Kerala Kerala Blasters started their campaign in the new season of Indian Super League(ISL 2022-23) with a win. In the first match of the 9th season of the league, Blasters defeated East Bengal 3-1. The hero of the match was Ivan Kaliyuzhanyi, who came into the field as a substitute for Kerala Blasters and scored two goals. Blasters goalkeeper Prabhsukhan Gill also did well.
In this opening match held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi, the first half was equal for both the teams. However, Kerala Blasters created more chances. Blasters picked up the pace in the second half after scoring no goals in the first half. In the 72nd minute of the match, Kerala Blasters opened their account through Adrian Luna’s goal. Luna intercepted Harmanjot Khabra’s long pass in the best fashion and took it to the goal post of East Bengal. Thousands of spectators present in the stadium were shocked to see Luna’s goal. Luna dedicated this goal to her daughter who passed away this year due to illness.
In the 80th minute of the match, both the teams made substitutions and Ivan Kaliuzhnai came into the field for the Blasters. In the 83rd minute, Evan dribbled the ball through three East Bengal defenders and scored a goal. But in the 87th minute, East Bengal took advantage of Blasters’ weak defense to open the account thanks to a goal from Alex Lima.
Ivan Kaliuzhnai scored in the 88th minute with a quick shot to give the Blasters a 3-1 lead. The stadium reverberated with the noise of the spectators as soon as the whistle of the match ended. With this win, Kerala Blasters have got full 3 points. The team’s next match will be against ATK Mohun Bagan on October 16, while East Bengal will face Goa on October 12. Bengaluru FC and NorthEast United FC will face each other in the league on October 8.