Ratings: Diamantakos shines as Kerala Blasters snatch away win over Punjab

Kerala Blasters now share same points as ISL leaders FC Goa but are positioned second.

Dimitros Diamantakos’ penalty in the second half made the difference and gave Kerala Blasters an important away win against a defensively compact Punjab FC side. The visitors stamped their presence by a series of attacks from the first half. Punjab FC’s defense stood tall, put no foot wrong but an unfortunate penalty in the second half meant Staikos Vergetis side took no points from the game.

Here are the ratings from the game:

Punjab FC (by Rutvij Joshi)

Kiran Limbu – 6

Did nothing wrong. Made some regulation saves and also helped his team build from the back. Unfortunately couldn’t save the penalty.

Khaiminthang Lhungdim – 6

Lhungdim was solid at the back. Abhishek and him frustrated the KBFC wingers and didn’t give them chances to cut in.

Suresh Meitei – 6.5

Suresh was putting his body on the line for every block and wanted to make sure the team gets the clean-sheet. Unfortunate for him, an individual error ruined a perfect game personally.

Dimitris Chatziisais – 6

Dimitris’ positioning was brilliant and made sure the crosses never reached the intended person in the box.

Nitesh Darjee – 5.5

Nitesh Darjee was against his back due to persistent attack by Kerala Blasters. Was not very successful in keeping Rahul KP quiet.

Krishnananda Singh – 6

Krishnananda had two very good opportunities in the first half but he let it squander due to a rush of blood. If he could have squared it to Luka Majcen, the game could have seen a different result. 

Nikhil Prabhu – 5

Nikhil’s defensive work was spot on. However, he gave away a penalty which was the difference-maker.

Ashis Pradhan – 5

Ashis also put in a solid defensive shift but his forward passes were very disappointing and were mostly intercepted by Kerala Blasters’ players.

Abhishek Singh – 5.5

Abhishek too, was inconsistent with his offensive play but combined well with Lhungdim to deny a chance from the right to Kerala Blasters.

Luka Majcen – 6

Luka was a lone man in attack and gave his everything. He had a chance to glance a shot in the second half but hastily passed to Wilmar Jordan Gil.

Madih Talal – 6

Madih Talal had very less of the ball. He had a couple of set-pieces which were disappointing.

Substitutes

Prasanth K – 6

Prasanth injected pace and stretched KBFC’s defensive line with it. But it did not result in anything for his team.

Wilmar Jordan Gil – 7

Jordan tried his best for getting a equalizer but had very little chances against a resolute Kerala Blasters defense.

Kingslee Fernandes – 5

Replaced Ashis in the midfield but had very little influence on the game.

Leon Augustine – N/A

Kerala Blasters (By Alen Philip Mathew)

Sachin Suresh – 7.5

A solid performance with a clean-sheet. Stood strong against Punjab’s attacks, and showcased bravery in crucial moments.

Pritam Kotal – 7

Made critical tackles and attempted overlaps, but struggled with numerous mispasses and received a yellow card.

Miloš Drinčić – 7.5

Formed a good partnership with Leskovic, contributed defensively with tackles, and aided the backline effectively.

Marco Lešković – 8

Showcased exceptional leadership skills, guided teammates including the goalkeeper and formed a great partnership with Milos. Executed crucial tackles.

Naocha Singh – 7.5

Contributed both defensively and offensively, provided passes to the midfield, displayed overlapping skills, and ensured a secure defense.

Mohammed Azhar – 7

Impressive debut (starting XI). Aided in quick starts, contributed to possession, and played a decent game overall.

Vibin Mohanan – 9

Crucial performance in Luna’s absence, showcased impressive shots on target. Saw a fantastic free-kick hit the woodwork.

Mohammed Aimen – 8.5

Provided quality passes to the attackers, played a significant role in possession, and won a penalty that impacted the scoreline.

Rahul KP – 6.5

Displayed a lack of confidence, struggled with several mispasses, and had an overall weak performance.

Dimitrios Diamantakos – 8.5

Actively participated in attacks, scored a goal from the spot, made efforts in ball-recovery, and combined well with Peprah.

Kwame Peprah – 7.5

Showed good speed towards the box and contributed to the team’s attacking prowess. Displayed good ball control, but had some inaccurate shots.

Substitutes

Sourav Mandal – 6.5

Showed promise with his runs but lacked crucial impact and received a yellow card.

Daisuke Sakai – 6.5

Demonstrated potential with his runs but didn’t get significant involvement.

Ishan Pandita – N/A

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