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Bengaluru FC take on rivals Kerala Blasters at the Indian Super League (ISL) on Sunday.
Bengaluru FC have an envious record in Indian football and the ISL. They have qualified for the playoffs in all the 3 seasons of the ISL they have played till now. The former champions will look to do better this season after crashing out in the semi-finals in ISL 2019-20.
After the disappointing end to their campaign, Bengaluru FC stuck with their core and made a few signings ahead of ISL 2020-21. They have had a decent start to Season 7, racking up 6 points in 4 matches and are still unbeaten.
Kerala Blasters, meanwhile, have made a disappointing start to ISL 7 as they lie 9th on the table with 2 points in 4 matches. The team is yet to settle in and Kibu Vicuna surely has a lot of worry about.
Their only points came in a goalless draw against Chennaiyin FC and in the match against NorthEast United where they bottled a two-goal lead. The Men in Yellow are yet to score in open-play. The injury of captain Sergio Cidoncha makes matters worse for them as the search for a replacement is ongoing.
This fixture is a highly-anticipated one due to the rivalry between the fans of the two clubs. Here are 3 players who could be the captain and vice-captain of your Dream11 team.
#3 Cleiton Silva
Cleiton Silva has played in the Thai League for a lot of years, scoring more than 100 goals. He was the top-scorer of the league in two seasons, which prompted Bengaluru to sign him.
Silva has been given the task to fill the void left by Miku. He’s on track to doing exactly that. He scored a goal in Bengaluru's first match of ISL 2020-21 against FC Goa. Since then he hasn’t found the back of the net. But that is also because the penalties are taken by Sunil Chhetri.
Kerala Blasters' defence will be without the service of Costa Nhamoinesu after he was shown the red card last match. This puts Blasters in an even more vulnerable position, giving Silva a good chance to score. That is why he should be considered while choosing your Dream11 captain.
#2 Gurpreet Singh Sandhu
Gurpreet Singh Sandhu has been trusted by Bengaluru FC to guard their goal since long, and there’s no wondering why. Last ISL, Gurpreet won the Golden Glove with 11 clean sheets. This season he already has 2 to his name.
Bengaluru’s custodian has made some stunning saves. To put it in numbers, he has made 12 saves in 4 matches. Safe to say, he is responsible for saving Bengaluru FC from defeats by pulling off some vital saves.
With Kerala Blasters’ attack failing to fire, Gurpreet has high chances of keeping a clean sheet again. That makes him a good pick as the captain or vice-captain of your Dream11 team.
#1 Juanan
Juanan has been a core part of Bengaluru FC since a few years now. He’s also made a big impact on the team in the 4 matches the Blues have played this season.
He has already scored 2 goals in 4 matches out of the 4 open-play goals scored by Bengaluru. And that’s not even his main job. Playing as a centre-back, Juanan has made high contributions in both attack and defense. He has 5 tackles and 14 clearances this season. It shows that he’s just as effective in front of his own goal as he is on the opposite end. He’s thus a top pick for the Dream11 team captaincy role.
