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Bengaluru FC’s quest for a spot in the 2023 Super Cup semifinal reaches a crucial juncture, when the Blues face Kerala Blasters in their final Group A encounter at the EMS Corporation Stadium in Kozhikode on Sunday. The clash, which will be played in parallel with the other Group A match between RoundGlass Punjab FC and Sreenidi Deccan FC, pits a three-way battle between the Blues, the Blasters and Sreenidi that will determine which side makes it through to the semifinals.
“It was nice to get the win and the clean sheet in the last game. But the focus firmly remains on what we need to do to win the next game. The significance of the game on Sunday makes it a massive game for us,” said Bengaluru FC head coach Simon Grayson, ahead of Sunday’s encounter.
The two sides come into Sunday’s game on the back of contrasting results. Bengaluru FC posted their first win of the tournament with a 2-0 win against RoundGlass Punjab FC, whereas the Men in Yellow lost to Sreenidi Deccan FC by the same scoreline.
Both sides have players who are running the risk of suspensions, with Jeakson Singh, Ayush Adhikari and striker Dimitrios Diamantakos all on yellow cards for the Kerala Blasters, while Rohit Kumar, Parag Shrivas and Sandesh Jhingan picked up cautions in the previous game. But considering the magnitude of the game, both coaches would be expected to put out their strongest eleven.
“Whenever you play Kerala Blasters, you know that it’s a big game, for the bragging rights on the pitch and off it as well. It has all the ingredients of a fantastic game, with the spice of the rivalry, and I expect a good crowd in the stadium which we are all looking forward to,” added Grayson.
The onus of leading Ishfaq Ahmed’s outfit past the Blues will fall on Diamantakos, who scored 10 goals in 21 ISL games and has captained the side in the absence of Uruguayan midfielder Adrian Luna. For the Blues, Javi Hernandez will once again be a key part of proceedings, with the Spaniard scoring twice in the tournament so far, the highest in the Blues’ camp.
“You can only control what you do, and we can’t let what happens in the other game affect us. We have to make sure that we are ruthless in both boxes and try to limit the Blasters to as few opportunities as possible,” said Grayson, laying down the marker for his side ahead of the big game.
Kick-off between the two teams is scheduled for 8:30pm on Sunday, and will be telecast live on Sony Sports 2 and Fancode.
