The Mariners also went top of the 2025-26 ISL table with the five star performance.
Sergio Lobera's Mohun Bagan unleashed a ruthless performance in their third ISL game of the season and staged a 5-1 comeback victory against an all-Indian Mohammedan SC team after going down inside 12 minutes. Robson Robinho scored a stunning brace but then went off injured with his replacement, Dimitri Petratos, who was rested alongside Mehtab Singh and Liston Colaco, netted a spectacular final goal after Jamie Maclaren for the third game in a row and Manvir Singh already found the net. This record victory allowed the Mariners to go top of the standings displacing Jamshedpur FC, who are the other side with a 100% record so far, with their superior goal difference while the Black Panthers slipped to the bottom of the table.
The 20-year-old Lalthankima gave the visitors a shock lead inside just 12 minutes at the Salt Lake Stadium, the home side conceding for the first time this season, heading in from a Lalngaisaka corner who is aged just a year less than the goalscorer. However, any hope of a miracle was dashed when the Brazilian starlet Robinho scored his first goals for the club. The 30-year-old latched onto an audacious back-heel flick from Jason Cummings, making his first ISL start of the season, to finish elegantly past Subhajit Bhattacharjee for the equaliser having struck the crossbar earlier. Just five minutes later, he put his side into the lead with another aesthetic finish. However, just at a time it looked like Robinho would deliver more as he truly announced himself in the Green and Maroon, he was stretched off with an injury, replaced by Dimitri Petratos.
It certainly didn't affect the Mariners goal hungry nature though as they continued on a spree with Jamie Maclaren tapping into an empty net after Cummings' effort was saved to give a 3-1 advantage at halftime. The side came out with the same intensity with Manvir Singh, also earning his first start of the ISL campaign, adding a fourth by heading in Abhishek Singh's cross before Dimitri Petratos scored the goal of the day for the settler. The former Golden Boot winner smashed a mesmerizing volley from 30 yards from a flick by Maclaren to blow the roof. Mohun Bagan could have added more to their already impressive tally if they were clinical with their other chances but settled for the 5-1 victory.
Mohun Bagan record their biggest ISL win: Champions again?
That was the biggest victory ever recorded by Mohun Bagan in their ISL history making it three wins of three and living up to their expectations of winning the third ISL Shield on the trot. Lobera's men looked increasingly likely to retain the silverware once again with that kind of performance only increasing the fear of whoever will be their opponents. Given it was against a feeble Mohammedan team without foreigners, the scoreline looked outrageous but one cannot take away anything from the Green and Maroon that they can inflict similar damage to against any sides. Lobera's side looked too good and only got better from the previous games. Although they failed to keep a clean sheet this time, the defence looked more solid than the past matches.
The scary part is the side killed the game off even after resting some of their star players with Petratos coming off the bench showing the incredible depth Mohun Bagan added which was missing a bit in the previous two Shield winning campaigns. The firepower looks incredible but Robinho's injury, if for the long-term, does give a headache as the season is a truncated one. But even without him, the Mariners did not drop a gear and used their depth with quality to maintain the same standard showing they are a wholesome unit than ever. With their arch rivals East Bengal looking vulnerable now, all these signs point to one thing. Barring any downfall from the next games onwards, there will be no stopping for this Bagan side to get hands on another Shield honor if they continue in this way.
Mohammedan SC to be relegated?
Mohammedan SC was already at a major disadvantage this season as they failed to assemble a squad with new arrivals for the 2025-26 season due to their transfer ban over unpaid wages and investor issues that stemmed from last season. It left them with a squad full of youngsters, most with no experience in the top division and with no foreigners making them the only all-Indian side this season. Added by the ISL delay and lack of proper preseason, it was a recipe for disaster which is showing its signs. Despite showing some fight in the only 1-0 defeat to Jamshedpur FC in the campaign opener, the 2-0 defeat to FC Goa and now suffering their worst ever defeat in top division in 16 years paint a very disturbing creature. Mehrajuddin Wadoo's did take the lead against the Mariners but it became a false hope of mustering anything out of the game. With relegation now a confirmed factor in the ISL this season, the Black Panthers are living dangerously after only getting promoted in 2024 and the huge loss also dent their goal difference significantly. The truncated season means they have even less time to turn things around and if this pattern follows for long, they are surely going down.
What next in store for both?
After three straight games at Salt Lake Stadium to begin the 2025-26 season, Mohun Bagan will play their first away game of the season and it will be against the side Sergio Lobera left to join the Mariners ahead of the campaign, Odisha FC. They will travel to Kalinga Stadium for the clash on Friday, 6 March 2026. The Green and Maroons will want no less than three points against Lobera's ex employees to take 12 points from the opening four games while Mohammedan SC will make the trip to Kanteerava to face Bengaluru FC a day later hoping to open their account for the season.
