Kerala Blasters, eager to bounce back from their season-opening loss, will face East Bengal FC at the Nehru Stadium on Sunday. However, the Kochi-based side will once again be without their midfield maestro Adrian Luna, who remains sidelined due to illness.
In the absence of Luna, Blasters struggled to find their rhythm in a 1-2 defeat against Punjab FC. “We came out pretty poor, it was a hard loss in the dying seconds, hard to handle but we have to move forward,” said Blasters head coach Mikael Stahre.
Stahre emphasized the need for improvement in several areas, particularly in crossing and creating chances inside the box. “We have to cross the halfway and more often, with control, so that we can bring more numbers higher up, create more crosses and have more players inside the box,” he said.
East Bengal FC, who also lost their season opener, will be under pressure to perform in front of the Blasters’ home crowd. “We have to do a good job in front of the Blasters fans. Kerala is going to be under pressure, they have to fight a lot too,” said EBFC coach Carles Cuadrat.
Both teams will be desperate for a victory to kick-start their ISL campaigns. Blasters will rely on the likes of Dimitrios Diamantakos and Sahal Abdul Samad to provide attacking impetus, while EBFC will look to their experienced players such as Cleiton Silva and Antonio Perošević for inspiration.
The match promises to be an intriguing battle between two teams eager to prove their worth. Blasters will be determined to make amends for their poor start, while EBFC will be keen to show that they can compete with the top teams in the league.
