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Looking to bounce back from three consecutive defeats, East Bengal FC are set to travel to Kochi to face Kerala Blasters FC at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on Wednesday, April 3.
Similar to East Bengal, Kerala Blasters have also been on a poor run of form, losing five of their last seven games since the restart. They managed to secure only a point against Jamshedpur FC in their most recent outing, which was enough to clinch a playoff spot, thanks to Odisha FC’s victory over Punjab FC on Tuesday.
Ivan Vukomanovic has often found himself short of options this season, as several injuries have plagued the squad since the restart. While the Blasters are only six points away from fourth-placed FC Goa after 19 matches, they would certainly be content with aiming for the fifth spot, given their recent struggles.
The next three games also present Vukomanovic with an opportunity to experiment with his starting lineup ahead of the crucial playoff match. Speaking to the media ahead of the clash, he said:
"We will probably have to rotate five or six players tomorrow (against East Bengal FC) because a couple of hours after the match, we have to fly to Guwahati. As a coach, you try to find fresh legs, fresh people who can respond in front of our fans and hopefully get a good result." (via Times of India)
Meanwhile, East Bengal’s fortunes have experienced a significant downturn since their Super Cup triumph in January. With just two wins in nine games since the restart, they currently sit in 11th place in the table with only 18 points to their name.
However, only four points separate them from sixth-placed Bengaluru FC, and with the Torchbearers having a game in hand, a victory on Wednesday (April 3) would propel them to seventh in the table.
Assistant coach Bino George addressed the media ahead of the game, expressing that his team will give it their all, especially with a large crowd expected to support the Blasters in Kochi. He said, via the official ISL website:
"We have watched the matches Kerala Blasters FC have previously played in, against other teams. Our team has made a plan according to our preparation to play against the Blasters. So we will go for that. Those who are in football and all footballers will be very happy to play against this kind of the fans.We have an experience to play like this in front of the (big) crowd. So I think we can survive here."
Kerala Blasters FC vs East Bengal FC: Head-to-head record
Matches played: 7
KBFC wins: 3
EBFC wins: 1
Draws: 3
Result in the reverse fixture: East Bengal FC 1-2 Kerala Blasters FC
Kerala Blasters FC vs East Bengal FC: Top goalscorers in the 2023-24 ISL season
Kerala Blasters FC: Dimitrios Diamantakos (13 goals in 16 matches)
East Bengal FC: Cleiton Silva (7 goals in 18 matches)
Kerala Blasters FC vs East Bengal FC: Stats and numbers from the 2023-24 Indian Super League season
Most saves: Sachin Suresh (34), Prabhsukhan Gill (47)
Most assists: Adrian Luna (4), Nandhakumar Sekar (3)
Most shots per 90: Dimitrios Diamantakos (3.0), Cleiton Silva (3.0)
Most clearances: Milos Drincic (68), Hijazi Maher (89)
