Hero Super Cup 2023: Old rivalry reignited as Bengaluru FC take on Kerala Blasters

The last time these two sides took the pitch, a huge controversy shadowed the horizon.

On Sunday, April 16, 2023, the Group A Hero Super Cup clash between Bengaluru FC and Kerala Blasters FC is likely to generate lots of interest, though it may be for reasons not directly related to the current competition.

The two teams met in the playoffs of the recently concluded Indian Super League and the match generated unexpected heat because of a goal scored by Bengaluru FC.

While the Kerala Blasters hotly contested the goal and walked off in protest, leading to disciplinary actions against them, Bengaluru advanced in the tournament on the basis of that lone goal scored by their skipper Sunil Chhetri.

On Sunday, the two teams will meet for the first time since the unfinished ISL tie, and the fans will definitely be curious to follow the outing.

Coming back to the Hero Super Cup match, Bengaluru FC, not only need to win but they also have to better Sreenidi Deccan FC's result. The I-League runners-up side from Hyderabad will face RoundGlass Punjab FC on Sunday in another match to be played simultaneously to determine which team go through to the knockout stages from this group.

This is going to be the fourth meeting between the two ISL sides this season. Bengaluru FC leads in the head-to-head battle, winning twice and losing only once this season against the popular team from Kerala.

Bengaluru FC Head Coach, Simon Grayson, underlined the significance of the match on Sunday. He expects a good crowd to watch the two rivals face off in a match that has all the ingredients for an intense battle. 

"You can only control what you do and we can’t let what happens in the other match affect us," Simon said on the eve of the match.

Kerala Blasters FC are faced with a must-win situation and to add to it, they will hope that RoundGlass Punjab FC pull out a win against Sreenidi Deccan to make way for the Kerala side to make the last four.

Kerala Blasters assistant coach Frank Dauwen felt that losing against Sreenidi had landed them in trouble. However, he is optimistic that the players can pull off as they enjoy the local support.