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Bengaluru FC will lock horns against arch-rivals Kerala Blasters FC in the first-ever Indian Super League (ISL) 2022-23 single-legged knockout match, hoping to secure a berth in the semi-finals. Enveloped by an overpouring of emotion, the Sree Kanteera Stadium in Bengaluru will witness the hosts going into their sternest test of the recent past.
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Simon Grayson's men are coming into the do-or-die fixture on the back of a blistering run of form. Bengaluru went on an eight-match winning streak to break into the top four after a shambolic start to the season. They are the only club in the league to remain unbeaten this season.
The Blues faced the Yellow Army twice in the regular season, with both sides taking a victory each. However, in their most recent encounter, Bengaluru held onto a one-goal lead to clinch all three points and a clean sheet.
Kerala Blasters, on the other hand, made it into the playoffs by virtue of their fifth-place finish in the league standings. Ivan Vukomanovic and his men have lost their previous three matches on the trot. Given their aspirations to make it through to the playoffs, their current form will be a worry for the visitors.
However, in a knockout match, it could all come down to a roll of the dice.
Bengaluru FC vs Kerala Blasters FC: Team News
BFC: Luckily, the Blues have no major injury concerns and could stick to the trusted lineup that has worked for them at the fag end of the league stage. Roy Krishna, Sunil Chhetri, and Sivasakthi Narayan could all start together.
KBFC: For KBFC, defender Marko Leskovic is available for the vital fixture. However, Ivan Kalyuzhnyi will miss the tie with suspension.
Bengaluru FC vs Kerala Blasters FC: Predicted Lineups
BFC: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Sandesh Jhingan, Aleksandar Jovanovic, Prabir Das, Rohit Kumar, Suresh Wangjam, Naorem Roshan Singh, Javi Hernandez, Sunil Chhetri, Roy Krishna, and Sivasakthi Narayanan.
KBFC: Prabhsukhan Gill, Nishu Kumar, Ruivah Hormipam, Marko Leskovic, Jessel Carneiro, Adrian Luna, Jeakson Singh, Danish Farooq, Rahul KP, Dimitris Diamantakos, and Sahal Abdul Samad.
Bengaluru FC vs Kerala Blasters FC: Prediction
Given the occasion and the emotion, the highly-anticipated match will be a tightly contested affair. While going by the record books and current form Bengaluru FC have a slight edge, Kerala Blasters are known to be a resilient unit. Under Ivan Vukomanovic, these boys have shown great fight and Friday night could witness another.
Prediction: Bengaluru FC 3-1 Kerala Blasters FC
