ISL 2023-24: Mohun Bagan vs Kerala Blasters | Preview, Predicted lineup, injury news, H2H, telecast details

Mohun Bagan have scored 19 goals in ISL 2023-24, the most for any side in the league.

Mohun Bagan Super Giant are determined to end their 2023 on a positive note when they host fellow Indian Super League (ISL 2023-24) title challengers Kerala Blasters on Wednesday (December 27) at the Salt Lake Stadium. The Mariners are desperate to end their two-game losing run, but are set to face a daunting side against a Blasters side going strong even without Adrian Luna.

The Stakes

Mohun Bagan

After their recent back-to-back losses, Mohun Bagan are no longer in control of the ISL league stages title race. They’re now four points behind the top of the table and need to regain their winning momentum to protect themselves from falling far behind in the race. The Mariners are facing a Blasters side who are joint-top on points, but have played two more games than them.

They will look to dent their opponents’ momentum by producing a clinical effort to entertain their fans at home and restart their title charge. However, another loss or even a draw could further dampen their title aspirations and set them up for a really tough battle in the second half of the season.

Kerala Blasters

Kerala Blasters haven’t allowed the absence of Adrian Luna to completely derail their form at all. They proved their might even without their captain with a compelling win over Mumbai City recently, and aim to repeat that heroics in the upcoming game against the Mariners.

KBFC will aim to end 2023 on a high with a win at the Salt Lake Stadium, doing which can properly assert them as one of the major title challengers heading into the second half of the campaign. With that being said, a loss can be a setback to their momentum and also get them to fall behind FC Goa – who have played a few games fewer than them.

Team News

Mohun Bagan are still without key Indian players like Anwar Ali, Sahal Abdul Samad and Ashique Kuruniyan, who are injured. Liston Colaco is going to miss a few more games after being given a four-match ban by the AIFF.

Head-to-Head

This will be the first time that Mohun Bagan SG and Kerala Blasters face each other in the ISL. However, the erstwhile ATK Mohun Bagan had faced the Blasters six times, winning five of those matches!

Predicted Lineups

Mohun Bagan (4-2-3-1)

Vishal Kaith (GK), Brendan Hamill, Hector Yuste, Sumit Rathi, Manvir Singh, Anirudh Thapa, Deepak Tangri, Subashish Bose, Dimitri Petratos, Kiyan Nassiri, Jason Cummings

Kerala Blasters (4-4-2)

Sachin Suresh (GK), Pritam Kotal, Milos Drincic, Marko Leskovic, Naocha Singh, Rahul KP, Danish Farooq, Vibin Mohanan, Mohammed Aimen, Kwame Peprah, Dimitrios Diamantakos

Players to Watch

Dimitri Petratos (Mohun Bagan)

Dimitri Petratos’ return from injury has proven to be a major boost for Mohun Bagan, as he’s brought more variety and unpredictability to their attack. Petratos needs to start clicking in every game for the Mariners to get back into a strong position in the title race and that needs to begin from the upcoming game.

Petratos is a livewire in the attacking areas, being able to get the ball in dangerous areas and keep defenders guessing. He’ll try to create big chances with his set-pieces and innovative passes to open things up for Jason Cummings. Petratos will also look to get into promising goal-scoring situations to torment the visitors and get his side back to winning ways.

Dimitrios Diamantakos (Kerala Blasters)

Dimitrios Diamantakos has been leading from the front for the Tuskers in the 2023-24 ISL so far, nearing recording a goal contribution in every game. With six goals in nine appearances, he’s pushing for the ISL Golden Boot and also guiding his side to stay alive in the title race. Diamantakos will probably thrive at the prospect of facing a struggling Mohun Bagan backline that has leaked six goals in the last two games.

He’ll look to be a thorn at the side of defenders, displacing them from their positions to help his teammates create chances. But Diamantakos’ primary objective will be to get at the end of chances and get in the right places at the right time to maintain his goal-scoring heroics and help Kerala Blasters end 2023 with a bang.

Did you know?

• Mohun Bagan Super Giant have scored 19 goals in the ISL so far this season, the most for any side in the league.
• Dimitrios Diamantakos is the joint-leading goal-scorer in the ISL with six goals alongside Jorge Pereyra Diaz.
• Mohun Bagan have conceded four penalties in the ISL so far, the second-most for any team.

Telecast

The Mohun Bagan vs Kerala Blasters game kicks off at 8 PM IST, at the Salt Lake Stadium, Kolkata on 27 December. Live telecast of the fixture will be available on Sports18 Network (Sports18 1/VH1 Channel). Live streaming of the game will be available on the JioCinema app. Viewers from abroad can use OneFootball to stream the game.

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