Jamshedpur vs Kerala Blasters: Preview and Prediction
Jamshedpur and Kerala Blasters, two teams who are expected to make it to the semi-finals, will lock horns in ‘Match 87’ of the 2021-22 Indian Super League season at the Athletic Stadium on Thursday.
A defeat in their last game might have ended Jamshedpur’s three-match winning streak, but they still are placed in the fifth position in the standings. The Red Miners have accumulated 22 points from 13 matches.
On the other hand, Ivan Vukomanovic has managed to take Kerala Blasters to the heights they have dreamt of for a long time. With 23 points from 13 matches, the Tuskers are placed in the second position.
Current Form
Both sides have had a few wobbles here and there, but considering their overall campaign so far, they can be immensely proud of their performance. The Tuskers and the Red Miners will come into the match after picking up six points from their last three outings.
Jamshedpur was handed a 3-1 defeat in their last match against Bengaluru. The result came as a surprise to many, since before taking on the Blues, Owen Coyle’s men got the better of Goa and East Bengal, both by a 1-0 margin.
Kerala Blasters got a 2-1 win over NorthEast United in their last match, courtesy of goals from Jorge Pereyra Diaz and Alvaro Vazquez. It was a crucial triumph since the match preceding the Highlanders clash saw Vukomanovic’s team suffering a 1-0 defeat against Bengaluru.
It happened to be the Tuskers’ first defeat in ten matches, with their last defeat coming in the inaugural match of the competition. Before the Southern Derby clash, Kerala Blasters registered a 2-0 triumph over Odisha.
Head to Head Record
These two sides have developed a knack for playing out draws whenever they cross paths, as six of the nine meetings between Kerala Blasters and Jamshedpur did not produce a winner. From those that did, the Red Miners have won two while the Tuskers emerged victorious on only one occasion.
The first meeting of this season produced one such customary draw. A Greg Stewart strike gave Coyle’s team an early lead, but Sahal Abdul Samad’s equalizer helped Vukomanovic’s boys rescue a point.
Team News
Puitea is expected to be back in Kerala Blasters’ starting XI
Coyle is expected to make quite a few changes to his starting XI after a no-show against Bengaluru. Veteran central defender Peter Hartley will be available for selection after completing his one-game suspension period and he is likely to take up Eli Sabia’s place.
In the middle of the park, Mobashir Rahman can replace Jitendra Singh after the latter’s subpar display against the Blues, while Ritwik Das can come in for Boris Singh Thangjam on the left flank. Goalkeeper TP Rehenesh also looked shaky in the last match and might have to make way for Pawan Kumar.
Vukamonovic would ideally have preferred to field the same starting XI that defeated NorthEast United, but he will be forced to make a couple of tweaks. Young midfielder Ayush Adhikari was shown a red card in the last match and will not be available for the Tuskers.
Thankfully for the Tuskers, Puitea can take up Adhikari’s place after serving his one-match suspension. While this will be a straight swap, the Serbian tactician will face a big challenge whilst finding Diaz’s replacement, who will have to sit out for this match after accumulating four yellow cards. Bhutanese attacker Chencho Gyeltshen, who has so far been a bit-part player, could be handed a start.
Predicted Starting Lineups
Jamshedpur (4-2-3-1): Pawan Kumar; Laldinliana Renthlei, Peter Hartley, Narender Gehlot, Ricky Lallawmawma; Mobashir Rahman, Alex Lima; Seimenlen Doungel, Greg Stewart, Ritwik Das; Daniel Chima Chukwu.
Kerala Blasters (4-4-2): Prabhsukhan Gill; Harmanjot Singh Khabra, Ruivah Hormipam, Marko Leskovic, Nishu Kumar; Sahal Abdul Samad, Jeakson Singh, Puitea, Adrian Luna; Chencho Gyeltshen; Alvaro Vazquez.
Prediction
The two sides share a lot of similarities, be it their performance graph or current form. Hence, we have gone for the most common outcome of this game – draw, and have predicted a 1-1 scoreline.