Kerala Blasters face Bengaluru FC in a high-stakes ISL Southern Derby. Who will win? Find out the stakes, lineups, and players to watch in this clash!
A clash of titans; a classic Southern Derby awaits Kerala Blasters and Bengaluru FC when they face each other at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi on 25 October in an intense Indian Super League clash of 2024-25. It's high stakes for both teams, as both are eyeing top positions; the Blasters look to extend their unbeaten run, while Bengaluru looks to maintain their league dominance.
Last Match: The Victory of Blasters
The last season, Kerala Blasters won a thrilling victory over Bengaluru FC in Kochi. A balanced first half gave away to Keziah Veendorp of an own goal for the Blasters in the 52nd minute. Gurpreet Singh Sandhu of Bengaluru error paved the way in the 69th minute for Adrian Luna to settle the issues into a two-goal lead, while the latter's late goal from Curtis Main did ensure consolation to Bengaluru but could not avoid Kerala's march to victory.
Stakes and Current Form
Kerala Blasters
Kerala Blasters have seemed quite promising so far in the season. After suffering a first season defeat at the hands of Punjab FC, they got back on track with a win against East Bengal FC and then two away draws against NorthEast United and Odisha FC, followed by another rally victory against Mohammedan SC. Under their new gaffer Mikael Stahre, now sitting on an unbeaten streak, they would hope to continue this and eventually push to grab third position on the ISL table.
Bengaluru FC
Bengaluru FC, on the other hand, are flying off. Forging four wins and one draw, they have shown all prowess in the game on every level, including defending where they haven't conceded a single goal this season. Last season's side of Vincent Kompany smashed away win at East Bengal FC and Hyderabad FC, even the heavy weight Mohun Bagan Super Giant, but it will enter the Blasters' game still as the only unbeaten club in ISL 2024-25.
Key Player to Watch
Noah Sadaoui (Kerala Blasters)
Kerala Blasters' standout player has been Noah Sadaoui this season. He significantly contributed to three goals and two assists in five matches. The speed, creativity, and offensive talent of this man make a big difference for the Blasters, who are going against Bengaluru's well-defended team.
Adrian Luna (KBFC)
Sunil Chhetri (Bengaluru FC)
The ace striker and Indian football legend, always a factor to look out for in this game is Sunil Chhetri. With seven goals and two assists to date in games against Kerala, Chhetri's experience and leadership will be prime as he looks to inspire his team to go all the way to break Kerala's defense.
Predicted Lineups
Kerala Blasters FC (4-3-3)
Some 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
Head-to-Head Record
Matches Played: 15
Kerala Blasters Wins: 4
Bengaluru FC Wins: 9
Draws: 2
Bengaluru will largely be in charge of Kerala Blasters since they have won 9 of the 15 matches against Kerala Blasters. Kerala, though, will draw strength from last season's win and counterattack to take lead ahead of their home supporters.
Injury and Team News
Kerala Blasters do not have any injury cases and have summoned two key men, Adrian Luna and Som Kumar, to round off their squad. Their midfield will depend on Luna to get past the Bengaluru wall.
For more Kerala Blasters vs Bengaluru tactics
Bengaluru FC have Chinglensana Singh missing, who was sent off in the game against Punjab FC; so that could prove to be an opportunity for Kerala Blasters to look at some gaps.
Telecast Details
Catch the Kerala Blasters vs Bengaluru FC ISL 2024-25 live action on October 25 at 7:30 PM IST. The match will be available on sports 18 besides Jio Cinema. The game will stream live for international audiences on the OneFootball app.
A thriller awaits us as Kerala Blasters tries to climb the ISL table and Bengaluru FC looks to cement an unbeaten run; will Kerala's home advantage and the momentum be enough for an upset against the stern defense of Bengaluru?
