Related Articles
The Kerala Blasters have announced their first XI against Bangalore FC for the twelfth match of the ISL season. The Kerala Blasters are playing after a gap of 17 days. Despite having a match fitness problem, Ivan has lined up a strong team today.
Nishu Kumar will replace the injured Jesal in the Kerala Blasters’ defense today. In Jesse’s absence, Khabra is the captain of the team today. Vasquez, Diaz, Luna and Sahal are still together in the attack.
Roshan Naorem handed Bengaluru FC the lead in the 56th minute against Kerala Blasters in matchday 76 of the Indian Super League (ISL) 2021-22 season at the Tilak Maidan Stadium in Vasco da Gama, Goa.
Bengaluru FC are picking up the pace after their resounding 3-0 victory over rivals Chennaiyin FC in their last outing. The Kochi-based outfit will look to get back to winning ways after a long hiatus, but the Blues might have other plans for them as they have been unbeaten for the last seven matches.
The two sides have shared the field nine times, with Bengaluru FC winning five of the encounters and Kerala Blasters FC winning just two. The Tuskers have not kept a clean sheet in any of their matches against the Blues in this competition. Their previous meeting in this season ended in a 1-1 draw in match 11.
In the Bengaluru FC camp, Gurpreet Sandhu and Sarthak Golui are out of quarantine, they will train on Saturday. Prince Ibara and Yrondu Musavu-King are not available while Leon Augustine has sustained a long-term injury. Ajay Chhetri will miss out because he was in quarantine for almost 30 days, he has lost a lot of muscle weight and same is the case with Ajith Kamaraj.
Kerala Blasters FC:
With two games in hand, Ivan Vukomanovic’s men sit second placed in the league standings with 20 points, registering five wins, five draws, and just one loss. The Blasters are yet to lose a single game after they lost in their inaugural game against ATK Mohun Bagan in the season opener.
Bengaluru FC:
The Blues are sixth in the league table with 17 points in 13 games, picking up four wins, five draws, and four losses. Chhetri and co. extended their unbeaten run to seven games after their last match’s success.
Highlights
- Bengaluru FC defeated Kerala Blasters 1-0
- Naorem Roshan Singh scored from a spectacular free kick in the 56th min
- Bengaluru FC ended Kerala Blasters’ 10-game unbeaten run
Bengaluru FC rode on Naorem Roshan Singh’s brilliant strike to end Kerala Blasters’ 10-game unbeaten run and break into the top-four for the first time this season with a 1-0 win in an Indian Super League match on Sunday. After a barren first half, Roshan scored from a spectacular free kick in the 56th minute, which turned out to be the decisive goal. With the win, the Blues moved to the fourth position with 20 points from 14 games while Kerala remained in third place with 20 points from 12 matches. They lost for the first time since their first game of the season.
Playing after more than two weeks, Kerala looked rusty in the opening exchanges with Bengaluru looking the more threatening side to break the deadlock.
Danish Farooq and Prince Ibara came close to scoring but could not keep their efforts on target before Jorge Diaz’s botched clearance hit Sunil Chhetri and almost went in but an alert Nishu Kumar cleared the ball off the line.
Both the defences kept things tight during the cagey first half.
Bengaluru deserved a goal all along and it came from a piece of individual brilliance early into the second half. Roshan, brilliant throughout the game and the season, curled in a delightful free-kick from just outside the box, his magical left foot sending the ball past a diving Prabhsukhan Gill and in the back of the net.
Kerala tried hard to draw level but lacked the cutting edge that they have displayed this season in the final third. Harmanjot Khabra powered a volley straight at Gurpreet Singh Sandhu while moments later he was called into action again, smothering a Adrian Luna shot after he was set up by Diaz from the left-wing.
Bengaluru came agonisingly close to doubling their lead but substitute Cleiton Silva saw his effort tipped away for a corner at the far post by Gill.
