Kerala Blasters FC vs Mohun Bagan preview line-ups, team news and prediction| Kalinga Super Cup 2025

Mohun Bagan reached the Kalinga Super Cup 2025 quarterfinals directly.

Mohun Bagan looks to keep their domestic treble dreams alive as they face a rejuvenated Kerala Blasters FC side in the 2025 Kalinga Super Cup quarterfinal at the Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar, on Saturday (April 26).

The Mariners are coming off their inspired Indian Super League (ISL) title win, but face a highly motivated and amped up Tuskers side who will take the fight to them, which should result in an enticing clash.

The Kalinga Super Cup 2025 quarterfinals are set, and four exciting fixtures await! #IndianFootball #KalingaSuperCup pic.twitter.com/PZoGHKMZJx

— Khel Now (@KhelNow) April 25, 2025

The Stakes

Kerala Blasters FC

Kerala Blasters FC made a statement of intent with a dominant win over East Bengal in the Round of 16 clash. They produced some clinical football and showcased their intention to go all the way in the tournament.

The Tuskers will face off against a relatively weakened Mohun Bagan squad, and this is the biggest chance for them to get a big win over the reigning ISL champions.

Kerala Blasters FC will look to threaten the Mohun Bagan players with some blistering, impactful attacking football and take up their chances on the counterattacks.

A major win over Mohun Bagan can significantly improve the self-belief in David Catala’s squad to finally win the club’s inaugural trophy. However, a loss to this youth-heavy Mohun Bagan squad can result in a particularly bitter end to the campaign.

Mohun Bagan

The Mariners proved themselves as the undisputed best in Indian football by winning both the ISL league shield and trophy. As a result, they have given an early holiday to many key players and named a relatively weakened squad for the Kalinga Super Cup, packed with youngsters and reserve players.

However, that won’t stop the Mariners from making a strong chase for lifting the Cup. The possibility of winning a possible treble is what makes this and any Kalinga Super Cup tie so important for Mohun Bagan.

The Mariners will look to play some incisive, attacking football to trouble Kerala Blasters FC and get a big win over them.

A victory over this in-form Kerala Blasters FC side will be a huge confidence builder for the Mariners’ players and improve their self-belief of winning the tournament. However, a heavy loss and potential bad performance from players could impact their involvement in the first team next season.

ALSO READ: Kalinga Super Cup 2025: Quarterfinal fixtures set

Team & Injury News

Kerala Blasters FC are likely to be without their captain, Adrian Luna, who might not recover in time for this clash.

Mohun Bagan have rested all the foreign players to have played in the 2024-25 ISL campaign for the Kalinga Super Cup. Portuguese defender Nuno Reis, however, has been named in the squad and should make his debut.

Head-to-Head Record

This will be the first time that these two sides face each other in the Kalinga Super Cup. However, they have met multiple times in the ISL, with Mohun Bagan defeating the Tuskers on both occasions in the 2024-25 season.

Total matches played: 10

Kerala Blasters FC win: 1

Mohun Bagan wins: 8

Draws: 1

Predicted Lineups

Kerala Blasters FC (4-4-2)

Sachin Suresh (GK), Aibanbha Dohling,  Bikash Yunnam, Naocha Singh, Sreekutten MS, Vibin Mohanan, Dusan Lagator, Noah Sadaoui, Kwame Peprah, Jesus Jimenez

Mohun Bagan (4-2-3-1)

Dheeraj Singh (GK), Dippendu Biswas, Deepak Tangri, Nuno Reis, Amandeep, Abhishek Suryavanshi, Glan Martins, Salahudheen Adnan, Sahal Abdul Samad, Ashique Kuruniyan, Suhail Bhat

Players to Watch

Noah Sadaoui (Kerala Blasters FC)

Noah Sadaoui was a menacing figure for Kerala Blasters FC in their win over East Bengal, producing an explosive performance. He scored an amazing goal from long range, sealing the win for his side and helping them move forward to the quarterfinal.

Now, it’s upon Noah to help eliminate another Kolkata side from the Kalinga Super Cup. Sadaoui will look to torment the Mariners defenders with his clever movement and dribbling ability to burst his way into the promising open areas in the final third.

Sadaoui has to be incisive and clinical with his finishing, because wasting chances could make the Mariners’ players more confident of getting a win. If he’s able to showcase his ruthlessness like he did against East Bengal, then the Moroccan forward could really run riot against Mohun Bagan.

Sahal Abdul Samad (Mohun Bagan)

Samad was able to win the ISL shield and trophy with Mohun Bagan, but his personal 2024-25 ISL campaign wasn’t really that eventful. The midfielder was only able to grab one assist in 18 ISL games and was unable to score a single goal. He didn’t get that much regular time, and the Kalinga Super Cup could be the perfect platform for him to bounce back to his best form.

Samad will be given an important role in the game against his former side and will play a key role in dictating things inside the Kerala Blasters’ half. Samad has to be proactive with his movement and, more importantly, really nail his final passes to send his teammates into the danger areas in the final third.

He will also look to get use his smart movement to sneak into more goal-scoring positions and try to use his efficient finishing skills to finally score a goal in the 2024-25 season.

Did You Know?

• Kerala Blasters FC’s last win over Mohun Bagan came on December 27, 2023. It was also Juan Ferrando’s final game as the Mariners’ boss.
• Mohun Bagan picked up the most number of yellow cards (72) in the 2024-25 ISL campaign.
• Jesus Jimenez was the fourth-highest goal-scorer in the 2024-25 ISL with 11 goals for Kerala Blasters.

Telecast Details

The match between Kerala Blasters FC and Mohun Bagan will take place on Saturday, 26 April 2025 at the Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar. The match kicks off at 4:30 PM IST. It will be shown live on Star Sports 3 and live-streamed on JioHotstar.

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