Worries for Bengaluru, Blasters rally late, are Jamshedpur Bagan’s main competitors?
Hyderabad contributes to the title race.
Isn’t it peak ISL that the team stumbling the title contenders is the one that’s farthest from the title? FC Goa and Bengaluru FC likely eyed their matchups against Hyderabad with enthusiasm—prior to this, Hyderabad had managed only one point from their last seven matches, and that was against a struggling East Bengal. They considered it a mere formality, an opportunity to stay in touch with (or perhaps even draw nearer to) Mohun Bagan.
Shameel Chembakath and his team had alternative intentions. They journeyed to Fatorda, where they closely contested possession (51% vs 49%) and shots on target (5 vs 4) in a determined performance that secured them a well-deserved 1-1 draw. Ten days later, they welcomed Bengaluru FC and dominated in the final third (xG of 0.99 compared to 0.46, 6 shots on target against 1), only dropping two points due to the tenacity of Sunil Chhetri.
These two outcomes indicate that Goa trails Mohun Bagan by six points while Bengaluru is eight points behind… and their efforts might not be over. Next, they welcome the surprising contenders from Jamshedpur.
Bengaluru’s deceleration raises worries.
BFC have competed in three matches in 2025 and have not secured a victory. What will trouble them is their failure to convert winnable situations against manageable opponents into actual points. Versus Jamshedpur, they managed 1.61 xG compared to 0.61, and against Mohemmadan it was 1.71 xG versus 1.16. Against Hyderabad, a brilliant display of far post heading by Sunil Chhetri (he now has 10 goals in the league, what form!) was necessary to secure a point in a match where their underestimated rivals were clearly superior for most of the time.
Having kicked off the season with great enthusiasm, BFC have now settled into a slower pace. For Gerard Zaragoza, it’s crucial that they keep moving forward now — that home game against Odisha on Wednesday is significant.
Is Jamshedpur the biggest danger to Mohun Bagan?
If they were able to play every match in Jamshedpur, at the venue known as the Furnace, then certainly. At home, they have secured 22 points out of a possible 27 (averaging 2.44 points per game); on the road, they have gathered six points in six games. They welcomed Mohun Bagan and endured a true tempest before Stephen Eze tapped into his inner Franz Beckenbauer to dribble from his own half into the Bagan box, equalizing with a beautiful finish. That point is the first Bagan has lost in four matches.
What will concern the Bagan supporters (as well as their dismal conversion, significantly underachieving xG in the last two matches) is what Jamshedpur accomplished in their last game. Journeying to Mumbai, they systematically dismantled the defending champions 3-0, suggesting that their away struggles may be nearing an end. If they maintain this level of pressure, they will become the team Bagan should be most wary of.
P.S. This season, Mumbai City has been defeated three times at home with a score of 0-3. It certainly hasn’t been a great experience for Petr Kratky and his team.
