Hyderabad vs Kerala Blasters: Preview and Prediction
Hyderabad and Kerala Blasters, two of the most consistent teams this season, will clash in ‘Match 99’ of the 2021-22 Indian Super League season at the Athletic Stadium on Wednesday. Both teams have one foot in the semi-finals.
Hyderabad’s new signings have completely changed the look of the team. The Nizams are currently occupying the pole position in the standings, having accumulated 32 points from 17 matches. While their semi-final place seems certain, they will be aiming to qualify for next season’s AFC Champions League by finishing at the top of the table.
On the other hand, Kerala Blasters’ primary target will be making it to the semis with Bengaluru and Mumbai City breathing down their necks. The Tuskers are placed in the fourth position with 27 points to their name from 16 matches.
Current Form
Hyderabad’s camp will be high on confidence as they are among two teams to have won four of their last five matches. In their previous three outings, Manolo Marquez’s men have picked up six points.
The Nizams won 3-2 against Goa in their last match, while they edged past Bengaluru by a 2-1 margin in the preceding match against Bengaluru. However, Marquez’s men lost 2-1 against ATK Mohun Bagan before these two triumphs.
Kerala Blasters have been a tad inconsistent in the recent weeks, and from their last three matches, the Tuskers have occupied four points courtesy of one each of win, draw, and loss.
Ivan Vukomanovic’s men played out a thrilling 2-2 stalemate in their last match against ATK Mohun Bagan, while the preceding game saw them winning 1-0 against East Bengal. These two results have helped the Tuskers strengthen their semi-final chances after a disappointing 3-0 defeat against Jamshedpur.
Head to Head Record
Kerala Blasters has the upper hand in terms of head-to-head records, but only by the narrowest of margins. They have beaten Hyderabad on three occasions whilst the Nizams have emerged victorious twice.
The first meeting of this season produced a 1-0 scoreline in Kerala Blasters’ favor. Alvaro Vazquez scored the winner for Vukomanovic’s team in the 42nd minute of the game.
Team News
Enes Sipovic is likely to return in Kerala Blasters’ backline
Marquez is expected to make one change to the team that won 3-2 against Goa. Rohit Danu had a poor outing against the Gaurs as he failed to create a single chance and got only 25 touches of the ball – the lowest among the outfield players who started the match.
In his place, Aniket Jadhav could be reinstated on the left flank. Sauvik Chakrabarti and Chinglensana Singh were also subpar against Goa, but they are likely to retain their place in the team for now.
Vukomanovic will be the busier among two coaches ahead of the match since he will need to make a few personnel as well as tactical tweaks. Sandeep Singh will be unavailable for selection as he needs to serve a one-game suspension after picking up four yellow cards, whereas Jorge Pereyra Diaz is also out of contention for this game after getting red-carded in the last match against ATK Mohun Bagan.
Sanjeev Stalin is expected to replace Sandeep, whereas, in Diaz’s absence, Adrian Luna could play as a striker. Vincy Barretto could be deployed on the left flank, whilst Bijoy Varghese could be replaced by Enes Sipovic.
Predicted Starting Lineups
Hyderabad (4-2-3-1): Laxmikant Kattimani; Asish Rai, Chinglensana Singh, Juanan, Akash Mishra; Sauvik Chakrabarti, Joao Victor; Nikhil Poojary, Bartholomew Ogbeche, Aniket Jadhav; Joel Chianese.
Kerala Blasters (4-4-2): Prabhsukhan Gill; Harmanjot Khabra, Enes Sipovic, Marko Leskovic, Sanjeev Stalin; Sahal Abdul Samad, Puitea, Jeakson Singh, Vincy Barretto; Adrian Luna, Alvaro Vazquez.
Prediction
Hyderabad’s current form is slightly better than Kerala Blasters, whereas the absence of Jorge Pereyra Diaz is also likely to be costly for the Tuskers. Hence, we have predicted a 2-1 triumph in the Nizams’ favor.