ISL 2024-25: New-look Kerala Blasters aims positive start in its season opener against Punjab FC

Punjab beat the Blasters 3-1 in Kochi in its debut ISL year last season, and the two finished level 1-1 in the recently concluded Durand Cup 2024.

Kerala Blasters players during their practice session ahead of their match against Punjab FC in Kochi on Saturday. | Photo Credit: Thulasi Kakkat/The Hindu

Kerala Blasters will open its Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 season with a home match against Punjab FC at the Nehru Stadium in Kochi on Sunday.

Despite letting go of Dimitrios Diamantakos, the ISL’s top scorer last season, the Blasters scored plenty of goals in the pre-season in Thailand. In the Durand Cup, its Moroccan forward Noah Sadaoui took the Golden Boot award, and Kerala’s new head coach Mikael Stahre will be hoping Sadaoui and Spaniard Jesus Nunez continue their fine form in the season-opener against Punjab.

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“We have been pretty solid, so we are absolutely ready, but the games in the ISL will tell us where we stand. It will be a hard game, but hopefully we can beat them,” said Stahre.

Punjab beat the Blasters 3-1 in Kochi in its debut ISL year last season, and the two finished level 1-1 in the recently concluded Durand Cup 2024.

The Blasters, led by star Uruguayan Adrian Luna, made the ISL playoff last season after finishing fifth. Punjab finished eighth and missed the cut.

Meanwhile, Punjab’s head coach Panagiotis Dilmperis, felt the changes in the team would show in its performance.

“We have a new coaching staff, new foreign and Indian players, and that is the biggest difference from last season,” said Dilmperis. “This season, we will try to better the performance from last year and qualify for the playoffs.”