Kerala Blasters vs Bengaluru FC lineups, team news, prediction & preview

A heated Southern Derby awaits as both teams aim to secure all three points.

Kerala Blasters will host Bengaluru FC in their next home game of the Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25  at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Kochi on October 25 (Friday).

This fixture last season was a night of celebration for Kerala Blasters’ fans. After an even first half, the Tuskers took the lead in the 52nd minute through an own goal by Keziah Veendorp. This was quickly followed by an error from Bengaluru goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu in the 69th minute, which Adrian Luna capitalized on to secure a two-goal cushion. The Blues pulled one back in the 90th minute through Curtis Main, but that only proved to be consolation as the Blasters marched on to victory.

Let us take a look at how the ISL 2024-25 showdown between the two is shaping up to look like:

Stakes

Kerala Blasters

The Tuskers had a mixed start to the season but have progressively evolved in terms of both performance and results. They opened with a home defeat against Punjab FC but bounced back with a strong victory over East Bengal FC. Since then, the Blasters have remained unbeaten, securing two draws in away fixtures against NorthEast United and Odisha FC, followed by a thrilling comeback win against Mohammedan SC to bag three points.

Mikael Stahre’s side will surely be looking to extend their unbeaten run and build on the momentum they gained from recent fixtures. A win in the next game will see them move up to third place in the ISL table.

Bengaluru FC

Bengaluru FC have made a dream start to the season, securing four wins and a draw from their first five fixtures. The juggernauts clinched all three points against East Bengal FC and Hyderabad FC, followed by another dominating performance against Mohun Bagan Super Giant, one of strongest sides in the league. They secured a goalless draw in their away fixture against the defending champions Mumbai City FC and quickly bounced back with a victory against Punjab FC, despite being reduced to 10 men.

The Blues have the best defence in the league and are yet to concede a goal this season. The league leaders are the only unbeaten side in ISL 2024-25 so far, and will certainly not settle for anything less than a win against the Blasters.

Injury and Team News

Kerala Blasters

There are no serious injury concerns in the Kerala Blasters camp, with Adrian Luna and Som Kumar returning fully fit for the last fixture. The return of Luna to the starting eleven will be a huge boost for the Blasters, especially against the best defence in the league, having not conceded a single goal this season.

Bengaluru FC

The Blues will have to cope with a suspension, as Chinglensana Singh received a red card in their last fixture against Punjab FC.

ISL Head-to-Head

Matches Played: 15

Kerala Blasters: 4 wins

Bengaluru FC: 9 wins

Draws: 2

Predicted Lineups

Kerala Blasters FC (4-3-3)

Som Kumar (GK); Sandeep Singh, Pritam Kotal, Alexandre Coeff, Huidrom Naocha Singh; Vibin Mohanan, Danish Farooq, Adrian Luna; Rahul KP, Noah Sadaoui, Jesus Jimenez

Bengaluru FC (4-4-2)

Gurpreet Singh Sandhu (GK); Nikhil Poojari, Rahul Bheke, Aleksandar Jovanovic, Naorem Roshan Singh; Vinith Venkatesh, Alberto Noguera, Pedro Capo, Suresh Singh Wangjam; Sunil Chhetri, Edgar Mendez

Players to Watch

Noah Sadaoui

Noah Sadaoui has been the Tuskers’ most impactful and influential player this season. The Moroccan winger has already recorded five goal involvements in five matches, bagging three goals and two assists.

He has been crucial to the Blasters’ setup with his explosiveness and creativity from the flanks. Sadaoui has consistently impressed in every game and will be heavily relied upon to make a difference up front against the unbeaten Bengaluru defence.

Sunil Chhetri

Sunil Chhetri will once again be the centre of attention in Kochi, thanks to his impressive records in these matchups. The former Indian football team skipper has delivered some of his best performances against Kerala Blasters, netting seven goals in the league against them and providing two assists. The forward is also in fine form this season, having scored three goals in five appearances and providing one assist.

Did you know?

• The matches between Bengaluru FC and Kerala Blasters are known as the “Southern Derby,” highlighting the fierce rivalry between the two teams from South India.
• The last time Bengaluru FC defeated Kerala Blasters at home was in the 2021-22 season.
• Kerala Blasters have not yet secured a single victory at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium against Bengaluru FC.

Telecast details

The Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 fixture between Kerala Blasters and Bengaluru FC will take place at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi on 25 October. The match will kick off at 7:30 PM IST.

The match will be telecast live on Sports 18 and will be available for streaming on Jio Cinema. International viewers can also watch the match on the OneFootball app.

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