Mohun Bagan 3 - 2 Odisha FC | GW5 ISL 2026-27 Match Review

byRichik Nag -

THRILLER AFTER THRILLER: BAGAN'S DEFENSIVE WOES CONTINUE DESPITE DRAZIC'S BRILLIANCE

A five-goal encounter against Odisha FC brought three points, but Mohun Bagan's defensive frailties remain a growing concern.

Thriller after thriller. That's how Bagan's season been so far. Every match till now has been like that. The question that arises after the first few matches of the new season is, were those "thrillers" a result of the brilliance of the opposing teams, or was it due to Bagan's own folly?

If we were to dig a bit deeper, we will see that it is due to a combination of both. Bagan's opponents this season have tried to give a tough fight in all the games, but Bagan have not made life any easier for themselves, especially with the way they have been sloppy so far. And yesterday was no different.

A Fluid Attack, But An Unusual Starting XI

Panos picked the usual eleven who have played the bulk of the matches so far. Vishal Kaith started in goal, because who else is there to challenge him for the No. 1 spot? Abhishek, Alberto, Mehtab and Bose made up the back four. Samir and Thapa started in the middle of the park. Manvir and Liston started on the wings. Up front Lee Erwin started with Drazic starting just behind him.

Either Panos is trying to inject the Guardiola way of football - the "Total Football" philosophy in which no player except the goal keeper can have a fixed position on the pitch. Rather they are like the coins on a carrom board, you can move them anywhere! If not this, then Panos might be just as confused as us when setting up his team up.

Well maybe it was some sort of a "total football" after all. Manvir played predominantly on the right although he switched to the left at times especially during the counter attacks. Liston, again played predominantly on the left but switched to the right at times. The team looked much more fluid than it has been in the past few weeks. And it is to be expected, especially against a team that has been winless thus far.

Hritwik Tiwari Keeps Bagan At Bay

The first half was the battle between Bagan and Hritwik Tiwari. The same guy who was linked to Bagan for almost the entirity of the summer window, before being swayed away by Odisha FC. And he was brilliant from the first minute. In the first minute of the game he made a world class save to deny Lee Erwin from close range. As the game continued, Hritwik's confidence begun to grow. He pulled out save after save to deny Bagan. Sometimes from long range, sometimes from close range. He was unbeatable.

Bagan looked much more solid in building the attacks. And it was expected as the spaces left by the Odisha defense were quite spacious. Bagan built attack after attack but couldn't get the ball into the net. Lee Erwin tried his luck a couple of times. Mehtab's long ranger stung the palms of the keeper, but Hritwik refused to budge. It was almost like a "what if" episode for the Bagan fans. What if Hritwik was in the opposite goal, what if he was the successor to Kaith for Bagan. Well, what if?

The first half ended with the score at nil all. Odisha came close through a header but Kaith stood strong. Lee's shot and Manvir's cross was blocked by Saurabh with an outstretched hand in the box but in both instances, the referee refused to award a penalty.

The message was simple! The chances are there, but who will finish them? The answers arrived in the second half. Almost instantly.

Drazic Breaks The Deadlock, Odisha FC Respond Immediately

The referee had just started the second half and Drazic wasted no time. He made a darting run down the right, dropped a shoulder to dumbfound Stephen Eze and made a composed finish beyond Tiwari.

Drazic danced his way into the corner as the fans rejoiced. Bagan finally had the lead. The question was, could they preserve it?

Well not for long. Odisha FC hit back minutes later. Nihal Sudeesh made a low pass past Bose who stood watching and for some strange reason, neither Mehtab nor Alberto chose to attack the ball. The result? Mahmoud Eid got his foot on the ball and tapped it in past Kaith.

A needless goal to concede, one that could have been so easily avoided. No clean sheet yet again. It has become a habit for Bagan now. The defence can't defend for their lives and Bagan were once again at the crossroads against the team they were supposed to beat comfortably.

Chhangte Changes The Game, Drazic Strikes Again

Bagan had to wait for sometime to strike back. They mounted attack after attack but that final touch was missing. Lee Erwin showed his freekick taking ability but his shot flashed past the goalpost.

Panos introduced Chhangte in the second half, thankfully, on the right and this proved to be his best move all season. Chhangte looked dangerous, like a hungry bulldog, ready to grind it out. He was dangerous on the right wing, speedy and too much to handle at times for the defence of Odisha FC.

And he was the main architect of the second goal. An amazing run, a delightful cross across the face the goal, and the ball found Drazic who was let free by his marker. Drazic slotted the ball in without any worries and Bagan regained the lead again. The common consensus now was, they will surely not lose the lead again, right? Well things got interesting, yet again. Odisha fought back.

Defensive Errors Continue As Odisha Equalise Again

Mehtab couldn't clear an easy ball and the ball hit the back of Abhishek Tekcham and fell kindly at the feet of Everton. He made no mistake and curled in a beautiful goal past Vishak Kaith. Bagan made a meal yet again of a simple play. The defense was shaky beyond comprehension!

Lee Erwin Delivers The Final Blow

The blame game could wait, but the important thing was to get the win. And that's where Lee Erwin came in. Lee played the entire match but never for once did he show any fatigue. Bose's cross from the left found the head of Thapa who's headed pass was poorly cleared and the ball came to Lee Erwin. He made no mistake and slotted it into the bottom right corner. And with that Bagan sealed Odisha's fate.

A game that swung like a pendulum finally swung in Bagan's favour. Odisha did try to fight back again, but Bagan thwarted their attempts. The match ended with Bagan securing the points. But questions remain.

How Long Can Bagan Continue To Ignore Defensive Mistakes?

Can we blame the coach again? Well for most things, yes. But the defense? A defensive line that maybe the highest paid in the league. That is probably the most experienced in the league, has failed to keep a clean sheet on multiple occasions now.

When will they iron out the mistakes? When will they become fit enough to not concede silly goals? And if they don't, can't the coach bench them? We have a very capable Alex Saji sitting on the bench. What's the use of having young talents if we were to give chances after chances to players who just refuse to learn from their mistakes?

The match, although very entertaining for the fans, should never have been this close. Bagan made this game tough for themselves; a recurring problem that continues to plague this team.

A Warning Before The Bigger Tests

Is there a remedy to it? Yes, but the coach needs to take a stand. Name should not matter, mistakes should not be tolerated. With all due respect to the teams Bagan have faced till now, Bagan is yet to face the stronger teams in the league.

Are we confident enough that we can beat those teams with our level right now? Maybe not. There are a lot of issues to be addressed and they are piling up like river water behind a dam. One bad loss like the Durand final and the flood gates will open. Will the management and coach wait till that day to apply the measures, or does the team need immediate prophylaxis to avoid a future full blown disease? Mohun Bagan have over two weeks to fix this. The outcome will justify the effort.

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Richik Nag

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