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Delhi Dynamos will make the long journey down south, to the coastal state of Kerala in a quest to drown the sinking ship that is Kerala Blasters FC. In the previous round of matches, the Blasters slumped to a 2-1 defeat to the hands of the defending champions Atlético de Kolkata, while Delhi Dynamos saw off FC Pune City.
Both teams will be boosted by the return of the Indian contingent from national team duty ahead of a game that promises to be an exciting and tense encounter in the Hero Indian Super League.
Kickoff Time and Live Telecast
Live Telecast: Star Sports 1 and 2, Star Sports HD1 and HD 2, Asianet Movies (Malayalam)
Live Stream: starsports.com
Date and Time: Saturday, 18 October 2015 – 1900 IST
Venue: Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Kochi
Team News
Marquee player, Carlos Marchena has resumed full training for the Yellow Brigade and might feature for Peter Taylor’s side in defence. The 2010 World Cup winner will look to revive some stability into the back four that was tormented by Atletico on Tuesday.
Piling on the good news for the Blasters will be domestic stars Sandesh Jhingan and Cavin Lobo; both of whom are back from the Indian National team camp. The likes of Chris Dagnall and Sanchez Watt will have to up their game a notch from their disappointing performances against Kolkata and Mumbai if they are to break down the Dynamos. The hosts will be without midfielder Mehtab Hossain who is suspended following his sending off at Kolkata.
Kerala Blasters (5-3-2): Stephen Bywater, C.K Vineeth, Rahul Bheke, Carlos Marchena, Bruno Perone, Sandesh Jhingan, Cavin Lobo, Pulga, Josue Prieto, Chris Dagnall, Mohammed Rafi
Roberto Carlos should be pleased with the Delhi Dynamos who are riding on the back of two consecutive victories. Prolific Indian striker Robin Singh, another playing re-joining his respective franchise after national team obligations, was slotted straight into the firing line for the match against FC Pune City and produced results within no time. He will mostly assume the role of the target man up front for Delhi. Impact substitute, Richard Gadze, also a goal scorer against Pune, might again appear from the bench, for the Lions.
“In the last two games, there was no need for me. I will play if needed,” player-manager Roberto Carlos answered when asked the million dollar question; whether or not he will be playing, at the pre-match press conference at Kochi.
Delhi Dynamos (4-2-3-1): Toni Doblas, Anwar Ali, Anas Edathodika, John Arne Riise, Chicao, Hans Mulder, Souvik Chakraborty, Florent Malouda, Dos Santos, Mama, Robin Singh
Predicted Lineups
Key Battles
Sandesh Jhingan vs Robin Singh
Teammates just a week ago, Indian internationals Sandesh Jhingan and Robin Singh will square up against each other in Kochi. The physical presence and the aerial competence of Robin will be a cause for concern for Jhingan all night, while Robin himself could find it hard to turn on his best game against the strong Kerala backline.
Robin Singh will be even more of a threat when considering the wingers at Delhi’s disposal. Florent Malouda, Souvik Chakraborty, Mama are all excellent crossers of the ball and will look provide service from the flanks. The duo who will know each other’s pros and cons might cut each other out when engaged in battle.
Hans Mulder vs Pulga
Spaniard Pulga is the only player who has been able to light a spark from midfield for Kerala Blasters. Pulga’s characteristic bursts from central midfield might prove to be the difference between the teams. He will cross paths with Dutch midfielder Hans Mulder. A more defensive player by approach, Mulder can be a danger man in midfield on his day.
Mulder likes to keep possession and waits for the right moment before he releases the ball whereas Pulga does not hold back from trying the audacious. The face-off between the two breeds of central midfield players will be one interesting tussle to watch out for.
Prediction
With Kerala’s recent attacking frailties, they might struggle to find their way onto the score board. But Delhi Dynamos may have problems of their own finding their feet in front of the 63,000 odd fans that are expected to fill the stands of the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium on Sunday.
Kerala Blasters FC 0-0 Delhi Dynamos FC
