Kolkata: Kerala Blasters start their Indian Super League (ISL) 2022-23 campaign with a winning streak against East Bengal FC. The opener came from Adrian Luna with Ivan Kaliuzhnyi scoring a brace in the second-half. Kerala Blasters secure a 3-1 win at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. Alex Lima scored for East Bengal FC.
The first-half of the match had enough chances for both thr the teams to break the deadlock. In the seventh minute, Alex Lima cut onto his left foot to place the ball into the bottom left corner. However, Prabhsukhan Singh Gill stretched full to palm the Brazilian’s shot behind for a corner. Three minutes later, Apostolos Giannou found himself with a sublime cross from Jessel Carneiro. Neither, the Australian could keep his shot on target.
The second-half had the Blasters kicked it up a notch. Five minutes past, Giannou was denied after his deflected strike was brilliantly saved by Kamaljit. The East Bengal FC shot-stopper was at it again just three minutes later as he blocked Luna’s close-range effort at his near post.
From 😕 to 😯@SuyashU was all of us as @KeralaBlasters turned on the heat in the second-half! 🔥#KBFCEBFC #HeroISL #LetsFootball #KeralaBlasters #EastBengalFC pic.twitter.com/7MscrZfV1p
— Indian Super League (@IndSuperLeague) October 7, 2022
The deadlock finally broke in the 72nd minute when Harmanjot Khabra found Luna in the box with a long ball from his half. The Uruguayan got his foot on it to sneak it past the goalkeeper, gifting his side a crucial lead.
In the 79th minute Ivan Kaliuzhnyi came down on to score his debut goal. The Ukrainian made a run at the East Bengal FC defence from his own half before calmly slotting the ball into the net. Eight minutes from full time, The Blasters doubled their advantage with Kaliuzhnyi who came in place of Giannou.
For Julieta 🫶#HeroISL #KBFCEBFC #LetsFootball #KeralaBlasters #EastBengalFC pic.twitter.com/TrG9yEDqXM
— Indian Super League (@IndSuperLeague) October 7, 2022
East Bengal FC got on the scoresheet in the 88th minute,following a stunning volley from Alex Lima who was left unmarked inside the box. But a minute later, Kaliuzhnyi doubled his tally and reinstated the Blasters’ two-goal advantage with a brilliant left-foot volley from 25 yards out.
