Debutants Mohammedan Sporting Club will seek their first home win in the Indian Super League (ISL) when they host Kerala Blasters FC in a tricky match here on Sunday.
Both teams are hungry for victory, but for Mohammedan, this game is crucial, as they desperately need their first home win of the season, and the visiting Kerala Blasters aren’t going to make it easy.
Mohammedan enter this game after a 0-3 defeat to Mohun Bagan Super Giant in the Kolkata derby. Andrey Chernyshov’s men have managed four points from their first four games, leaving them 10th on the points table.
With two winless home results already, a victory against Kerala Blasters can prevent them from joining the likes of Jamshedpur FC, East Bengal, and Punjab FC as teams without a home win in their first three games this season.
For Kerala Blasters, an away fixture has thrown up defensive challenges. Their last nine trips on the road have seen them concede at least one goal in each game, managing just one win.
A victory on Sunday would not only break that trend but also mark a significant milestone, bringing them their third consecutive win in Kolkata, an unprecedented feat in their history.
Their last two visits to Kolkata were fruitful, with a 1-0 victory over Mohun Bagan Super Giant and a 2-1 win against East Bengal FC. A victory on Sunday would strengthen their chances of getting into the top-six and signal their intent for the rest of the season.
Sunday’s match will be the first face-off between Mohammedan and Kerala Blasters in the ISL.
Mohammedan head coach Andrey Chernyshov gave an in-depth analysis of the Kerala Blasters FC setup, but expressed confidence that his team is ready for the challenge.
“After a break we started our work for the game. Kerala Blasters are a good and strong team. They have players who have played for a long time in the ISL. This season they are doing well now.
“They are really good in attack because they score every match. It doesn’t matter if they play home or away because they score. We need to be ready for that. We worked in the training about it. We’ll be ready for this situation tomorrow on the ground,” Chernyshov said in the pre-match press conference.
Kerala Blasters head coach Mikael Stahre admitted that Mohammedan are hungry for success. He insisted that his side will follow their tactical plan appropriately to get a positive outcome on Sunday.
“Firstly all the ISL games are competitive. So we have to be humble and organised. They have the hunger and we have a lot of that too.
“My job is to prepare tactical things and pass on the energy and instructions to players. We have been practicing well during the international break. We are looking forward to win the game,” Stahre said.
