Kochi, Sep 21 Kerala Blasters FC will be looking for a win in the Indian Super League (ISL) season 2024-25 when they take on East Bengal FC in a match to be played at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here on Sunday at 7:30 pm.
Kerala Blasters lost their first match of season 11 to Punjab FC. The Blasters gave a tough fight to Punjab FC in the last match, due to which Punjab FC had to struggle till the last moment for the winning goal. On the other hand, East Bengal FC were defeated by Bengaluru FC 1-0 in the opening match. The Red and Gold Brigade constantly troubled the Blues’ defense before losing and they hope that the same kind of effort in this match will yield the desired results.
Cuadrat’s side dominate against KBFC
Cuadrat’s side have scored in all seven matches they have played against Kerala Blasters FC in the ISL, scoring 15 goals, which is their second-most against any opponent in the league.
“We will bounce back”
Mikael Stahre, who recently took over as Kerala Blasters FC head coach, wants his side to play with more precision. Against Punjab FC, the team shared the ball more (57.3%), had better passing accuracy (72% vs 66%) and had more shots on target (4 vs 3). But the Swedish coach is demanding more.
“We have to put more players in attack, play more passes, be more accurate and tactical and be more effective. I am positive, but right now, this loss really hurts. But we will bounce back,” he said.
“We have tried to attack from the gaps through the pace of the youngsters”
Spanish head coach Carlos Cuadrat brought in Kerala youngsters PV Vishnu and Aman CK in the second half against Bengaluru FC. Despite being relatively less experienced, both of these youngsters were at the forefront of creating opportunities for East Bengal in the last moments of the match.
The Spanish coach said, “In the game, we have tried to use the gaps through their pace. Aman CK, PV Vishnu and Nandakumar (Sekar) created chances by using the gaps and putting in crosses. We tried to finish and unfortunately, we could not score. But I think they will give a lot to the team in the future as well.” He further said, “The opening match of the season was difficult, but now we are moving forward. Tomorrow’s match will be difficult. Our goal tomorrow is to play well, be competitive and come back.”
Players to watch out for
Both Kerala Blasters and East Bengal have strong players who can make an impact on this match.
The Yellow Army will be hoping for some big goals from new signing Jesus Jimenez, who scored on his debut against Punjab FC last season. He is the eighth Kerala Blasters player to do so.
East Bengal rely on Dimitrios Diamantakos for goals as the Greek striker won the Golden Boot of the last ISL season 2023-24 by scoring 13 goals for the Blasters.
Kerala Blasters FC’s Nouha Sadaoui has had 7.3 touches in the opposition box per 90 minutes in the ISL since the start of 2024. This is the most.
