As the I-League inches towards completion, the Shillong Lajong-Mohun Bagan match on Wednesday saw a change in leadership of the league, the Kolkata giants going above Aizawl FC to take the lead on a head-to-head basis.

The 1-1 draw meant that all the teams have played 15 games, and with East Bengal three points behind the duo, it promises to be a tight finish at the top of the league. With the Kolkata derby now over, all the spotlight now shifts to the important Bagan vs Aizawl game to be played at the home of the North-Eastern dark horses.

Round 16 features some important match-ups and none more important than the clash at the Cooperage Stadium.

  • Mumbai FC have endured a torrid season and the end appears to be near. The team, under new coach Oscar Bruzon drew a must-win 0-0 game against their nearest relegation rivals Churchill Brothers, six points behind them. In last position, having scored only eight goals, the lowest in the league and not having won a game since the second week, time is running out for the club and with Chennai City getting their first away win last weekend, victory is absolutely essential.
  • It’s fourth versus fifth as Shillong Lajong take on Bengaluru FC, three points behind them in the I-League table. The defending champions, secured only their fifth victory of the season last weekend as Lajong followed up a 2-3 away win over DSK Shivajians followed by the draw against Bagan. 
  • Lajong are fourth, haven’t been exactly clinical in their finishing but still managed to score 22 goals, third highest in the league. A large part of that is down to Asier Dipanda Dicka, the Cameroonian with ten goals so far. A victory here could see the men from the hills aim to finish third or higher.
  • Aizawl travel to Goa to take on the might of Churchill Brothers, who will know that a win at home against the second-placed team in the league will guarantee a survival. Derrick Pereira’s team have looked solid since he took over and will be looking to consolidate on a sixth-placed position in the table.
  • Khalid Jamil’s men have dropped some crucial points in the last few weeks, which could ultimately end up costing them the title. They dropped two crucial points at Minerva and in Bengaluru, they ended up conceding late. Their season has been phenomenal to say the least, and they face a tough run-in starting with the Goans.
  • East Bengal’s loss in the Kolkata derby was the nadir of their miserable run they’ve been in. After a 2-1 away win over Lajong, they have failed to win any of the following three matches and Trevor Morgan has to outsmart Dave Rogers and DSK in order to have any shot at the title. For DSK, Subrata Paul has been error-prone and Rogers has a big decision to make.
  • Mohun Bagan have been fantastic since the end of the international break, gathering seven points from fixtures against Bengaluru, East Bengal and Shillong Lajong, sides third to fifth in the table. Sanjoy Sen’s men visit a Minerva side which have struggled for goals. With the champions-in-waiting in top form, this is the perfect time for the newbies from Ludhiana to pull out all the stops.