Form, just like in any other sport, is a fickle thing in football. After floundering around for much of the season, Bengaluru coach Simon Grayson found the right ingredients, at the perfect time, albeit by an inconceivable omission.
And then, there was no stopping the Blues as they reeled in eight wins in a row -- including one over the previously unbeaten Mumbai City FC -- as it finished fourth, qualifying for the playoff, with the benefit of playing at home in the first knockout game.
And at the other end of the form spectrum, we have Kerala Blasters.
Manager Ivan Vukumanovic, after a stuttering start, steadied the ship as Blasters set an eight-game unbeaten streak, including a 3-2 win at home over Bengaluru, putting them in the coat-tails of the top two – Hyderabad FC and Mumbai.
And then their season took a nosedive.
In the last eight games, they lost six and won two, with one of them coming against bottom-placed NorthEast United.
The goals dried up for the three-time ISL finalists, while their defence was as porous as a cotton shirt on a hot sunny day.
And now, in a battle of contrasts, Kerala Blasters heads to Bengaluru in the knockout playoff at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium on Friday.
Home Advantage
For much of the season, it seemed that the 2021-22 ISL runner-up will finish in the top four, if not in the top two.
But in the end, it will be Bengaluru, the reigning Durand Cup champion, which will host the Blasters in the penultimate impediment to the semifinal.
The BFC fortress: Kerala Blasters has never won at the Kanteerava Stadium and will look to change history when it travels to Bengaluru for a place in the semifinals. | Photo Credit: Focus Sports/ ISL
It is an advantage which could be a telling one, considering that Blasters have never won at the Kanteerava.
Vukumanovic’s side is close to being the best in the league at home. But away from it, the Blasters have struggled, with just three wins, while being the fourth-worst in the league.
If Kerala Blasters aspires for a second-successive semifinal entry, it would need to buck not just a historical mental barrier, but also a worrying trend of away-form.
Tactical Battle
Grayson has been the figurehead of pragmatic football in ISL this season.
His side has perfected the art of getting the best result out of a game through rapid counterattacks while minimising the risk of goal concession, with a rock-solid defence.
Among ISL teams this season, only three teams -- East Bengal FC, NorthEast United FC and Jamshedpur FC -- enjoy a lower share of ball possession than Bengaluru, indicating its faith in winning games by not dominating control over the ball.
Teams usually garner better possession numbers playing at home, rather than away.
But Bengaluru offers an opposite image. Its possession numbers drop by almost 2%, hinting at a clear strategy of ceding the ball to win the game.
On the other hand, Kerala Blasters is a side that loves asserting itself on the ball, with a league-third 52.9% possession in its games, usually employing a Vukumanovic-trademark 4-2-2-2 formation.
Its fluidity in attack, best exhibited by a sparkling team goal against Jamshedpur FC, has been sporadic, compared to the last season and is heavily dependent on its talismanic leader Adrian Luna.
The Uruguayan midfielder, with 47 chances, is joint-second in the league for chances created and sixth for total passes, just behind Dimitrios Petratos (51) of ATK Mohun Bagan.
With Bengaluru adept at closing down spaces with its compact 3-5-2 formation, KBFC will find it hard to dance its way through.
BFC’s back-three shape will also counter Blaster’s dependency on crosses to create chances, with the Kerala side leading the league with 322 such passes.
Player Probe
A key catalyst of Bengaluru’s revival has been Grayson’s decision to replace club legend Sunil Chhetri with young-gun Sivasakthi Narayanan.
The Tamil Nadu youngster struck a riveting partnership with Roy Krishna, laying the base for Grayson’s fast-break-centric outfit.
Siva has accumulated six goals and two assists in this ISL season, while his veteran partner, Krishna has five goals and assists each.
To add to Grayson’s joy, Chhetri marked his comeback into the playing 11, with a goal against Mumbai, ensuring its first defeat in the campaign.
Its most important player, though, has been Javi Hernandez.
Eyes fixed on the ball: Javi Hernandez has the join-most goal contributions for BFC this season and has been the lead enforcer in the midfield. | Photo Credit: Focus Sports / ISL
The Spanish midfield conductor had controlled Bengaluru’s tempo while leading the side in terms of goal contributions (six goals and four assists, level with Krishna).
For Blasters, the return of centre-back Marko Leskovic to full fitness could not have come at a better time.
Without him, Vukumanovic’s defence has looked scattered under pressure.
When the Croat starts, Blasters concedes just a goal a game. Without him, the number doubles.
Unfortunately for Blasters, it will be without midfield metronome Ivan Kaliyuzhni, who picked up one yellow card too many in the league stage, piling pressure on Luna to provide the creative spark for his side.
Blasters’ fans will also be pinning their hopes on the scoring form of its Greek striker Dimitrios Diamantakos, who has scored ten goals this season.
With away fans expected to turn up in large numbers, possibly outnumbering the home crowd at the Sree Kanteerava stadium on Friday, one can expect to witness a classic Indian Super League battle for the final four, this season.
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