ISL: Kerala Blasters face rivals Bengaluru FC in season opener

Two ambitious teams will kickstart the 10th season of the ISL.

Indian Super League 2023-24 will start with an opening fixture between Kerala Blasters and Bengaluru FC. The excitement amongst Indian football fans has been building before the beginning of the latest season of the top-tier league competition of India. 

The opening fixture often sets the tone for the rest of the season and provides a window into what to expect from the teams that are involved. As a result, the upcoming fixture between Kerala Blasters and former ISL winners Bengaluru FC will be a highly-watched contest.

Here is what to look out for from the opening fixture of the ISL 2023-24 season:

The Stakes

Kerala Blasters

Kerala Blasters have never won the Indian Super League. Despite having one of the most passionate fanbases in the country, the outfit has been unable to deliver trophies for them to celebrate. Ivan Vukomanovic has strong support behind him but another season without a trophy will make the fans impatient. Therefore, starting the campaign with a win becomes important for the Yellow Army. 

Bengaluru FC 

Bengaluru FC had a brilliant 2022-23 campaign. The outfit won the Durand Cup and reached the final of the Indian Super League playoffs and the Super Cup. The expectations will be high to replicate the previous season’s performance. Qualifying for the playoffs will be the minimum expectation and winning the opening fixture is going to be a perfect start towards that goal. 

Injury & Team News

Sunil Chhetri and Rohit Danu will be unavailable for Bengaluru FC due to their involvement in the Asian Games in Hangzhou. Kerala Blasters will miss Rahul KP and Bryce Miranda, who are also representing the Indian national team in the Asian Games.

Head-to-Head

Total Matches Played - 13

Kerala Blasters FC wins - 3

Bengaluru FC wins - 8

Draws - 2

Predicted Lineups

Kerala Blasters (4-4-2):

Lara Sharma (GK), Pritam Kotal, Hormipam Ruivah, Marko Leskovic, Aiban Dohling, Danish Farooq, Jeakson Singh, Adrian Luna, Daisuke Sakai, Ishan Pandita, Kwameh Peprah

Bengaluru FC (4-2-1-3):

Gurpreet Singh Sandhu (GK), Namgyal Bhutia, Aleksandar Jovanovic, Parag Shrivas, Naorem Roshan Singh, Rohit Kumar, Suresh Singh Wangjam, Javier Hernandez, Ryan Williams, Curtis Main, Halicharan Narzary

Players to Watch

Adrian Luna (KBFC)

Adrian Luna is the most influential player in the Kerala Blasters line-up. The attacking midfielder is the orchestrator and loves to create scoring opportunities. His vision and technical qualities make him dangerous for any opposition. His form will be vital for the Yellow Army's three-point quest.

Javier Hernandez (BFC)

Javier Hernandez is the man to watch out for from the Bengaluru FC line-up. The attacking midfielder can change the complexion of any game single-handedly with his creativity and playmaking abilities. He can shoot from range and hurt the opposition with his set-pieces. He scored seven goals and made five assists last season for the Blues.

Did You Know?

• Both KBFC and BFC won their opening games last season.
• Ivan Vukomanovic won't be there in the dugout tomorrow.
• Javier Hernandez was the top-scorer for the Blues last season with seven goals.

Telecast

The Kerala Blasters FC vs Bengaluru FC kicks off at 8 PM IST, at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi. Live telecast will be available on Sports18 1 channel. Live streaming of the game will be available on the JioCinema app.