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Mohun Bagan Super Giant beat Odisha FC 3-2 to lead ISL

Dejan Drazic scored twice and Lee Erwin struck late as the Mariners moved to 12 points from five games.

By , Sports writer

· 2 min read

Odisha FC
Odisha FC (file photo) Photo: SaUp2014 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Mohun Bagan Super Giant edged Odisha FC 3-2 at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata to go top of the ISL with 12 points from five games. Newindianexpress reported the result, while Telegraph India previewed the match and quoted coach Panagiotis Dilmperis.

Key takeaways

  • Mohun Bagan Super Giant beat Odisha FC 3-2 at Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata
  • Dejan Drazic scored twice and Lee Erwin netted the winner in the 88th minute
  • Mahmoud Eid and Everton scored for Odisha FC
  • The Mariners moved to 12 points from five games as ISL leaders
  • Panagiotis Dilmperis said being top brought greater responsibility

Mohun Bagan Super Giant edged past Odisha FC 3-2 in a pulsating MG Indian Super League match at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata on Thursday.

Dejan Drazic scored twice, in the 47th and 74th minutes, while Lee Erwin struck in the 88th minute to seal all three points for the Mariners. Mahmoud Eid and Everton brought Odisha level twice, but Mohun Bagan had the final say.

The win meant Panagiotis Dilmperis’ side went into the international break as league leaders with 12 points from five games.

Match details

Drazic found the breakthrough in the 47th minute after Anirudh Thapa played a pinpoint through ball, finishing with his left foot into the bottom corner past Hrithik Tiwari.

Odisha equalised within four minutes when Nihal Sudhish delivered a cross and Eid tapped it in to make it 1-1 in the 51st minute.

Mohun Bagan regained the lead in the 74th minute as Lallianzuala Chhangte whipped in a low cross and Drazic completed his brace with a tap-in.

Odisha drew level again five minutes later when Mehtab’s clearance deflected off Tekcham Abhishek Singh to Everton, who finished with a right-footed curler to make it 2-2 in the 79th minute.

Erwin struck sharply with his right foot into the bottom-left corner in the 88th minute to make it 3-2.

League context

The Indian Super League is a professional association football league in India and the highest level of the Indian football league system, administered by the All India Football Federation.

Contested by 14 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the Indian Football League.

Mohun Bagan had collected nine points from four matches before the fixture and were chasing a fourth successive victory, while Odisha had just two points from three outings and were yet to register a win.

Coach reaction

Dilmperis demanded focus from his players and said being at the top brought greater responsibility rather than simply boosting confidence. He also wanted his side to start strongly rather than rely on their position in the standings. Mohun Bagan will be without Sahal Abdul Samad, who suffered a knee injury against Punjab FC, and Miguel Figueira.

What happens next

Mohun Bagan will look to carry winning momentum into their next ISL fixture and consolidate their position at the top of the standings. Sahal Abdul Samad, Miguel and Apuia were unavailable, while Australian striker Jamie Maclaren had returned to the squad. Dilmperis wants his side to address their tendency to concede first and then fight their way back into matches, and he acknowledged the need to improve finishing.

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