4 min readMay 18, 2026 10:44 PM IST
First published on: May 18, 2026 at 07:16 PM IST
It took a long time for the 2025/26 season of the Indian Super League (ISL) to heave itself off the ground and while it’s feet continued to shiver under the weight of a bureaucratic mess, it somehow has provided a thriller of a title race that has gone down to the last day. A significant byproduct of this was a Kolkata derby that, for a change, actually mattered a lot at the top of the table, after which there are now four chief contenders for the ISL trophy: East Bengal, Mohun Bagan SG, Punjab FC and Mumbai City FC.
With head-to-head record between teams being the first tie-breaker this season before goal-difference, a victory for either Bagan or East Bengal would’ve practically sealed the title for either side in the Kolkata Derby. It wasn’t to be. In front of a sold out crowd at the Salt Lake Stadium, the two sides went blow for blow for almost the entirety of the match. It all came to a crescendo in the dying minutes in which there were two goals and a red card and at the end of it all, the score read 1-1.
There were seven contenders for the title before the start of the derby and three of them – Bengaluru FC, FC Goa and Jamshedpur FC, fell off at the end of it. Furthermore, any situation in which all four remaining contenders finish on the same points on Thursday will result in East Bengal winning the title, which means the head-to-head record won’t really mater. Here is how things stand for the remainder of the challengers:
East Bengal – 1st on the table with 23 points, goal difference of 18
The draw against Bagan has left the Red and Gold Brigade as the current frontrunners for the title. They may be level on points with Bagan and Bengaluru FC and played draws against both sides, which means goal difference becomes the differentiator. East Bengal boast a goal difference of 18, five more than second-placed Bagan and a whopping 12 more than third-placed Bengaluru. If they win their match against Inter Kashi on Thursday, they win the title regardless of what happens in the other games.
Mohun Bagan Super Giant – 2nd on the table with 23 points, goal difference of 13
Bagan, like East Bengal, had played a draw against Bengaluru and are second on the basis of their goal difference. The most straightforward way for them to win the title is to beat Sporting Club Delhi in their final game and hope that East Bengal drop points against Kashi. If East Bengal win, Bagan will have to beat Delhi by a margin of five goals or more to overturn the goal difference.
Punjab FC (4th with 22 points and goal difference of 8) and Mumbai City FC (5th with 22 points and goal difference of 6)
Punjab and Mumbai City’s fates are intertwined as their final match of the season on Thursday is against each other. Mumbai have managed to beat one of the two Kolkata giants while Punjab have not but that part doesn’t really matter as the head-to-head scenario for either side comes into play only if they finish level on points with Bagan or East Bengal. As stated earlier, East Bengal will be champions in that scenario. It means that if Punjab and Mumbai play out a draw, neither side will finish as champions. If they win, though, they will have to hope that East Bengal and Bagan to drop points, which would put Punjab or Mumbai one point ahead of the Kolkata giants.
The Kolkata derby ended in a 1-1 draw which has left East Bengal in pole position. (ISL Photo) 
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