Two ISL matches on Saturday, March 14, ended without a winner. Kerala Blasters scored in stoppage time to draw 1-1 with East Bengal at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata, while Bengaluru FC held Mohun Bagan SG to a goalless draw at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru.
Bengaluru FC became the first team this season to take points off league leaders Mohun Bagan. Kerala Blasters picked up their first point of the entire campaign.
East Bengal 1-1 Kerala Blasters
East Bengal led for over 80 minutes and looked set for three points before Muhammad Ajsal headed home from a corner in the second minute of added time to level for Kerala Blasters. The draw was East Bengal’s second in a row. For Kerala Blasters, it ended a run of four straight defeats to open the season.
East Bengal went ahead in the ninth minute through a penalty. Edmund Lalrindika received the ball inside the box and squared it to Youssef Ezzejjari, who was brought down by Aibanbha Dohling. The referee pointed to the spot, and Ezzejjari stepped up to calmly send the goalkeeper the wrong way, converting the penalty for an early 1-0 lead. Television replays raised questions about whether Ezzejjari was offside in the build-up, but the referee allowed the goal to stand. The penalty was Ezzejjari’s fifth goal of the season.
The lead did not sharpen East Bengal. Their attacking intent dropped after the goal and the first half became a disjointed midfield contest. Despite going behind early, Kerala Blasters were not reserved in their approach, constantly attacking and keeping the Red and Gold defence busy for the remainder of the half.
Danish Farooq and Kevin Yoke both had chances, and Senegalese defender Fallou Ndiaye sent a free header wide from a corner just before the break. East Bengal went into halftime ahead, but without having made their dominance count.
The hosts showed urgency in the second half to find a second goal, but the Blasters’ defence managed to keep the dangerous attacking duo of Ezzejjari and Miguel Ferreira largely quiet. Kerala Blasters defended in numbers and looked to hurt East Bengal on the counter. Substitute Jai Quitongo came on after the hour, and his low cross into the box just missed Ajsal.
In the second minute of stoppage time, Ebindas Yesudasan delivered a corner from the right and found Ajsal completely unmarked in the six-yard box. Ajsal scored a dramatic stoppage-time header in the 92nd minute.
The East Bengal defence switched off during a corner, allowing him a free header to slot the ball past Prabhsukhan Gill and secure Kerala Blasters’ first point of the season. Muhammad Ajsal, 22, scored his first goal in the Indian Super League, and what a time it was for himself and his team. He was named Player of the Match.
East Bengal vs Kerala Blasters: Match Stats
| Stat | East Bengal | Kerala Blasters |
| Possession | 55.9% | 44.1% |
| Shots on Goal | 1 | 2 |
| Shot Attempts | 9 | 7 |
| Corner Kicks | 7 | 3 |
| Yellow Cards | 0 | 2 |
| Saves | 1 | 0 |
The stat that stands out most is shots on goal. East Bengal had nine attempts across 90 minutes but only one on target. Kerala Blasters had two shots on goal and scored from one of them. It is a damning reflection of East Bengal’s finishing on the night and explains precisely why a team that dominated the contest walked away with only one point.
Kerala Blasters move to twelfth in the ISL 2025-26 table with one point. East Bengal stay third with eight points from five matches. Their next game is against Mohammedan FC.
SUGGESTED READ: Punjab FC Draw 1-1 with NorthEast United in ISL Match – March 9, 2026
What the Result Means in the ISL 2025-26 Table
East Bengal will view this as two points dropped rather than one gained. They were over 80 minutes into a win and could not see it out. Two consecutive draws have slowed their momentum at a point in the season when a run of wins could have pushed them toward the top two. The manner of the equaliser, a set-piece goal from a striker left completely unmarked at a corner, will concern head coach Oscar Bruzon.
Kerala Blasters will take the point, but know it changes very little. They remain a side that has looked short of quality throughout the campaign, and a late equaliser against a team that stopped pressing does not mask the deeper problems. Their next fixtures need to produce wins if they are going to pull clear of the relegation places.
Bengaluru FC 0-0 Mohun Bagan SG
Despite Mohun Bagan enjoying the majority of possession and creating numerous chances, Bengaluru FC produced a resolute defensive performance to become the first team this season to take points off the Mariners. Having scored 14 goals in the last four games, no one would have expected Mohun Bagan not to score against BFC.
