Kalinga Super Cup 2025: East Bengal vs Kerala Blasters preview, team news, lineup & prediction

East Bengal are the defending champions of the Kalinga Super Cup.

East Bengal and Kerala Blasters kick off the 2025 Kalinga Super Cup in their tie in the Round of 16 at the Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar on Sunday (April 20, 2025).

With both teams coming off an underwhelming Indian Super League (ISL) campaign for them, this will be an intense fight between the defending champions and the Tuskers to move further forward into the tournament.

The Stakes

East Bengal

East Bengal are desperate to ensure that their 2024-25 season doesn’t end up as a total failure by going far into the Super Cup. They will be looking to successfully defend the title they dramatically won in 2024, knowing how important it can be for fan morale and the 2025/26 season.

With the Super Cup guaranteeing a spot in an AFC tournament, the Torchbearers will have to treat this game like a final itself.

Oscar Bruzon has to shape up his side in a strong defensive line to ensure they aren’t troubled by the Kerala Blasters’ forward line. More importantly, they need to be prolific in finishing off their slick attacking moves to have a chance to progress.

A big win will significantly boost the confidence of the squad and instil self-belief in them before a potential derby against Mohun Bagan. A loss, however, can result in a bitter end to a frustrating campaign.

Kerala Blasters

Kerala Blasters are still on the lookout for the first piece of silverware in their history. They have a perfect chance to do so by going all the way in the Super Cup tournament.

To do so, however, the Tuskers need to produce their very best against the Kolkata side. Kerala Blasters had a topsy-turvy record against East Bengal in the 2024-25 ISL, winning one and losing one.

Their players need to be at their sharpest to get a big win, which includes being proactive in cutting out East Bengal’s attacking moves and finishing off their own opportunities clinically.

Mentality 🧠🔒#KalingaSuperCup #KBFC #KeralaBlasters #YennumYellow pic.twitter.com/mT0Ov55ycI

— Kerala Blasters FC (@KeralaBlasters) April 19, 2025

A win against the defending champions can help the players build momentum to go far into the tournament, but a loss would really sting their fans.

Team & Injury News

East Bengal will be without players like Hijazi Maher (injured) and Cleiton Silva (released) for the tournament. Kerala Blasters, on the other hand, have a fully fit squad available for the Super Cup opener.

Head-to-Head Record

This will be the first time that these two sides meet each other in the Super Cup. They have, although, faced each other multiple times in the ISL.

Matches Played -10

East Bengal wins – 3

Kerala Blasters wins – 4

Draws – 3

Probable Lineups

East Bengal (4-4-1-1)

Prabhsukhan Gill (GK), Mohamed Rakip, Hector Yuste, Anwar Ali, Lalchhungnunga, Souvik Chakrabarti, Saul Crespo, Naorem Mahesh Singh, Richard Celis, Raphael Messi Bouli, Dimitrios Diamantakos

Kerala Blasters (4-4-2)

Sachin Suresh (GK), Aibanbha Dohling, Dusan Lagator, Milos Drincic, Naocha Singh, Vibin Mohanan, Danish Farooq, Korou Singh, Noah Sadaoui, Adrian Luna, Jesus Jimenez

Players to Watch

Raphael Messi Bouli (East Bengal)

Raphael Messi Bouli has proven himself as a quality signing for East Bengal since joining them as Hijazi Maher’s replacement. He was able to make an instant impact for Oscar Bruzon’s side since joining them, adding more explosiveness and energy to their frontline.

He has made seven appearances in all competitions for East Bengal since joining them, scoring three goals and providing an assist in that period. That included goals against Hyderabad FC and Bengaluru FC in the ISL as well.

Bouli can be East Bengal’s special weapon against his former side and help them unlock the Tuskers’ backline. He will need to be smart with his movement in the final third and accurate with his link-up play as well.

Apart from looking to create chances with his clever final passes, Bouli will also be determined to get the ball in promising goalscoring areas and torment the opponents with his explosive shooting ability.

Adrian Luna (Kerala Blasters)

Adrian Luna had an eventful 2024-25 ISL campaign for Kerala Blasters, but he wasn’t at his consistent best to take them into the playoffs. He managed to grab six assists in 22 games, creating an impressive 55 chances and averaging nearly 40 passes per game.

Luna will now look to amplify his influence over the Kerala Blasters attacking style in the Super Cup and outwit the East Bengal players with his clever style.

Luna will be demanding the ball more in the empty spaces and look to create big chances with his excellent delivery into the box.

Luna needs to be really accurate with his final third passes or his set-piece delivery to unlock the East Bengal backline and help his side get major goal-scoring chances. If able to nail his final product, Luna can really help his side dominate the game and also be a terror for the East Bengal players.

Did you know?

• There have been three or more goals in the last four meetings between these two sides.
• Jesus Jimenez was the third most prolific foreign player in the 2024-25 ISL in terms of goals with 11 goals.
• East Bengal had the fifth best defensive record in the 2024-25 ISL, conceding 33 goals from 24 games.

Telecast Details

The match between East Bengal and Kerala Blasters will take place at the Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar, on Sunday, April 20, 2025. It will kick off at 8 PM IST. The match will be shown live on Star Sports 3 and be available to livestream on JioHotstar.

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