ISL 2024-25: Sea of yellow welcomes East Bengal as Kerala Blasters gear up for fight back

Kochi: Kerala Blasters FC take on Kolkata giants East Bengal FC in their second match of the Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 season at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here on Sunday. After going down to Punjab FC, Kerala Blasters FC will now be aiming for a revival and their first home win of the season. East Bengal FC, on the other hand, were beaten 1-0 by Bengaluru FC in the opener.

Kerala Blasters had given Punjab FC a tough run in the previous game, with the latter only securing the win in the added time of the second half. The Red & Gold Brigade kept knocking on the doors of the Blues repeatedly and they would hope that such efforts yield the required results this time.

Mikael Stahre, who recently took over the hot seat at the Kerala Blasters FC, wants his team to be more precise. Against Punjab FC, the side had more share of the ball (57.3%), a better passing accuracy (72% vs 66%) and also registered more shots on target (4 vs 3). But, the tactician demands more.

“We have to attack with more players, have more passers, be more precise and technical, and, ultimately, more effective. I’m positive, but right now, it’s really painful to handle this defeat. But we will bounce back,” he mentioned.

Carles Cuadrat fielded youngsters like P.V. Vishnu and Aman C.K, both of whom are from Kerala, in the second half against Bengaluru FC. Despite being relatively young and inexperienced to others, both players stood out in helping East Bengal create opportunities in the conclusive stages of the game.

The Spaniard said, “In the game, we have tried to use the space with their pace. Aman C.K, P.V. Vishnu, and Nandhakumar (Sekar) were attacking the spaces and creating chances with crosses. We tried to finish. Unfortunately, we were not able to score. But I think they will give a lot to the team in the minutes they are going to play,” he said.

“The last game was a difficult one to start the season, but now we move forward. It will be a tough match tomorrow. The pressure will also be on Kerala Blasters FC (because of their previous result), so they’ll be competitive. We aim to play well, be competitive, and fight back tomorrow,” Cuadrat added.

–IANS