Kerala Blasters FC aim for their first win in ISL 2025-26 against Chennaiyin FC

The Blasters will face the Marina Machans on the 7th March

Kerala Blasters FC will lock horns against Chennaiyin FC on the 7th of March for the Southern Derby clash of the Indian Super League (ISL) 2025-26. The match is scheduled to take place at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Kochi, at 7:30 PM IST.

Both Kerala Blasters FC and Chennaiyin FC have had a rough start to the season, as the Blasters have not managed to fetch even a single point, while Chennaiyin has bagged only one point. Both teams are placed 12th and 11th in the group table, respectively and have already entered the relegation battle quite early into the tournament.

The Kerala Blasters FC vs Chennaiyin FC match now acts as the golden opportunity for any one of the teams to step forward and gain a relatively significant advantage over their counterpart. With both teams eying for their first win of the season, which could build momentum for the rest of the tournament, the stakes of the southern derby are higher than ever.

The Stakes

Kerala Blasters FC

For Kerala Blasters FC, this is one of their last opportunities to regain their long-lost confidence and the trust of their fans. Chennaiyin FC, being yet another struggling side in the league, comes in as a perfect opportunity for the Blasters to register their first win of the season.

Having lost three games in a row, the morale of the players and the excitement of the fans are at rock bottom. The match against Chennaiyin FC is now a chance to redeem themselves and prove that the Blasters are here to compete. Their primary aim will be to fetch all three points and move as far away as possible from the relegation battle.

Hence, a win here for the Blasters is not just yet another outcome of the game; it is the only possible option in front of them to have a relatively smoother season ahead.

Chennaiyin FC

The tale of Chennaiyin FC is not very different to that of the Blasters. Same as that of Blasters, Chennaiyin FC had also lost to the likes of Mumbai City FC and Mohun Bagan in their first two matches of the Indian Super League. However, the only thing that differentiates them from the Blasters is that, while the Tuskers lost their third match, Chennaiyin FC shared the spoils with Odisha FC and fetched the first point of the season.

However, despite accumulating a point, Chennaiyin are still in the 11th position, very well along with the Blasters in the relegation battle, and like the Blasters, this match will be a perfect opportunity for Chennaiyin FC to secure three points and move far away from the battle of relegation.

Chennaiyin, hence, will be looking forward to giving it all at Kochi to bag maximum points and keep the JLN crowd silent.

Team News

Kerala Blasters FC will not have Oumar Bah in their squad, as the player mutually terminated his contract earlier this week.

As a replacement, the Tuskers have signed Ndiaye Fallou to reinforce the defensive unit. Korou Singh will also not feature in tomorrow’s match due to personal reasons. Apart from this, there are no major injury concerns or absences for the Blasters.

As far as Chennaiyin FC is concerned, apart from Chima, the whole roster is expected to be available for the southern derby clash of the Indian Super League.

Predicted Lineup

Kerala Blasters FC (4-2-3-1)

Arsh; Naocha Singh, Bikash Yumnam, Matias Hernandez, Sandeep Singh; Vibin Mohanan, Danish Farooq; Kevin Yoke, Marlon Roos, Nihal Sudheesh; Victor

Chennaiyin FC (4-2-3-1)

Nawaz; Mandar Rao Desai, Pritam Kotal, Elsinho, Laldinliana Renthlei; Maheson Singh, Mohammed Ali Bemammer; Farukh Choudhary, Alberto Noguera, Irfan Yadwad; Iñigo Martín

Player To Watch Out For

Kerala Blasters FC – Victor Bertomeu

The Blasters’ only goal scorer of the season, Victor, will be the player to watch out for in the match against Chennaiyin FC. With a decent positioning in the final third and a good understanding of structured systems, Victor can be a potent threat for Chennaiyin FC.

With natural poacher instincts, Victor can effectively press the opponent’s backline and force errors from their side. Victor also becomes a reliable option for anticipating loose balls and rebounds and converting them into goals.

In the last match against Inter Kashi FC, even though the Blasters were on the losing side, Victor was the person who scored the solitary goal for the Blasters in the final minutes of the game. T

he striker kept his eyes on the ball during the Ebindas free kick and somehow found his legs on the ball at the end to roll the ball over the back of the net, providing the Blasters with a glimmer of hope. If Victor can gather confidence and display a remarkable performance, he could potentially lead the Blasters to their first victory of the season.

Chennaiyin FC – Maheson Singh

The 21-year-old midfielder of Chennaiyin FC, Maheson Singh, will be the player to watch out against Kerala Blasters FC. Maheson has been a bright spark for Chennaiyin, looking sharp and impactful whenever given a chance on the pitch. As the team continues to struggle with breaking down compact opponent defences, the youngster’s vision and energy in the transition from midfield to attack have become increasingly crucial for his side.

In their previous match against Odisha FC, Maheson made his first start for the league, along with Bemammer and the midfielder combined cleverly with Martin to create some chances for Chennaiyin, including a dangerous pass, which was fired over by Martin. Even though he was benched early in the second half, given the hunger he has displayed in his recent performance, he might be the tactical key Clifford Miranda needs if he is trusted with a place in the starting XI once again.

Head-to-Head

Kerala Blasters FC and Chennaiyin FC have faced each other 24 times so far in the Indian Super League. Out of the 24 times, the following were the head-to-head results

• Kerala Blasters FC Win – 8 Wins
• Chennaiyin FC Win – 7 Wins
• Draw – 9 Draws

Did you know?

• Chennaiyin FC haven’t kept a clean sheet in 11 matches
• Kerala Blasters FC have won the previous 2 matches against Chennaiyin FC.

Telecast details

The Indian Super League match between Kerala Blasters FC and Chennaiyin FC will be played on the 7th of March, 2026. The match will be live-streamed on FanCode and broadcast on Sony Sports Network.

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