First-time finalists Hyderabad FC take on Kerala Blasters in the Indian Super League 2021-22 final at the Fatorda Stadium in Margao on Sunday, March 20. The final will begin from 7:30 PM IST.
The Nizams, who astonished one and all with their consistent run of form this season, are the tournament’s highest goal-scorers having notched a whopping 46 goals across the league stage and the play-off rounds. This translates to a little more than two goals every match.
Kerala, on the other hand, are averaging 1.6 goals this season and their defensive record is more or less similar to that of Hyderabad’s having conceded 25 goals in 22 games.
The race to qualify for the play-off spots was smoother for Hyderabad than it was for Kerala. With inconsistency haunting them throughout, the Blasters had to somewhat rely on Mumbai City FC’s results towards the end of the league stage to finish in the top four.
Kerala exceeded expectations when they beat tournament favourites Jamshedpur FC across two legs in the semi-final to set up a showdown against Hyderabad in the final.
Hyderabad FC vs Kerala Blasters head-to-head
The Hyderabad FC vs Kerala Blasters head-to-head record is evenly poised as both teams have won three games each. In a total of six meetings between the two teams, Kerala have scored 10 goals while the Nizams have notched nine.
There’s absolutely nothing to separate the two even in the ongoing season. In their first meeting on January 9, Kerala put a stop to Hyderabad’s eight-game unbeaten run with Alvaro Vazquez’s 42nd-minute goal proving to be the difference.
A month later, ISL’s all-time top scorer Bartholomew Ogbeche and Javier Siverio got on the scoresheet to beat Kerala 2-1.
Hyderabad FC vs Kerala Blasters squads
Hyderabad FC squad:
Goalkeepers: Laxmikant Kattimani, Gurmeet Singh, Lalbiakhlua Jongte
Defenders: Akash Mishra, Asish Rai, Chinglensana Singh, Juanan Gonzalez, Pritam Soraisam, Nikhil Prabhu, Nim Dorjee Tamang
Midfielders: Joao Victor, Mohammad Yasir, Souvik Chakrabarti, Hitesh Sharma, Sahil Tavora, Nikhil Poojary, Edu Garcia, Mark Zothanpuia, Halicharan Nazary, Abdul Rabeeh
Attackers: Bart Ogbeche, Javi Siverio, Joel Chianese, Rohit Danu, Aniket Jadhav, Aaren D'Silva
Kerala Blasters squad:
Goalkeepers: Albino Gomes, Prabhsukhan Singh Gill, Muheet Shabir Khan, Sachin Suresh
Defenders: Nishu Kumar, Sandeep Singh, Marko Leskovic, Enes Sipovic, Abdul Hakku Nediyodeth, Ruivah Hormipam, Bijoy Varghese, Jessel Carneiro, Denechandra Meitei, Sanjeev Stalin
Midfielders: Rahul KP, Prasanth Karuthadathkuni, Adrian Luna, Jeakson Singh, Harmanjot Khabra, Lalthathanga 'Puitea’ Khawlhring, Givson Singh, Ayush Adhikari, Sahal Abdul Samad
Forwards: Alvaro Vazquez, Jorge Pereira Diaz, Chencho Gyeltshen, Seityasen Singh, Vincy Barretto
Where to watch Hyderabad FC vs Kerala Blasters Indian Super League 2021-22 final live in India?
The live telecast of Hyderabad FC vs Kerala Blasters ISL 2021-22 final will be available on the Star Sports 2, Star Sports 2 HD, and Star Sports 3 TV channels in India.
For regional languages, viewers can switch to Star Sports 1 Hindi and Star Sports 1 HD Hindi TV, Star Sports 1 Tamil, Star Sports 1 Telugu, Star Sports 1 Kannada, and the Star Sports 1 Bangla.
The live streaming of Hyderabad FC vs Kerala Blasters ISL 2021-22 final can be viewed on Disney+ Hotstar and on Jio TV.
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Featured photo: ISL Media
