Kerala Blasters FC, returning home after losing their first away match against Mumbai City 2-1, will host NorthEast United FC in the Indian Super League (ISL) at Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium on Saturday.
It remains to be seen how the hosts will regroup after losing two of their trusted defenders - Milos Drincic to suspension and Aiban Dohling to a season-ending injury – against an attacking NorthEast, who are travelling to Kochi after splitting points with Punjab FC in a thrilling outing in the first week of October.
Blasters, with six points from two home wins and an away loss, are currently placed in the fourth spot, above the Highlanders, who have accumulated four points from their three matches. Coincidentally, NorthEast also lost to Mumbai City with a similar margin (1-2) as the Blasters, but on their home ground.
Both sides are heading into this fourth-round outing after testing their teams and strategies in both home and away conditions against formidable opponents. After their early October third-round matches, the teams have had sufficient time to realign their match plans. However, Blasters' assistant coach, Frank Dauwen, who is standing in for Ivan Vukomanovic serving a ten-match ban, will have to resort to the team's contingency plans after losing the support of his key defenders Drincic and Dohling.
Juan Pedro Benali will be wary of the fact that his team will find themselves in the midst of a 'Yellow Sea' vortex, and even on their worst days, Blasters are known for being merciless and giving their all when playing at home in front of their fans.
Sensational NorthEast forward Parthib Gogoi, who has scored three goals from as many outings, Blasters' playmaker Adrian Luna, who has two goals from three matches, and his strike partner Dimitrios Diamantakos are players who could make a difference. No wonder, John Abraham-owned NorthEast recently rewarded Gogoi by renewing his contract after their third-round match.
