As always, we are here to provide our predictions and betting tips for this highly-anticipated fixture.
. Predicted Scoreline: Kerala Blasters 2-1 East Bengal
Kerala Blasters’ Thiruvonam Day celebrations were ruined on opening day, courtesy of a stoppage-time winner by Punjab FC that silenced the home crowd. The game failed to produce any definitive goal scoring chances until the 80th minute but came to life as the clock ticked down.
Substitute Luka Majcen gave Punjab the lead in the 87th minute but the Blasters found a way back in the second minute of stoppage time, courtesy of new signing Jesus Jimenez’s header.
Just when it seemed like the spoils were going to be shared, Punjab reclaimed their lead in the fifth minute of stoppage time to bag all three points and stun the home crowd. The match gave us a glimpse of what Kerala are capable of, and also their deficiencies – capable of creating chances and rallying from behind, but lacking composure and discipline at the back.
On the other hand, East Bengal have a lot to figure out. Since their entry into the ISL in 2020, their league finishes in the seasons that followed have been – 9th, 11th, 9th and 9th, respectively. They have been anywhere close to resembling a playoff contender, and patience is running thin amongst the Red and Gold faithful.
Carles Cuadrat has taken the team forward in the right direction. They have had some decent cup runs, which include a Durand Cup final last year and a historic Super Cup win. But sooner or later, that cup competition resilience needs to translate into league form consistency.
A shock exit in the quarter-finals of the Durand Cup to I-League side Shillong Lajong raised eyebrows. An opening day defeat to Bengaluru raised further questions. While an away day at Bengaluru is a tough assignment for any team in the league, the point of concern remains the manner of defeat.
East Bengal did very little to Gurpreet Singh Sandhu in the Bengaluru goal and never really looked like scoring. Should that change against the Blasters, it will be a huge sign of encouragement for the long road that lays ahead.
Kerala Blasters Probable XI: Sachin Suresh (GK); Sandeep Singh, Pritam Kotal, Milos Drincic, Aibanbha Dohling; Vibin Mohanan, Alexandre Coeff; Rahul KP, Noah Sadoui, Mohammed Aimen; Kwame Peprah
East Bengal Probable XI: Prabhsukhan Gill (GK); Mohamed Rakip, Héctor Yuste, Hijazi Maher, Mark Zothanpuia; Jeakson Singh, Saul Crespo, Madih Talal; Naorem Mahesh Singh, Nandhakumar Sekar, Dimitri Diamantakos
The two teams have faced each other only eight times in the ISL, and it’s the Blasters who have the head-to-head advantage – but only by a whisker. The Tuskers have three wins to East Bengal’s two, with the remaining three games ending in a stalemate.
The last meeting between the two sides in Kerala yielded an emphatic 4-2 win for East Bengal back in April. However, going strictly by what we have witnessed thus far, a repeat of that result is highly unlikely.
The Blasters should get the job done on Sunday and claim all three points.
Kerala Blasters vs. East Bengal Bet 1: Blasters to win @2.53 on Parimatch
Out of the eight meetings between the two sides, six have produced goals for both teams – a 75% return. Both sides have enough quality up front to produce goals.
Irrespective of the outcome, this tie has always delivered goals. 21 goals scored between the two teams across eight games, translating to 2.625 goals per game. Hence, taking a punt on both teams to score on Sunday seems quite reasonable.
Kerala Blasters vs. East Bengal Bet 2: Both teams to score @1.63 on Parimatch
This fixture has yielded a result five times out of eight in the past. Out of those five, three have been by a one-goal margin. Two of the Blasters’ three wins against East Bengal have been decided by a solitary goal.
Expect a closely contested affair on Sunday between the two sides, but the Blasters seem to have more quality than East Bengal going forward. Expect them to get the win by a one-goal margin.
Kerala Blasters vs. East Bengal Bet 3: Blasters to win by one goal or draw @2.00 on Parimatch