Unbeaten Streaks And Playoff Dreams Are On The Line As Bengaluru Host Kerala

Match Preview Indian Super League

Thursday night sees the two inform teams in the ISL meet as top of the league Bengaluru play host to play off dreaming Kerala Blasters. Bengaluru will want to win as it will keep their unbeaten streak alive, whilst Kerala will want a win to keep their playoff dreams alive and put their destiny into the other club’s hands. Either way, this tie is set up to be a brilliant game so let’s dive straight into the stats.   

The Stats…   

The hosts, Bengaluru, head into the game in top position, a whole eight points above 2nd place Pune City. They have obviously, already qualified for the playoffs and that is down to them having a fantastic goalscoring record, managing a massive thirty-three goals over the course of the season. Their defensive record isn’t that bad either, only conceding sixteen goals, the second lowest in the league. They head into the game in fine form, winning four and drawing one of their previous five. All this game means is another win on the column and their unbeaten streak, in all competitions, will stretch to twelve games, astonishing.   

The visitors, Kerala, head into the game in 5th position, at the time of writing and a single point behind 4th place Jamshedpur. They have a decent goalscoring record in the league, managing twenty goals over the season. Their defensive record is decent as well, only conceding twenty goals this season. They head into the game in great form, winning three and drawing two of their previous five. They need to beat the league leaders to have a chance of making the playoffs, however, even if they win, their future is in the hands of the teams around them. They are also looking to stretch their unbeaten streak to six games.    

Previous Encounter…   

The last time these two sides met was on the last day of 2017 with the game ending in a 3-1 win for Bengaluru. The game was entertaining to say the least and it contained a fair few goals, so everyone was happy, apart from Kerala fans.    

Incredibly, three of the four goals took place in injury time in the second half. Chhetri made it 1-0 on sixty minutes, Miku scored on ninety-three and ninety-four minutes to make it 3-0 and then Courage Pekuson got a consolation goal for Kerala on ninety-six minutes. Hopefully, no fan decided to leave the game early.   

The Game Itself…  

I am saying this now; this game has the potential to be a game of the season. Both teams are on unbeaten streaks, Bengaluru have been unreal this season and Kerala have something to fight for.   

The game should be a free-flowing, attacking game that could see a fair few goals fly in. Kerala will go straight at the top dogs and Bengaluru can bite back quite hard. I can’t see Kerala being cautious in this game as they cannot waste any time, their playoff dream balances on this game.    

Key Player…   

I am certainly not picking Pekuson for this after that dreadful penalty attempt last week. Kerala will be wanting this game and they have some brilliant players that could win them the game. One name is C.K. Vineeth, he just loves to pop up at the most crucial time with a goal and I wouldn’t put it past him to bang in a ninety-sixth-minute winner. Another name is Gudjon Baldvinsson. Although he hasn’t scored many so far, he has been so influential on Kerala’s current run and adds another dimension to their play. He could cause some serious damage to Bengaluru.   

On Bengaluru’s side of things, they have some of the best players in the league, not just skill wise but form wise as well. Toni Dovale has been brilliant in recent weeks and has been the main man in their AFC Cup journey. They also have Udanta, who can always pop up if need be. Another amongst their ranks is the second top goalscorer in the league, Miku. He always scores and he also must be thinking of the Golden Boot award as he is only two goals behind current leader, Coro.   

However, amongst these top-quality players is one star and my choice for Key Player, Sunil Chhetri. He is an absolute legend and a true great for the league. He scores, he assists, he holds the ball up and is a great character to have in the dressing room. He will be the biggest threat to Kerala’s playoff dreams and I am sure he would like to add to his season total of ten goals.    

Finally…   

With all this being said, I will simply leave you with this. I expect the game to be a fantastic and entertaining affair and the best way to describe it is an all-out war. I think Kerala may have enough to beat Bengaluru, but it’s too tough to call this time out. Both teams can easily win this game and they could easily cancel each other out. All I know is that it isn’t a game to be missed, I am looking at you, Chris!  

About the Author

Stephen Beavon
Just a young football fan who likes to get his opinion across to others. Love Birmingham City, although it is difficult at times.