Mohun Bagan hosts Odisha FC on Thursday as the table-topper looks to maintain its lead in the ISL. Coach Panagiotis Dilmperis said, "it will make us more responsible." Meanwhile, Churchill Brothers faces NorthEast United at home, hoping to bounce back after two straight losses in their recent league matches.
Mohun Bagan Super Giant will look to hold onto its position on top of the Indian Super League (ISL) 2026-27 table when it hosts Odisha FC at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan on Thursday.
The Mariners lead the standings with nine points from four games, while Odisha is 10th with two points, having played one fewer game.
Mohun Bagan will be boosted by the return of Australian striker Jamie Maclaren from injury, who scored four times in the 5-1 win over the Juggernauts in their meeting last season.
However, Mohun Bagan will be without Miguel Figueira and Sahal Abdul Samad, who suffered a knee injury during its 2-1 win against Punjab FC in the previous game.
The Kolkata giant's head coach, Panagiotis Dilmperis, noted that his team needs to act "responsible" as the current leader of the league. "I don't know if this is a fact that is going to give us confidence, but for sure it will make us more responsible," he said.
Odisha, meanwhile, is coming into the tie on the back of draws against Inter Kashi and NorthEast United. Head coach TG Purushothaman has acknowledged the need for more creativity in midfield and a sharper attacking approach, but believes his side can take confidence from its defensive improvement.
"It is a survival match. We have to play like that to handle this match (against Mohun Bagan)," Purushothaman said.
Churchill Brothers hosts NorthEast United
Earlier in the day, Churchill Brothers will take on NorthEast United at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Fatorda.
Churchill will be looking to bounce back from back-to-back defeats against East Bengal FC and Punjab FC after opening its campaign with a 2-1 win against Mumbai City FC.
Its head coach, Dimitris Dimitriou, acknowledged that individual mistakes have hurt his side and hopes his players can respond in front of their home supporters.
"I hope we are able to make fewer mistakes in the next game, and we give the happiness and the smiles back to our fans and our management," Dimitriou said.
NorthEast United, meanwhile, is unbeaten this season and sits second in the table with eight points from four games, one behind leader Mohun Bagan. The Highlanders' attack has been driven by Moroccan forward Alaaeddine Ajaraie and winger Jithin MS, who have scored two goals each so far, while they have just conceded two goals this season.
This will be the second meeting between the two sides after they faced each other in the 2023 Super Cup in Kozhikode, with NorthEast walking away with a 6-3 win.