Kerala Blasters sealed 1-0 triumph against Kolkata’s Giants to move to the top of the points table in Indian Super League. The winning goal came in at the 9th minute from Diamantakos.
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Mariners failed to navigate the Yellow Army at Salt Lake as the latter scored a goal for none against them on Wednesday. With the triumph against Bengal’s boys, Blasters managed to secure the top spot on the points table.
The wheezing Bagan battled against the Yellow Army but to no avail. In the previous six encounters, Blasters failed miserably in front of the roaring Bagan. However, match week 11 proves to be a revenge-week for Blasters. On Christmas Eve, they beat Mumbai FC after years.
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Kerala Blasters’ Riveting First Half
At Salt Lake Stadium, the initial minutes of the game witnessed action in the midfield. Commencing the game with high pressing, Vukomanović’s men eventually switched to interception which was followed by clearance. Within five minutes of the first half, Diamantakos managed to get the ball past the defensive wall but it pecked the crossbar, thus missing the goal by a few inches.
In the ninth minute, Diamantakos proved to be a diamond again as he scored the winner for the Army. The ball dribbled past three defenders under Diamantakos’s spell to embrace the roof of the net, thus opening the scoresheet and gifting the Tuskers its third consecutive win. The latest lucky charm, Blasters never lost a game every time they played him.
The goal raised an alarm among Bagan’s tigers. Boumous-Petratos pair spearheaded the counter-strike but Blasters’ defence made the attack blunt. Bagan even tried a hand at the traditional long ball method. Nevertheless, nothing could break the Blasters’ tusk.
The Army continued with their raids. The chemistry between Azhar and Rahul K P sent red flag to the Mariners. In minute 39, Rahul entered the box and swiftly sliced through, unleashing a shot towards the near-post. Although the shot possessed great power, it narrowly missed the target. The very next minute, Peprah entered the box and took a shot from a comparable angle to where Diamantakos scored the goal. However, his shot was aimed low, and Kaith displayed excellent reflexes by getting a hand to it and successfully making the save.
Bagan’s Struggles in Second Half
In the second half, the Army had to deal with more incoming threats. Approximately 14 minutes into the second half, Azhar fouled Petratos, resulting in a freekick for the Mariners. Petratos attempted to curl the ball around the defensive wall and aim for the target with his shot. Unfortunately, the shot was struck with excessive power, causing the ball to go out of play and resulting in a goalkick.
In the 64th minute, Boumous executed a few stepovers and delivered a precise cross into the penalty area. Sadiku made an attempt to reach the end of the cross, however, Naocha managed to intervene effectively and prevent Sadiku’s progress. Ultimately, Sachin successfully caught the ball. In the 83rd minute, Etratos delivered a precise cross into the Blasters’ penalty area, yet there was no Mohun Bagan player present to capitalise on the opportunity. Ultimately, Sachin effortlessly gathered the ball.
Two minutes to full time, Mohun Bagan executed a brief corner play. Boumous delivered a pass to Asish Rai, who swiftly took a shot at the goal but unfortunately missed the target by a considerable distance. With players positioned inside the penalty area, a cross would have been a more favorable choice.
In the end, it was Blasters’ game. Vukomanović’s men will have to maintain the momentum in the upcoming encounters to continue their glorious raids.
