Kerala Blasters FC will face the In-Form Table Toppers Mohun Bagan SG in a Decisive Fixture at the Fortress on Wednesday the 13th. KBFC are looking to bounce back from their underwhelming performance at the Kanteerava and maintain the "Hell" status of our Fortress while MBSG are in Red-Hot Form coming after a Morale-Booster Victory at the Famed Kolkata Derby (The Boro Match) and looking to extend their Stay at the Top of the Table.
Woes of Vukomanović
Ivan Vukomanović is a good manager (One of the if not the Best in KB History), no doubt, but his team's performances in the 2nd Half of the Season has been 😭 (Ofc Except that Comeback v/s Goa 😻). Injuries has costed us a lot, it's the truth but we can't keep clinging on to our lost players instead the focus needs to go to our missed opportunities. Ivan has a lot of ground to cover ahead of the coveted fixture. Ivan's Future at the Club seemingly depends critically on this Season's Performance considering the History of Karolis Skinkys sacking managers after their third term incase they fail to bring glory to the club. Aashan & the boys must bring their A-Game back on at the Fortress not just to reciprocate the faith instilled by the fans on their club but also to bring back that winning mentality of the team, without which we're just nothing.
Hazard of Habas
Whether you like him or not, you can't deny the fact that Antonio López Habas is One of the Most Successful Head Coaches in ISL History (2 ISL Cups) and he will be aiming for his First ISL Shield this Season. Mohun Bagan has become an entirely different entity under Habas and now they're sitting on Top of the Table after a Comfortable 3-1 Victory in the 'Boro Match' against 10th placed East Bengal and they will be looking to extend their unbeaten run when they face us on the 13th. Fitness might be an issue for the side but their Morale isn't.
The MBSG we beat v/s The MBSG now
MBSG has rejuvenated big time under the guidance of Habas. The Return of Kauko & Anwar Ali meant a more impactful midfield & more stable defence for this MBSG Super Squad which already were known for their Razor-Sharp Attacks.
The Difference is that the MBSG we beat were of Low Morale & Form and weren't always the best at the wings, which is a weakness we exploited in the 1st leg and is also one of Ivan's favourite defensive tactics (He loves to push the opposition to the wings & use double-press with the wingback and the corresponding wide midfielder to win the ball back). But now under Habas the side feels more threatening at the wings and their Third man runs are just the cherry on the top of an already dominating playstyle. Imo, The Third Man Runs are the biggest threat to KBFC defence. Our Defence is infamous for our inability to mark the third man & late runs into our box which so happens to be one of the major strengths of MBSG. Also The Possibility that an in-form Liston might face 'RB' Pritam is Terrifying.... for us.
Top 3 Players to Watch
MBSG
🥇 Dimitrios Petratos - MBSG's most consistent performer this season would look to continue his 🔝 Form in the Top Flight of Football in India. Had a goal (PEN) and an assist last match. 🥈 Joni Kauko - The Finnish Midfielder is one of the most dangerous players in the MBSG squad, having given 3 assists in 6 matches and continuously finding the third man through delicate through balls.
🥉 Jason Cummings - This Might be a surprise to some people but Jason Cummings can be the biggest threat to KBFC in the next game. The 'Joker' who was a joke on his own in the first half of the season has 'Tapped-in' to Form in the last few matches and his 'Fox in the Box' attribute can weave destruction to KBFC defence who as previously mentioned struggle to mark the third man in the box.
KBFC
💎 Dimitrios Diamantakos 🎯- The Greek God of KBFC is the ONE AND ONLY Spearhead of Our Attack. The All-Time Top scorer of KB would love to increase his tally and aim for the Golden Boot but even if he is out of form for a single match we would have to pay, we're that dependent on him rn. 🏯 Daisuke Sakai - Our Japanese Samurai is the focal point of creativity in our mostly depleted squad. His technical acumen would be tested on 13th against a solid MBSG line.
👥 Aimen/Azhar - The Twin Brothers of KBFC could be the decisive players in our quest for victory, Azhar has shown incredible control in the midfield against the same MBSG side last time in Kolkata and Aimen would provide more creative outlet in the wings. Would Most Probably be our Super Subs considering our Super Sub on the bench hasn't been anywhere near 'Super' this season, atleast contribution wise.
Notable Mentions
MBSG : Sahal (Against Us... 🥹), Kaith, Liston, Manvir
KBFC : Vibin, Milos, Černych, Sandeep
Notable Absences
Naocha Singh (KBFC) - 4th Yellow
Lesko (KBFC) - Injury
At Risk Players 🟨
Milos, Dimi, Danish, Sandeep, Hormi, Pritam, Azhar
Recent Run of Form:
KBFC - ❌✅❌❌❌
MBSG - ✅✅➖✅✅
Points Table:
Predicted 11:
KBFC
4-4-2 : Dimi 🅲 (ST), Fedor (SS), Sakai (LM), Rahul (RM), Danish (CM), Vibin (CM), Sandeep (LB), Hormi (CB), Milos (CB), Pritam (RB), Karanjit (GK)
MBSG
3-1-4-2 : Cummings (ST), Petratos (ST), Manvir (RM), Kauko (CM), Abhishek Suryavanshi (CM), Liston (LM), Tangri (DM), Anwar Ali (RCB), Yuste (CB), Bose 🅲 (LCB)
Venue
Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Kaloor, Kochi, Ernakulam, Kerala, India
* Possible Low Attendance due to lower no. of Family audiences (Exam Season), Poor Run of Form.
Prediction
I don't wanna jinx, so No, Nothing Particular. 😌
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Image Credits:
Wikipedia
Transfermarkt India
Khel Now
Sportstar - The Hindu
ISL
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