. And Bagan finally had the one they were chasing for so long. The only one under whom teams played like trouble for Bagan ever since we entered ISL. Sergio Lobera now sat in the very dugout where fairy tales have been written in the past.



His first lineup didn't have many surprises. Vishal started in goal. Subhasish Bose and Abhishek Singh were the two full backs. Alberto started with new signing Mehtab at the heart of the defense. Thapa and Apuia started in the midfield. Dimi was put into the number 10 role playing just behind the striker Jamie Maclaren. Robson made his ISL debut starting on the left. Liston switched his position to the right wing.

Kerala Blasters were with a young and depleted squad, notably missing out on their charismatic captain Adrian Luna and Noah Sadaoui, both being loaned out to Indonesia. Nevertheless, a match is a match and with three points up for grabs their new coach, David Catala had to present his best team which would give a fight to the mighty Bagan.

As the clock struck 5 o'clock, the ball eventually rolled. Bagan looked different. Different from how they played under Juan Ferrando and Jose Molina. They played with freedom. Bose and Abhishek pushed high up the pitch which allowed the wingers like Robson and Liston to cut inside and have a go. Robson looked dangerous and came agonisingly close to opening the scoreboard for Bagan, but his shot eluded the net. Liston used his pace to create headaches for the new backline of Kerala Blasters, but the end product was still missing.

It was refreshing to see Dimi being back to full fitness again. He looked lean and he looked hungry. No fancy hair styles, no new tattoos, just the plain old Dimi who became the Dimi-God in this part of the world. He dropped down deep, made runs on the wings and took shots from outside the box. Looks like he was finally freed from the shackles.

Bagan kept applying the pressure and Blasters had no choice but to sit back and soak up everything thrown at them. They did mount a few counter attacks here and there, but nothing troubled Kaith.

Bagan were rewarded for their efforts soon after the drinks break. Tekcham put in a brilliant through ball for Dimi who made a quick low cross across for Maclaren. Jamie didn't have to break any sweat and he slotted it home past a helpless Sachin Suresh. And without any surprises, Bagan were up and running. A team which was showing so much promise with every move finally got the breakthrough it deserved. The Bagan fans rejoiced, danced and celebrated. And why not? Their forever valentine, the love of their lives was back on the field.



With 1-0 up, Bagan never looked to loosen their grip on the match. The halftime came with the same score line, but it could have been 2 or 3 nil if some of the shots had slid in past Suresh. Bagan were not complaining. And so weren't the fans as well.



The second half was a mirror image of the first one. Bagan enjoyed 65% of the possession. More shots, more passes, more chances created. Bagan were at times bullying Kerala Blasters. Bagan looked dangerous especially from the set pieces, with big man Alberto becoming a nuisance in the box for the opposition.

New man or should we say our old boy, Amey Ranawade, got his first minutes in the second half as well. Amey, who arrived on a 3 month agreement deal from KBFC, looked aggressive with his runs higher up the pitch. One can hope that with time, he'll gradually gel into the team well.The two players who stepped up for Bagan to keep pushing and dominate the game were none other than Apuia and Tekcham Abhishek Singh. Apuia was all over the field, making crucial ball interceptions and controlling the tempo of the game - the true character of a playmaker. Even in the 2nd half when KBFC geared on, Apuia tracked back into defence to hold down the fort. On the other hand, Tekcham played on both the left and right full back position, showcasing his ability to perform well on both sides of the pitch. His pace was unmatched in the defence, granting the team a clean sheet. His calm decision-making along the side-lines helped in enabling the attacking half players as well. From his through pass, Mohun Bagan developed the attack to score the first goal of ISL 2025/26. Despite being a new signing, it seems like he has already cemented his position in the first XI.

Notable players who really stood out in both the halves were Robson and Thapa. Granted Robson was not the most flashy signing in our history, but he produced the goods when needed.Robson is a mature player now and that experience is much needed in crunch moments. As for Thapa, he played in synergy with Apuia and controlled the midfield quite well. Despite some failed banger attempts from outside the box, Anirudh filled the gaps and added more pressure in the attacking third. From his freekick assist, Mohun Bagan got the second goal of the game.

Bagan sealed the game in the dying minutes of the game. With KBFC looking dangerous and coming close to scoring an equaliser couple of times, Bagan sealed the deal through a header from Tom Aldred. A good free kick from Thapa led to a textbook header from our experienced Aussie in the 90+6' which resulted in Bagan wininng the first game 2-0 with full 3 points.



This season is a peculiar one, with only 13 games each and with no playoffs as well. Every game counts. With Bagan's uncertain fate in Asian competitions for the next couple of seasons, winning in India is a must. Anything less than a victorious campaign should be seen as a failure for the National Club of India! But one may ask, should this season even count? AIFF couldn't even manage to bring in proper sponsors or streaming partners until the very last second. Clubs have no idea what the future holds. How will the clubs survive? And to top that off with the introduction of relegation from this season, the mess has just deepened. No club deserves to be relegated for a mess that they are not responsible for in the first place. But it's India and the unexpected must be expected here. It's the first time ISL clubs are facing such dire circumstances. Mohun Bagan and East Bengal on the other hand, have faced situations worse than this since time immemorial. But Indian football can't exist with just two clubs. A collective effort must be made so that all the clubs can not only survive but thrive for generations to come. No owner wants to burn their money on the pyre of Indian football.



Fans of all clubs should take this season with a pinch of salt. Almost all the clubs are depleted, resulting in losing most of their players. Judging your teams based on this season will not lead to fair judgement. Until and unless a clear roadmap is presented, every stakeholder should be help accountable starting from the very top. Indian football may be a circus at this moment, but the players and the fans are not jokers. We demand respect, we demand answers. Rivalries will always be there, but let's not be fooled by this makeshift season with absolutely no preparation or planning. Football can't survive like this.



As for Bagan, Lobera should be given time to fully implement his style. He has the tools at his disposal. He should be given a full transfer window and the a free hand to work with. A repeat of the Molina saga is not wished for by anyone. Lobera deserves respect and time, because we all know what he can do.

The future of Bagan under Lobera is bright, but can it be so with dark days in Indian football still looming at large? Only time will tell. Until then, keep supporting your favourite team, Mariners! Joy Mohun Bagan!

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Richik Nag

Hello and welcome to my blog! I look forward to sharing my views with you. So do support by following my blog and sharing your valuable feedback. Follow me on Instagram; @rikzerka007

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2 Comments

  1. AnonymousFebruary 15, 2026 at 5:35 PM

    Usual start to the season, expecting some more quality football as we progress forward

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousFebruary 16, 2026 at 1:23 AM

    Joy Mohun Bagan

    ReplyDelete
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