Mohun Bagan Super Giant, playing their first home game of the 2026/27 Indian Super League (ISL) campaign, defeated the Marina Machans 1-0 at the Salt Lake Stadium to get all three points.
The visitors started brightly and were the better team for the good part of the game, having registered over 25 shots compared to Mohun Bagan’s 15. There were a lot of attempts from both the sides in the opening 45 minutes of the game where Nikola Stojanovic fired over the goal, while Irfan Yadwad and Madih Talal were both denied by Vishal Kaith.
Dejan Drazic tested Mohammad Nawaz at the other end, and the first half ended goalless. The second half stayed tense until the 85th minute, when Liston Colaco’s cross found Manvir Singh at the far post, who tapped in from close range to give the Mariners the lead.
Chennaiyin pushed for an equalizer, but Kaith stayed firm and Ramon Tanque’s late effort drifted wide shortly after Nikola Stojanovic hit the woodwork. The Mariners now have six points from three games, while Clifford Miranda’s side are still without a win.
Chennaiyin FC’s finishing costed them three points yet again
While many of Chennaiyin FC’s performances since Clifford Miranda took over have been lacklustre, with the team being outplayed in various aspects of the game over the course of 90 minutes, this performance was very different. His side was on the front foot for large parts of the game and was clearly the better team on the pitch, at least by some distance.
Their defensive performance was decent, and they did not concede many big chances to the Mariners. Their tactics of exploiting spaces through quick transitions worked brilliantly against Mohun Bagan’s midfield and defence. The combination between Madih Talal and Nikola Stojanović to create chances in the final third was outstanding.
However, they failed to do what has been missing from their game for a long time now: score goals. Neither Ramon Tanque, Irfan Yadwad nor Brison Fernandes could find the back of the net.
To register 25 shots at a venue like Salt Lake Stadium, where Mohun Bagan are a formidable force to overcome, and still come away without a goal or a point, puts the spotlight firmly on the forwards, who underperformed and failed to convert their chances.
Despite Manvir’s decisive goal, Vishal Kaith was the difference-maker
There are victories where the goalkeeper is a spectator, and then there are victories where he becomes the difference between three points and a disappointing result. Against Chennaiyin, Kaith belonged firmly in the latter category.
Chennaiyin repeatedly exploited the spaces behind Mohun Bagan’s defensive line, with Madih Talal’s incisive passing creating problems for the home side. In the 27th minute, Kaith denied Yadwad after the forward was released behind the defence. He continued his impressive performance after the break, keeping out another Yadwad attempt and producing an excellent save against Ramon Tanque around the hour mark.
The decisive defensive sequence came late in the second half. Stojanović struck the crossbar in the 78th minute before Kaith denied the midfielder again shortly afterwards.
For Panagiotis Dilmperis, this performance offers reassurance between the posts, but it also raises an important question: can Mohun Bagan continue relying on their goalkeeper to compensate for defensive lapses?
It’s now or never time for Clifford Miranda
This was arguably Chennaiyin’s best performance under Clifford Miranda. The coach’s reaction after Ramon missed a late chance summed up the evening perfectly: so close, yet still not there.
However, looking at the bigger picture, things have not really clicked for Clifford Miranda during his time at Chennaiyin. With this defeat, they are now winless in their last eight games. Under his management, they have won just two of the 19 games he has taken charge of.
While his side has shown considerable progress in implementing the possession-based style of play they want to adopt in the long term, they are yet to solve the goalscoring issues that have plagued them from day one. They have scored just 10 goals in 19 games under Clifford Miranda and have not managed to score more than once in a single game.
Progress on the pitch in terms of playing style counts for little if the team cannot pick up points and establish itself among the league’s best. Clifford must now find a way to secure wins consistently and push Chennaiyin into the top six to achieve their minimum objective of qualifying for the playoffs.
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