Preview: Kerala Blasters eye maiden win against rivals Bengaluru FC

The Blues will aim for their second win of the campaign.

Bengaluru FC have struggled for fluency this Indian Super League campaign notching up a solitary win in four games. The Blues have historically been slow starters and coach Carles Cuadrat insists that the slow start is due to a highly-shortened pre-season and that the team is a few games short of reaching their best form. Kerala Blasters on the other hand are in a greater spot of bother as they lie 9th in the table without registering a win under their belt.

The team has struggled for defensive stability as they have conceded six goals in the four games played so far, three of which came against Chennaiyin FC last week. 

The Stakes

Bengaluru FC require a win against Kerala Blasters to garner some much needed momentum going into the business end of the campaign. Despite beefing up their attack by the arrivals of Kristian Opseth and Cleiton Silva, the Blues have largely resorted to set plays for their goals, something that Cuadrat insisted that they spend very little time on during training. They would be up against a Kerala team that has found it hard to keep attacks at bay and this would be an opportunity that the Blues would look to exploit. 

Like their opponents, the Blasters require a win to kickstart their campaign. Coach Kibu Vicuna will not be under any illusion about the task ahead of him and it does not come any tougher than Bengaluru FC who, despite their patchy form, are among the most consistent sides in the ISL. 

ALSO READ: Kibu Vicuna: We’ve used one striker so far, can also use 2 or 3 strikers

Team News

Cuadrat would look to change things up in this game having used the same team in both the Chennaiyin and NorthEast United games. Udanta Singh came on as an impact substitute in the second half against NorthEast United. This would provide a healthy selection headache for Cuadrat. The Spaniard could be tempted to start Opseth ahead of Deshorn Brown who has played 45 minutes in the last two games. 

Vicuna would be tempted to shake things up after a heavy 3-1 defeat against Chennaiyin. The Spaniard could look to rest either of Rahul KP and Rohit Kumar as they are both on yellow cards. Striker Gary Hooper would be the man to dent Bengaluru’s chances in this game. Meanwhile, defender Costa Nhamoinesu and midfielder Sergio Cidoncha will be the absentees for the game.

Head-to-Head

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqpKeqcwDUk&t=4s

The Blues hold the advantage in this fixture having lost only one of their last six encounters notching up four wins. 

Probable Lineups

Bengaluru FC: Gurpreet (GK); Khabra, Juanan, Bheke, Ashique; Paartalu, Dimas, Suresh; Chhetri, Opseth, Udanta 

Kerala Blasters FC: Gill; Nishu, Lalruatthara, Kone, Jessel; Vicente, Puitea, Facundo, Sahal; Hooper, Murray

Man To Watch

Udanta Singh

The winger, nicknamed the Flash, made an impact on the game after his introduction in the second half against NorthEast United. His direct running would be very useful when he comes up against his former teammate Nishu Kumar who is a pacey defender in his own right.   

Gary Hooper

The former Celtic man is the team’s hope on which the attack rests. His presence along with Vicente Gomez would be Vicuna’s best chance of unsettling the Bengaluru backline.   

Did You Know?

• Bengaluru FC have put 11 goals past Kerala in their last six encounters while conceding only six.   
• Bengaluru FC have the 6th highest overall XG at 0.79 while Kerala ranks last with 0.43
• Nishu Kumar will be facing his old side Bengaluru FC for the first time after joining Kerala Blasters in the summer.

Telecast

The live telecast of the match between Bengaluru FC and Kerala Blasters FC will be available on Star Sports 1 SD & HD, Star Sports 2 SD & HD (English), Star Sports Hindi 1 SD & HD, Star Sports 3 and several other regional languages. Live streaming of the match will be available on Hotstar and Jio TV.