ISL: Nine men Kerala Blasters dig deep to return to winning ways against Punjab FC

With this win, KBFC are back in the reckoning for the playoffs, as they are only three points behind sixth-placed Odisha FC (20)

Reduced to nine men in the final quarter, Kerala Blasters FC were made to dig deep to eke out a 1-0 victory over Punjab FC in their Indian Super League match here on Sunday. A spot-kick from Noah Sadaoui (44th minute) was enough for Kerala Blasters FC to secure a win. With this result, Kerala Blasters FC became just the third side to win an ISL game after receiving two or more red cards after Mumbai City FC (4 vs Mohun Bagan Super Giant on December 20, 2023) and Chennaiyin FC (2 vs Kerala Blasters FC on December 16, 2014).

With this win, KBFC are back in the reckoning for the playoffs, as they are only three points behind sixth-placed Odisha FC (20). On the other hand, Punjab FC have succumbed to four consecutive defeats, and they were missing key attackers Luka Majcen and Ezequiel Vidal due to suspensions. It was a slow start to the game as both teams opted for a caution-first approach. Kerala Blasters did show some urgency in the first quarter through their main marksman Noah Sadaoui. The hosts enjoyed the lion's share of possession but hardly created any meaningful chances in the first 20 minutes. The visitors had a sniff at Punjab FC's goal in the 24th minute when Noah found Korou Singh in the penalty area with a delightful cross.

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But the youngster's header was way off target to trouble the goal. Three minutes later, Kerala Blasters came even closer to breaking the deadlock when Adrian Luna latched onto a loose ball and hammered it towards goal, forcing Muheet Shabir to come up with an outstanding save to deny the Uruguayan. Kerala Blasters, eventually, broke through Punjab FC's resilience in the 44th minute and once again it was courtesy of Noah. The Moroccan made a surging run down the left flank and was brought down by Suresh Meetei in the box, resulting in a spot-kick for the visitors. Noah stepped up and slotted it past Muheet to score the opener. Panagiotis Dilmperis turned to Leon Augustine at the start of the second half to add that extra pace in attack at the cost of Nihal Sudheesh.

However, things took a drastic turn for the visitors in the 58th minute when Milos Drincic was sent off after he received a second yellow card for illegally blocking Leon near the final third, reducing the Kerala Blasters FC to 10 men. Interim head coach TG Purushothaman brought on Pritam Kotal replacing Korou to bolster the backline. Minutes later, to everyone's surprise, he also replaced Noah with Alexandre Coeff. The game strategy was further complicated for Kerala Blasters in the 74th minute when Aibanbha Dohling was sent off for clattering into Leon. The referee thought it to be a dangerous play and handed him the marching orders, reducing the visitors to only nine men.

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