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After finishing runners-up in the 2021-22 edition of the Indian Super League (ISL), Kerala Blasters FC (KBFC) will be hungry for silverware this time around. The Yellow Army have done a smart job in the transfer window, holding on to their Indian core and then adding some quality overseas options.
Last season, the Blasters relied entirely on a regular strike partnership of Alvaro Vazquez and Jorge Pereyra Diaz in their regular 4-4-2 formation. The duo shared a telepathic connection and scored a total of 16 goals throughout the campaign.
In the upcoming season, however, KBFC won't have their old guards to lead the attacking line. They've brought in two new foreign signings in Dimitrios Diamantakos and Apostolos Giannou, alongside the young Bidyashagar Singh, for the forward position. Vukomanovic will have a couple of options when it comes to his choice of preferred forward pairing.
In this article, we will take a look at the three strike partnerships we could see at Kerala Blasters in the upcoming season:
#1 Dimitrios Diamantakos and Apostolos Giannou
The Blasters acquired the striker pairing of Dimitrios and Apostolos ahead of the upcoming season.
The Greek forward is a typical 'fox-in-the-box', who lingers inside the opposition area for the ball. The 29-year-old has a neat shot on him and has also previously played in a two-striker formation.
This leads to the perfect segue to introduce Apostolos Giannou, who could eventually become Diamantakos' strike partner.
With both having high-quality movements off the ball, the Greek duo can be expected to function fuildly.
#2 Dimitrios Diamantakos and Adrian Luna
The only concern with the initial pairing of Dimitrios and Apostolos is that both the forwards could face the problem of taking up similar spaces in the opposition box.
However, the situation could be addressed by adding the creativity of Adrian Luna alongside the clinical finishing of Diamantakos.
While the Greek centre-forward would be the target-man up front, Luna could play as a secondary striker. The Uruguayuan is an able ball-carrier and can deliver peach finishes even from outside the box.
With Luna hovering in and around the opposition box, the Blasters can carve open defenses with ease. This could be a pairing to watch out for.
#3 Apostolos Giannou and Bidyashagar Singh
As mentioned earlier, the Greek-Australian forward is sharp both on and off the ball. Apostolos' movement and finishing ability makes him a true blue centre-forward to lead the line.
However, the 32-year-old can also accommodate someone more agile and quick like Bidyashagar Singh beside him.
Although his stint at Bengaluru FC didn't produce the desired results, Bidyashagar's quality on the ball is undeniable.
He can penetrate the spaces created by Giannou and then hit the opposition defenses, especially against high-block teams.
