Preview: Bengaluru FC fight playoff battle against Kerala Blasters

The upcoming fixture will have huge implications in the race for playoff qualification.

Bengaluru FC host Kerala Blasters FC at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium on Saturday in the Indian Super League (ISL 2022-23). The match has massive stakes on the line as both outfits are candidates to finish in one of the top six positions. As the league stage approaches its conclusion, the aim is for both clubs will be to finish the season strongly.

It is going to be an exciting clash considering the quality of players on either side. There is a history between the two outfits as well. Players like Sandesh Jhingan and Danish Farooq have played for both teams which gives the fixture an electric aura.

Here is what to expect from the upcoming game between Bengaluru FC and Kerala Blasters FC:

The Stakes

Bengaluru FC

Bengaluru FC must aim to win the upcoming contest in order to secure an ISL playoffs spot. Three points would be vital heading into the last few games of the season, as the club currently sits in sixth position with 25 points from 17 fixtures. Five wins in a row in their last five matches gives BFC a huge confidence boost.

Kerala Blasters

Kerala Blasters FC could secure a playoff berth even before facing Bengaluru FC if Hyderabad FC hands a defeat to Odisha FC. The Yellow Army is in a stronger position with 31 points from 17 matches. Ivan Vukomanovic’s men will aim to come away from the fixture with a point at the minimum.

Team News

Kerala Blasters FC’s Marko Leskovic may feature in the line-up (or reserve bench) after missing out the last few games. There are a few cases of sick individuals in the camp but no other major injury concerns. For Bengaluru FC, Suresh Singh Wangjam is suspended for the fixture.

Head to Head

Total Matches Played - 11

Bengaluru wins - 6

Kerala Blasters FC wins - 3

Draws - 2

Predicted Line-ups

Bengaluru FC (3-5-2)

Gurpreet Sandhu (GK); Sandesh Jhingan, Alan Costa, Parag Shrivas; Prabir Das, Rohit Kumar, Javi Hernandez, Bruno Ramires, Naorem Roshan Singh; Roy Krishna, Sivasakthi Narayanan.

Kerala Blasters FC (4-2-3-1)

Prabhsukhan Gill (GK); Nishu Kumar, Hormipam Ruivah, Victor Mongil, Jessel Carneiro; Jeakson Singh, Ivan Kaliuzhnyi; Rahul KP, Adrian Luna, Sahal Abdul Samad; Dimitrios Diamantakos.

Player to Watch

Sandesh Jhingan (Bengaluru FC)

While eyes will be on the forwards such as Roy Krishna and Sivasakthi Narayanan, one must not overlook Sandesh Jhingan at the back. The centre-back is having a fabulous season for the Blues. His form is one of the reasons that the club has been able to reignite its pursuit of the top six.

He leads the defence by example and makes tons of clearances, thwarting everything that the opposition has to throw at him. It will take something special from KBFC to breach Jhingan during the game.

Adrian Luna (Kerala Blasters FC)

Adrian Luna is a one-man army. He is the spark that makes everything function in the Kerala Blasters FC line-up. He is by far their most influential player. The midfielder scored an exquisite goal in the previous match and provided the assist for the winning goal as well against Chennaiyin FC.

Unsurprisingly, he won the Man of the Match award for his performance. Bengaluru FC’s defenders will find it hard to contain Luna. Even if they manage to keep him from scoring, he could make a huge difference by simply creating chances for his teammates as a playmaker.

Did You Know?

• Sandesh Jhingan won the ISL Emerging Player of the Season award in the inaugural edition while playing for Kerala Blasters FC.
• Kerala Blasters FC has never won the Indian Super League.
• Naorem Roshan Singh scored his first goal for BFC against KBFC on 30 January 2022.

Telecast

The kickoff of the Bengaluru FC vs Kerala Blasters game is at 7:30 PM. The match will be played at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium, Bengaluru. Live telecast of the fixture will be available on the Star Sports Network. Disney+ Hotstar and JioTV will live stream the game.