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Kerala Blasters FC will square off against a struggling FC Goa side at Tilak Maidan Stadium in Vasco, Goa in the first Indian Super League (ISL) game of 2022. Head coach Derrick Pereira's men lost against ATK Mohun Bagan in their previous encounter.
Meanwhile, Kerala Blasters FC are unbeaten in the league since their loss to ATKMB in their first match of the season. Ivan Vukomanovic's side are fifth in the ISL table with 13 points from 8 matches, winning 3 and drawing 4.
FC Goa, on the other hand, find themselves in completely different circumstances. After dropping their first three games of the season, the Gaurs went on a two-game winning streak before falling apart again.
ATK Mohun Bagan then swooped in and replaced Antonio Habas with head coach Juan Ferrando. The Gaurs are currently down to ninth spot with two wins, two draws and four losses.
The only bright spot for FC Goa is the availability of Anwar Ali, a talented young Indian defender who will finally make his ISL debut.
Kerala Blasters FC vs FC Goa Head-to-Head
The two sides have locked horns 14 times previously, with FC Goa triumphing in nine of those encounters. Kerala Blasters FC have beaten the Gaurs thrice and the other ISL fixtures ended in a draw.
FC Goa are unbeaten in their last 8 games against Kerala Blasters, spread across the last four seasons. The last time Kerala Blasters beat FC Goa was in 2016.
Matches played: 14
Kerala Blasters FC wins: 3
FC Goa wins: 9
Draws: 2
Kerala Blasters FC vs FC Goa Team News
Kerala Blasters FC: Head coach Ivan Vukomanovic said during the pre-match press conference that all players are available for selection.
FC Goa: Head coach Derrick Pereira has confirmed that Airam Cabrera is ruled out as he continues to nurse a hamstring injury. Meanwhile, Edu Bedia has recovered and is available for the match.
Kerala Blasters FC vs FC Goa Live Telecast and Streams
TV: Star Sports 2, Star Sports 2 HD, Star Sports 3, Hindi Commentary on Star Sports 1 Hindi, Star Sports 1 Hindi HD, Star Sports 1 regional channels— Tamil, Bengali, Kannada, Telugu.
Live Streaming: Disney+ Hotstar and JioTV.
Catch the latest ISL live score 2021 here on Sportskeeda!
Kerala Blasters FC vs FC Goa Prediction
While current form metrics favour Kerala Blasters, past records flaunt FC Goa's dominance in this particular fixture. FC Goa have been struggling in the league this season, but they would love to start 2022 on a fresher note. Meanwhile, a victory for Kerala Blasters would mean they jump to first in the points table.
Prediction: Kerala Blasters FC 1-2 FC Goa
