Kolkata, Jan 23 (IANS): Kerala Blasters FC will face East Bengal FC in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan, here on Friday, hoping to complete a league double against the Kolkata giants. Kerala Blasters FC currently sit eighth on the table with 21 points from 17 matches whereas East Bengal FC are 11th with 14 points from 16 encounters, on the back of four wins and a couple of draws.
East Bengal FC come into this game on the back of a three-match losing streak, with their longest such run within a single season being six consecutive defeats earlier in this campaign. A fourth consecutive loss would see them join NorthEast United FC as the only teams to register multiple losing streaks of four or more games in a single ISL season. Kerala Blasters, meanwhile, snapped their four-game away losing streak with a 1-0 win against Punjab FC on January 5. They will look to secure back-to-back away victories for the first time since December 2023.
The team has shown remarkable improvement under interim head coach TG Purushothaman. Their goals conceded per game average has come down to 0.6 from 2.0 under Mikael Stahre, and Kerala Blasters FC have not permitted their opponents to register an expected goals (xG) value of more than 1 in any of the five games under Purushothaman.
They have converted four out of their five big chances into goals in this period, and that 80% strike rate is considerably higher than the 52.4% conversion they recorded on this front in Stahre’s watch. Kerala Blasters have won thrice and drawn once in their previous five matches. They have netted 26 times in 17 games, spearheaded by Jesus Jimenez and Noah Sadaoui, who have scored 10 and seven goals respectively.
East Bengal FC, on the other hand, have found the back of the net the third-least times in the competition (16), as the trio of David Lalhlansanga, Dimitrios Diamantakos, and Vishnu Puthiya scoring thrice each.
Both teams have kept four clean sheets each so far. The Kochi-based side is three points behind the sixth-placed Odisha FC (24). They will hope to keep their top-six hopes in play with a victory here, whereas East Bengal FC will want to regain some lost momentum to spark alive their ambitions for the rest of the campaign too.
Kerala Blasters FC won in the reverse fixture on September 22, 2024, with a 2-1 margin, and a win here would mark their first-ever league double over East Bengal FC in the ISL. East Bengal FC are one of the four teams along with Bengaluru FC, Mohun Bagan Super Giant and Punjab FC against whom the Kochi-based side has yet to win a league double so far.
Kerala Blasters FC have given away five goals through penalties this season, the joint-most in the league. They will target improving their defensive discipline in the 18-yard box to get rid of their tendency of conceding soft strikes. Overall, the Kochi-based team has conceded 27 goals in the league so far.
Kerala Blasters FC interim head coach TG Purushothaman assured that his team is planning for each game as per the different challenges that each opponent has to offer. “We are working collectively and planning for each game. We want to cover all bases properly,” he said.
Meanwhile, the East Bengal FC have failed to score in their last two matches, with their longest goalless streak in ISL history being four games (2020). They will want to rediscover their rhythm upfront to get some positive results under their belt.
The Red & Gold Brigade are yet to score in the opening 15 minutes of a match this season. Maybe, starting games on a stronger footing could enable them to gain stronger control over proceedings and potentially dictate the flow of the match. East Bengal FC head coach Oscar Bruzon assured that he has full confidence in his players despite their recent form. “I believe in the potential and level of our team. We need to do well but I believe in our players,” he said.
The two teams have played nine matches, with Kerala Blasters FC winning four times and East Bengal FC claiming two victories. Three encounters have ended in draws.