ISL 2025-26: Maclaren and Aldred Fire Mohun Bagan to 2-0 Victory vs Kerala Blasters in Opener

Defending champions Mohun Bagan Super Giant launched their ISL 2025-26 title defence with a commanding 2-0 victory over Kerala Blasters FC in the season opener at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharathi Krirangan (VYBK) in Kolkata on February 14, 2026. Jamie Maclaren broke the deadlock with a composed left-footed finish in the 36th minute, before substitute Tom Aldred sealed the win with a powerful injury-time header in the 96th minute from Anirudh Thapa’s free-kick. The Mariners were dominant for long spells, registering ten shots with six on target by the end of the first half alone, as head coach Sergio Lobera got his tenure at the club off to the perfect start.

Match Summary

The ISL 2025-26 season got underway at the iconic Salt Lake Stadium with both coaches fielding sides that reflected their contrasting approaches. Lobera named a strong, experienced lineup for his first match in charge of the Mariners, while David Catala — also starting his first ISL game as Kerala Blasters head coach — opted for a youthful setup featuring several debutants.

Mohun Bagan controlled possession throughout, with the midfield pairing of Thapa and Apuia pulling the strings effectively, but were made to work hard against a stubborn Kerala defensive structure for much of the first half. Once Maclaren broke through, the Mariners’ class proved decisive.

Match Scorecard

Goal Summary

Player of the Match: Jamie Maclaren

First Half: Mohun Bagan’s Patient Dominance

Starting Lineups and Early Shape

Mohun Bagan head coach Sergio Lobera named a strong lineup for his first match in charge of the Mariners, with familiar names Dimitri Petratos, Jamie Maclaren and Alberto Rodriguez all taking the field from the off. New ISL 2025-26 signings Mehtab Singh, Robson Da Silva and Amey Ranawade were included in the matchday squad as the club blended experience with fresh additions.

Kerala Blasters head coach David Catala, also making his ISL managerial debut, chose a young side. Foreign signings Oumar Ba and Victor Bertomeu made their ISL debuts alongside midfielders Y Ebindas and Rowllin Borges, reflecting Catala’s intent to build a team with energy and new ideas from the outset.

In the early stages it was actually Kerala Blasters who started with more energy, playing in the Mohun Bagan half in the opening exchanges. Mohun Bagan, however, soon asserted themselves, with Anirudh Thapa and Lalengmawia Ralte — known as Apuia — controlling the midfield and allowing Robson and Liston Colaco space to attack down the wings. Petratos returned to his preferred No. 10 role behind Maclaren and immediately showed his intent. An early chance came when Liston Colaco found Petratos inside the box, but the forward snatched his shot and it went wide of the goal.

Kerala’s Stubborn Resistance and Maclaren’s Breakthrough

Despite controlling possession, Mohun Bagan found it difficult to break down Kerala Blasters’ organised defensive structure. The Blasters were compact and disciplined, denying the Mariners clear opportunities to shoot on goal. The Mohun Bagan pressure was continuous but the breakthrough proved elusive — until the water break.

Shortly after play resumed, Petratos found Maclaren inside the box. The Australian striker controlled the ball, turned Aiban Dohling with a sharp movement, and drove a composed left-footed finish into the net for the opening goal of the ISL 2025-26 season. It was a clinical finish that exemplified Maclaren’s quality — his ability to manufacture space and convert in tight areas making him one of the ISL’s most reliable strikers.

Mohun Bagan went into half-time leading 1-0, having registered ten shots on goal with six on target across the first 45 minutes. Kerala, by contrast, had managed very little going forward despite their defensive resilience.

First-Half Statistics

Second Half: Mariners Control, Kerala Threaten Late

Halftime Changes

Both coaches made changes at the break. David Catala brought in Naocha Singh and Marlon Roos-Trujillo for Kerala, replacing Rowllin Borges and Ebin respectively. Mohun Bagan’s Subhasish Bose was replaced by Amey Ranawade, giving the new signing his first competitive minutes for the Mariners.

The second half opened messily — Naocha Singh earned a yellow card just three minutes after coming on, and Alberto Rodriguez of Mohun Bagan also saw yellow for arguing with the referee, interrupting the fluid quality that had characterised the first half.

Mohun Bagan Maintain the Ascendancy

Despite the stop-start opening to the second half, Mohun Bagan resumed their control of the ball, maintaining possession for long periods and forcing Kerala Blasters to defend deep in their own half. The Blasters’ defence remained resolute, making it difficult for the Mariners to add a second goal and keeping themselves in the contest.

Kerala grew stronger in the final quarter of the game. The introduction of Kevin Yoke — a former PSG youth team player — added a new dimension to the Blasters’ attacking threat, with the youngster showing his pace and dribbling ability down the wings. However, despite his promising cameo, Yoke and his teammates could not manufacture any clear-cut opportunities to trouble Mohun Bagan goalkeeper Vishal Kaith.

Petratos continued to be busy in the Mohun Bagan attack. He made a good horizontal run into the box but a defender’s block sent the ball ricocheting onto the path of Thapa, whose shot was deflected behind for a corner. Mohun Bagan were also denied when Bikash received a yellow card for a late challenge on Sahal Abdul Samad, with the free-kick opportunity for Kerala ultimately coming to nothing as their effort struck the wall.

Aldred’s Late Header Puts the Game to Bed

With the match entering injury time and Kerala still pressing for a lifeline, Mohun Bagan substitute Tom Aldred delivered the decisive blow. Thapa stepped up to deliver a free-kick from the right flank, and Aldred — who had come on as a substitute — got away from his marker and directed a powerful header past Sachin Suresh in the Kerala goal. The 96th-minute strike put the result beyond all doubt and sent the Salt Lake Stadium crowd into jubilation.

Player Performances

Jamie Maclaren — Player of the Match

Tom Aldred

Anirudh Thapa

Dimitri Petratos

Kevin Yoke (Kerala Blasters)

Starting Lineups

Mohun Bagan Super Giant

Kerala Blasters FC

ISL 2025-26 Season Context

The ISL 2025-26 campaign began after a period of administrative uncertainty that had threatened its future, with the season kicking off amid reduced foreign squads for several clubs and limited reinforcements following the financial difficulties that had afflicted parts of Indian football. The Mohun Bagan vs Kerala Blasters fixture was the first game of Round 1, with FC Goa vs Inter Kashi following as the second match of opening day.

For Mohun Bagan, the win marked the start of the Sergio Lobera era — the Spaniard stepping into the dugout at one of Indian football’s most storied clubs and immediately delivering three points. The ISL 2025-26 title defence is underway, and on this evidence the Mariners remain a formidable force, with their Indian core of Thapa and Apuia providing a solid foundation on which the foreign stars can perform.

For Kerala Blasters and Catala, the defeat was a reality check for a young side with several new faces, but their defensive resilience for large periods of the match — particularly Sachin Suresh’s goalkeeping and the compact defensive shape before Maclaren’s breakthrough — offered genuine positives to build on across a long season.

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