Bengaluru FC head coach Renedy Singh named an unchanged starting XI following the win against Mohammedan Sporting Club, with Sunil Chhetri leading the attack in a 4-3-3 formation. Mohun Bagan head coach Sergio Lobera made two changes to his side, bringing in Tom Aldred in defence and Manvir Singh in midfield, while Jamie Maclaren spearheaded the attack in a 4-3-2-1 setup.
Ryan Williams tested Vishal Kaith in just the second minute, forcing the Mohun Bagan goalkeeper into a low save after being set up by right-back Roshan Singh. Mohun Bagan responded soon after. Maclaren’s effort from the left side of the box was well saved by Gurpreet Singh Sandhu in the eighth minute, while midfielder Dimitri Petratos fired narrowly wide from distance a minute later.
The Mariners gradually settled and began dominating possession. Petratos saw another effort blocked in the 14th minute. Liston Colaco tested Gurpreet from distance in the 18th minute, and Maclaren missed the target midway through the half. Colaco’s driving run into the penalty area in the 35th minute forced a crucial clearance from Chinglensana Singh. The first half ended goalless.
Bengaluru resumed with renewed intent. Sirojiddin Kuziev tested Kaith in the 48th minute, while Alberto Rodriguez’s close-range effort was saved by Gurpreet just after the hour mark. The hosts came closest in the 63rd minute when Chhetri found space inside the box, but his attempt was blocked by Anirudh Thapa before Subhasish Bose made another crucial interception.
Substitute Monirul Molla fired wide from distance in the 81st minute. Two minutes later, Gurpreet made another outstanding save to deny Rodriguez’s header near the goal. Bagan then had the clearest chance of the entire match.
Maclaren’s flicked header sent Petratos through on goal with only Gurpreet to beat, but Petratos shot wide. Despite a combined 23 shots in the match, neither side could find the decisive goal. Dimitri Petratos was named Player of the Match despite not scoring.
Bengaluru FC vs Mohun Bagan SG: Match Stats
| Stat | Bengaluru FC | Mohun Bagan SG |
| Possession | 31.4% | 68.6% |
| Shots on Goal | 4 | 4 |
| Shot Attempts | 10 | 16 |
| Corner Kicks | 3 | 4 |
| Yellow Cards | 1 | 1 |
| Saves | 4 | 4 |
Mohun Bagan had 68.6 percent of the ball and 16 shot attempts, yet managed only four on target. Bengaluru had less than a third of possession but matched Bagan on shots on goal with four each.
Gurpreet Singh Sandhu made four saves to keep his sheet clean, the same number Vishal Kaith made at the other end. The stats reflect a disciplined defensive performance from Bengaluru that frustrated a Bagan side that was not clinical enough despite their dominance.
Title Race Implications: Can Anyone Close the Gap on Mohun Bagan
Mohun Bagan remain top of the ISL 2025-26 table with 13 points, but the dropped points against Bengaluru are the first blemish on what had been a perfect record this season. The performance at the Sree Kanteerava raised questions about their ability to break down defensively organised opposition.
Petratos missing one-on-one when the game was there to be won is the kind of moment that can shift the psychology of a title race. With this draw, Mohun Bagan has now allowed Jamshedpur FC to take the top position in the points table when they face NorthEast United on Sunday. A win for Jamshedpur FC will take them two points clear of Mohun Bagan.
For Bengaluru, the clean sheet against the league’s strongest attack will give head coach Renedy Singh and his players significant confidence. With the top six playoff spots still very much up for grabs, results like this one can define how a club’s season ultimately unfolds.
ISL 2025-26 Upcoming Fixtures This Week
Three more matches follow on Sunday and Monday. On Sunday, March 15, NorthEast United face Jamshedpur FC at 5 p.m. and Inter Kashi host Mumbai City FC at 7:30 p.m.
On Monday, March 16, Punjab FC takes on FC Goa at 7:30 p.m. The ISL 2025-26 season is entering the stage where every dropped point becomes very difficult to recover.
For more ISL news and updates, follow Jeetwin Sports!
