Kerala Blasters Aim for Strong Start in ISL Opener Against Punjab FC

Kerala Blasters Aim for Strong Start in ISL Opener Against Punjab FC

Kerala Blasters, despite losing their top scorer from last season, Dimitrios Diamantakos, have been in impressive form in the pre-season and the Durand Cup. Their Moroccan forward, Noah Sadaoui, won the Golden Boot award in the Durand Cup, and the team is hoping that he and Spaniard Jesus Jimenez will continue their fine form in the upcoming ISL season opener against Punjab FC.

“We have been pretty solid so we are absolutely ready but the games in the ISL will tell us where we stand. It will be a hard game but hopefully we can beat them,” said head coach Mikael Stahre.

Punjab FC, who beat Blasters 3-1 in Kochi in their debut ISL year last season, and drew 1-1 in the recent Durand Cup, are also confident of a good performance.

“We have a new coaching staff, new foreign and Indian players and that is the biggest difference from last season,” said Punjab FC head coach Panagiotis Dilmperis. “This season we will try to better the performance from last year and qualify for the playoffs.”

Haaland Hat-Trick Powers Manchester City Past Chelsea in Pre-Season Clash

Haaland Hat-Trick Powers Manchester City Past Chelsea in Pre-Season Clash

Manchester City’s summer tour of the United States culminated in a dominant 4-2 victory over Chelsea in a pre-season friendly at Columbus, Ohio. Erling Haaland, the Norwegian sensation, stole the show with a blistering hat-trick, including two goals in the opening five minutes.

Haaland, donning the captain’s armband, showcased his world-class abilities from the outset. Just 54 seconds into the match, he converted a penalty kick to give City an early lead. Moments later, he doubled the advantage with a thunderous right-footed strike after a Chelsea giveaway.

City’s dominance continued in the second half. Oscar Bobb extended the lead in the 55th minute, cutting inside from the right wing and firing a precise shot past the goalkeeper. Haaland completed his hat-trick a mere 25 seconds later, capitalizing on a turnover in Chelsea territory and flicking a left-footed shot into the net.

Chelsea managed to pull two goals back through Raheem Sterling and Noni Madueke, but it proved too little too late. The match served as a tantalizing preview of the 2024-25 Premier League season, with Manchester City set to face Chelsea on the opening day.

Meanwhile, in another pre-season clash in South Carolina, Liverpool blanked Manchester United 3-0. Fabio Carvalho opened the scoring for the Reds, followed by goals from Curtis Jones and Kostas Tsimikas.

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