Mohun Bagan lost last season’s ISL title on goal difference, and Dilmperis starts the new one in Guwahati on Monday
NorthEast United host Mohun Bagan Super Giant in their ISL 2026-27 opener at 7.30pm IST, with Jamie Maclaren a doubt for the visitors.
Oct 12, 2026
Mohun Bagan Super Giant finished last season level on points with East Bengal and lost the ISL title on goal difference. Their first go at putting that right comes on Monday, 12 October, away to NorthEast United at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium in Guwahati. Kick-off is 7.30pm IST, and it is the first ISL game in charge of the club for their new head coach, Panagiotis Dilmperis.
Dilmperis, who goes by Panos, joined on a one-year deal in the summer after two seasons at Punjab FC, replacing Sergio Lobera. His team arrive in decent shape. They beat East Bengal 1-0 in the IFA Shield final on 8 October, which gave them the Calcutta Football League and Shield double, although the four goals East Bengal put past them in the Durand Cup final in August will not have been forgotten.
These two have met twice already this season
NorthEast know this opponent well by now. In the Durand Cup semi-final in Shillong on 20 August, the sides played out 120 goalless minutes before Vishal Kaith saved two penalties and Bagan won the shootout 4-3. NorthEast were the defending champions. Then in the IFA Shield group stage the two drew 1-1, with Lee Erwin scoring for Bagan.
NorthEast’s Shield ended badly. East Bengal beat them 7-2 in the semi-final, David Lalhlansanga scoring a hat-trick, and Juan Pedro Benali’s side need a better night than that one. In the league last season they finished ninth, with four wins from 13 matches.
Their main threat is still Alaaeddine Ajaraie. The Moroccan won the ISL Golden Boot in 2024-25 with 23 goals, the first player to pass 20 in a single league season, and he opened NorthEast’s Durand Cup defence this summer with a hat-trick against Bodoland.
Team news
Bagan may be without Jamie Maclaren, who hurt his hamstring during the IFA Shield. Lalengmawia Ralte picked up a knock in training and needs a fitness test. If Maclaren misses out, Erwin, signed from Jordan’s Al-Faisaly to replace Jason Cummings, is the obvious man to lead the line, with Lallianzuala Chhangte, who joined from Mumbai City, among the attackers behind him. Samir Zeljkovic, whose goal won the Shield, should start too.
NorthEast are expected to have a fully fit squad.
Our view
Bagan have had much the better of this fixture in the ISL over the years. On paper, and on what Bagan have shown over the last two months, they should win this. The two games this season have been tight, though, and NorthEast at home have a striker who can turn one chance into a goal. I would expect Bagan to take the points, but not to have it easy.
The match is on Sony Ten 2 and streams free on YouTube.