Match: Kerala Blasters FC v Pune City FC
Venue: Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Kochi
Date: December 7, 2018
Time: 19:30 IST
MATCH PREVIEW
Kerala Blasters will play their second match at home this week as they take on Pune City FC on Friday night. They are yet to register a victory at home and also have been winless as a whole since their opening day victory against ATK this season. Their performance this season hasn’t been something that has been welcomed by the fans but they showed signs of improvement in their last match against Jamshedpur FC which resulted in a 1-1 draw.
This season hasn’t been great for Pune either. They qualified for the play-offs last season but their performance has completely degraded this time around, despite having almost the same set of players. They have won only one out of their seven matches since interim coach Pradhyum Reddy took over. So, they must be desperate for a win in this match. But the task won’t be easy against a dangerous Kerala side, and that too, at their own den.
INJURY AND SUSPENSION UPDATES
KERALA BLASTERS FC
Keziron Kizito (doubtful)
Nikola Krcmarevic (doubtful)
PUNE CITY FC
No concern as such.
PROBABLE STARTING XI
Kerala Blasters FC (4-4-2): Dheeraj—Jhingan, Edathodika, Lakic-Pesic, Kali— Vineeth, Mundampara, Samad, Pekuson—Doungel, Stojanovic
Pune City FC (4-2-3-1): Kamaljit—Mehta, Mills, Diaz, Panwar—Adil, Tebar—Marcelinho, Stankovic, Kuruniyan—Robin
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DREAM 11 TEAM FORMATION APPROACH
Both teams have had a pretty bad season so far. So, it is quite tricky to predict the winner here. But you have to back Kerala as it is their home match. Still it is better to go with a balanced squad and hence I have picked 6 players from Kerala and five of them from Pune. Both the defence and attacking lines have been kept balnced with equal number of players from both sides. Only the Kerala goal-keeper makes the difference in tally between the two teams. I have gone in with a 4-3-3 formation in this match.
COMBINED DREAM 11 TEAM
Goal-Keeper:
Dheeraj Singh (8 Cr)-Kerala
The young goal-keeper has been an assured presenece in front of the goal for the Blasters. He is expected to keep his good run going in this match.
Defenders:
Sandesh Jhingan (9 Cr) – Kerala
Anas Edathodika (8.5 Cr)- Kerala
Matt Mills (9 Cr) – Pune
Ashutosh Mehta (8 Cr)- Pune
Jhingan and Edathodika are Kerala’s best defenders and earn plenty of points from crosses and clearances respectively apart from clean-sheets. Mills and Mehta are equally important for Pune.
Mid-Fielders:
Marcelo Pereira (10 Cr) – Pune
Seiminlel Doungel (9.5 Cr)- Kerala
Marko Stankovic (9 Cr) – Pune
Doungel played well in the last match and scored a goal. Stankovic and Marcelo haven’t scored as many goals as they should have in this season so far but their talents always make them a threat in every match.
Forwards:
CK Vineeth (9.5 Cr) – Kerala
Slavisia Stojanovic (9.5 Cr)- Kerala
Robin Singh (8.5 Cr) – Pune
Vineeth is a nighmare for the full-backs as he has often embarrassed them with his skills. Stojanovic has been prolific as Kerala’s forward and Robin Singh would like to make an impact in this match after a quiet season so far.
Captain: Seiminlel Doungel
Vice-Captain: Slavisia Stojanovic