ISL Musings: East Bengal show champion's class, Mohun Bagan have their goals (and win), magician Alaaeddine is back

          Lester.R / FS Media Pro / ISL
          • Aaditya Narayan
          Oct 21, 2026, 05:40 AM ET

          The second game week of the Indian Super League saw 21 goals scored in 7 games, as the defending champions opened their campaign in style. There's also a fearsome front three in town, and a superstar doing superstar things.

          We muse on GW2 of the ISL:

          East Bengal show the class of champions

          It took two minutes for East Bengal. Just that. Dani Ramírez had a free kick on the edge of the box, and he curled it with his left foot, into the far corner, and set the defending ISL champions away. There were further goals from Edmund Lalrindika and Bipin Singh, one of those a majestic curler again, as East Bengal laid down the marker.

          Once again, though, Churchill Brothers were not there just to make up the numbers. They had a couple of hugely presentable opportunities, for Sebastián Gutiérrez and Wayde Lekay when the score was 2-0. Either of those go in, and there's perhaps a few nerves for the champs.

          This East Bengal side, though, have the ability to resist -- a hallmark of any Antonio Habas side, and with the talent they have in attacking areas, they always will create chances to score. Catch them if you can, ISL

          The familiarity of a one-goal Mohun Bagan win

          At half-time of their second game in the ISL, Mohun Bagan were trailing 1-0 to Delhi, and in 135 minutes of football, hadn't scored a goal, despite taking 31 shots, at one every four minutes (or so). Panos Dilmperis had legitimate reasons to be worried.

          But then, Mohun Bagan remembered they were Mohun Bagan, they who don't care about these pesky details of football matches, they who win. So they won. Lee Erwin (8 shots taken, barely threatened with any) tapped the first in a yard away from goal. A few minutes later, Apuia found a peach of a through-ball to Miguel Figueira, who stroked one into the far bottom corner. Mohun Bagan 2-1 SC Delhi.

          Ah, the familiarity of a Mohun Bagan win. Ah, the familiarity of a Mohun Bagan win by one goal.

          Punjab love a late goal

          In two games, Punjab FC have rescued three points already with goals in the 90th minute or later. If it was the late Raphael Messi Bouli show in their opener against Odisha, it was young striker Gurkirat Singh haunting his old club Mumbai City FC this week.

          It's not just late goals that Punjab love, though. It's also their young players. Bishu Singh, Vishal Yadav, Rishikanta Meitei, Arshvir Singh and Sanathoi Singh all played significant parts of the game, and in the end, it was Sanathoi who's cross was powered into the net by a Gurkirat header.

          This Punjab side don't know when they are beaten, and it's impressive that the young players coming into the side have completely bought into this attitude.

          Meanwhile, Manolo Marquez was left fuming again, as his Mumbai City continue to struggle to find their feet this season.

          Bengaluru's front three are a force

          It wasn't quite the free-flowing 27-shot, last-minute winner performance of the opening day from Bengaluru FC, but they've got two wins in two as well.

          They were helped by Chennaiyin pounding cross after cross into a box that the 6'4" Menno Koch and the equally tall Gurpreet Singh Sandhu gobbled up, but also, they were helped by having a front three that have struck up a lovely relationship already. Borja Martínez's versatility means he drops or runs in behind at will, so does Ryan Williams.

          Depending on what those two do, Mihailo Perovic has dovetailed beautifully with them. After 12 matches in the ISL, Martinez, Perovic, and Williams have 24 shots between them for 4.56 xG, 4 goals and an assist each. They'll take some stopping.

          Ajaraie's back, Blasters need more time

          Edge of the box. Left half space. Ready to curl it into the far corner. How many times has he done that in the ISL already? You know what's coming, but you cannot stop Alaaeddine Ajaraie.

          He's up and running in terms of the goals, but more encouragingly for the NEUFC fan (and the neutral), he's up and running in terms of his relationships with those around him on the pitch too, be it Antonio Moyano, Jithin MS, Abdul Rabeeh or Ethyan Gonzalez.

          Ajaraie is the beating heart of this NorthEast United side under Benali, so him being at his best early on in the season is a big tick. Moyano and Aman CK scored really good goals as well to add to Ajaraie's brace, as NorthEast made it two home wins in two with a 4-1 dismantling of the Kerala Blasters.

          Meanwhile, there were some signs from the Blasters of being a cohesive attacking unit, but they largely looked a side that came into the season on the back of not much pre-season training. Ashley Westwood knows how to win in India and he brought the Blasters out of a quagmire last season as well, but now, he needs time to bring his squad up to speed.

          It's a difficult ask from a fanbase that has waited patiently since 2014 for that elusive trophy, but that is the truth facing the Blasters at the moment.

          SC Delhi collapse again

          Tomasz Tchorz is a really exciting coach, and his SC Delhi squad has some really exciting players. However, none of that will count for a thing if Delhi continue to play 45-minute football matches instead of 90-minute ones.

          Just like in their opener against Bengaluru, Delhi dominated Mohun Bagan for a half, scored a superbly taken goal by Lalrinliana Hnamte, but then came out for the second half a completely different side. At times, they looked like a side that hadn't played together before. That cannot continue to happen, because they cannot keep undoing the good work that they are doing in games.

          In Rodriguinho and Juan Pena, they've got gamechangers up top. In the likes of Hnamte and Mohammed Aimen, they have some real talent in their ranks. Whether it is a matter of fitness or mental reserves, they just need to find a solution to sustain their good periods for a lot longer than they have in their opening two games.

          :