Alaeddine Ajaraie, record breaker. Mohun Bagan, inevitable. Sergio Lobera just about Sergio Lobera-ing. A Kolkata derby with no fizz. All that and more in this week’s Indian Super League musings:

We knew Alaeddine was a magician, now he’s a record shattering one

20 goals. Twenty.

When Ferran Corominas hit 18 goals in 2017-18 that felt untouchable. When Bart Ogbeche scored just as many in 2021-22, it felt truly remarkable. Alaeddine Ajaraie has come and swept it all aside. Two goals at either end of the match against Jamshedpur (6′ and 83′) saw the Moroccan put a rubber stamp on what has to be the greatest individual season in the history of ISL.

And it was an important win. NorthEast’s position in the top 6 was looking a little precarious, but the man with the magic lamp has made it just that bit safer. It’s almost incidental that he’s smashing every record in sight (and he has three games more to keep doing that in the league stage.) What a player, what a season he’s having.

Who leaves Mourtada Fall unmarked at a set piece?

Hyderabad FC. That’s who.

And that just about sums up their season. After outplaying a much stronger-on-paper Odisha and taking a 1-0 lead into halftime, they proved to be their own worst enemies when they let all 6 feet 4 inches of Fall to be so free in their own penalty box that he could stoop to head home a corner with not a defender in his immediate vicinity. The moment that equaliser rocketed in, Odisha took over – and a 1-3 loss meant Hyderabad lost whatever remote mathematical chance they had of making the top 6.

For Odisha, though, the all-important three points ensured they stay put in Mumbai City’s rearview mirror with just three games to go. This is by no means a vintage Sergio Lobera side, but they’ve played just well enough to remain in the reckoning for the playoffs: and this match was a succinct example of that.