Mohun Bagan Super Giant: The start of the new season of Indian Super League (ISL 2026-27) was not quite as expected for Mohun Bagan Super Giant. In the last minute of the match, the green and maroon had to lose to NorthEast United FC (NorthEast United FC) with Jithin MS’s goal. After being scoreless for a long time, the Kolkata team missed the point by conceding a goal at the end. This loss was not only a shock in terms of results, but also brought out several weaknesses in Mohun Bagan’s game.
The attacking side failed to use the opportunity to score
Mohun Bagan created the situation to score several times in the match. Lee Harry Irwin’s shot deflected off the post. Later, Suhail Ahmed Bhat also came close to scoring from Liston Colasso’s pass. Beats Gurmeet Singh but hits the post. Despite creating multiple chances, the lack of goals eventually became a major problem. If the opponent was more effective in the box, the result of the match could have been different.
Carelessness in defense at the last moment
Mohun Bagan’s defense did not allow Northeast United to score for a long time. But that resistance collapsed towards the end of the match. Moano’s shot from outside the box was saved by Vishal Keith but the ball bounced off the post. The return ball gives Jithin MS a chance to score. It was the lack of defensive alertness at such crucial moments that gave Mohun Bagan a big blow.
Lack of attacking consistency in midfield
Mohun Bagan have not always been consistent in building attacks from midfield. At times there was an attempt to break down the opposition defense with quick passes, but there was a lack of moving the attack into dangerous areas. It was important to keep up the pace of the attack and make the right decisions on the last pass even after possession of the ball. More effective coordination between the midfield and attack could have increased the scoring chances.
North East’s counter-attacks have trouble handling
North East United quickly counter-attacked when they got the chance. The Mohun Bagan defense had to be alert time and again to deal with the pace of Alauddin Azrai and Jithin MS. A few attacks were blocked by offsides, but there were hints in the match that the opposition’s quick attacks could become dangerous. In the end, the green-maroon had to digest the goal under that pressure. Better understanding between defense and midfield is needed to prevent counter-attacks.
The effect of changing players was not enough
In the second half, Mohun Bagan tried to bring a new momentum to the attack by bringing down Manbir Singh. Later, Suhail Ahmed Bhat created a chance to score. But the team could not completely turn the momentum of the match in their favor through the changed players. New energy has been added to the attack, but the finishing problem has not gone away. Instead of going desperate for a goal at the last minute, we could have turned the situation around if we had increased the pressure earlier.
Decision-making problems at the end of the match
As the scoreless match drew to a close, a goal became more important to both teams. Mohun Bagan also went on the attack to win, but could not capitalize on the opportunity. On the other hand, Northeast United finally continued to attack and got results. In the case of Mohun Bagan, it was important to maintain a balance between defense and attack at the last minute. Making the right decisions in securing a point as well as trying to win can make a big difference in a match like this.
Mohun Bagan’s learning from this loss is clear. Exploiting goal opportunities, midfield coordination, handling counter-attacks and last-minute defensive alertness—these four areas require improvement. The green-maroon has a chance to turn around despite the shock at the beginning of the season. However, if these weaknesses are not overcome in the next matches, there will be a risk of losing points.