Kerala Blasters vs NorthEast United: Preview and Prediction
In a bid to reclaim their top two status, Kerala Blasters will lock horns with NorthEast United in ‘Match 81’ of the 2021-22 Indian Super League season at the Tilak Maidan Stadium on Friday.
Kerala Blasters is looking intimidating on the pitch after many years of mediocrity. The Tuskers are currently occupying third place in the standings having accumulated 20 points in 12 matches with five wins and as many draws.
On the contrary, NorthEast United’s campaign so far this season has been nothing less than a nightmare. The Highlanders have gathered only 10 points from 15 matches and are reeling at the bottom place in the standings.
Current Form
Kerala Blasters’ unbeaten streak ended in their last match where they were handed a 1-0 defeat by Bengaluru. It was Ivan Vukomanovic’s first defeat since the inaugural match of the competition, where his team suffered a defeat against ATK Mohun Bagan.
The Tuskers registered consecutive victories in the two matches they played before facing the Blues. Vukomanovic’s team secured a slender 2-0 triumph against Odisha, while against Hyderabad, the scoreline was 1-0.
NorthEast United is one of the three teams who have not only any of their last five matches. Khalid Jamil’s men have managed a solitary draw from their last three matches, whilst suffering two defeats.
In their last match, the Highlanders were handed a 5-0 humbling by Hyderabad. The performance was much better in the match preceding that fixture against Mumbai City, where they held on to a 1-1 draw, but last season’s semi-finalists also lost 2-1 against Chennaiyin before that.
Head to Head Record
Kerala Blasters is ahead on head-to-head records, but only by the narrowest of margins. They have won five of the 15 encounters against NorthEast United, with the Highlanders emerging victorious on four occasions. Six meetings have ended in draws.
One such draw was played out in the first meeting of this season that produced a goalless stalemate. Vukomonanovic’s men dominated possession but lacked the clinical edge in the final third to breach NorthEast’s defense.
Team News
Hernan Santana will be available for selection after serving a one-game suspension
Vukomanovic is expected to make two changes to the team that lost in the Southern Derby against Bengaluru – one of them being a forced change. Puitea has picked up four yellow cards and will need to serve a one-game suspension.
Prasanth Karuthadathkuni can replace him and slot in his usual position at right-wing, which will then force Sahal Abdul Samad to operate in the middle of the park. Besides that, Sanjeev Stalin is expected to take up Ruivah Hormipam’s place in central defense.
Jamil can make wholesale changes to his starting XI after a 5-0 drubbing against Hyderabad. To provide him with a much-needed boost, Hernan Santana will be available for selection after serving a one-game suspension.
He is expected to take up Mohamed Irshad’s place in the midfield, while to maintain overseas count, central defender Zakaria Diallo could be sacrificed for Mashoof Shereef. The I-League winning head coach is also likely to change both of his full-backs, with Joe Zoherliana and Tondonba Singh replacing Provat Lakra and Gurjinder Kumar respectively.
Predicted Starting Lineups
Kerala Blasters (4-4-2): Prabhsukhan Gill; Harmanjot Khabra, Sanjeev Stalin, Marko Leskovic, Nishu Kumar; Prasanth Karuthadathkuni, Jeakson Singh, Sahal Abdul Samad, Adrian Luna; Jorge Pereyra Diaz, Adrian Luna.
NorthEast United (4-2-3-1): Subhasish Roy; Joe Zoherliana, Patrick Flottmann, Mashoor Shereef, Tondonba Singh; Hernan Santana, Sehnaj Singh; VP Suhair, Marco Sahanek, Imran Khan; Marcelinho.
Prediction
Kerala Blasters is ahead of NorthEast United in every aspect – be it overall campaign so far, head-to-head statistics, or current form. Hence, we have predicted a 2-1 scoreline in the Tuskers’ favor.