ISL 2022-23: Kerala Blasters sound early warning to rivals with win over East Bengal as fans return to stadium

Indian Super League Prediction

March 9 2026, 07:30 PM

Punjab

NorthEast United

Bengaluru, October 7: The 12th man -- fans -- returned to the stadium as sentimental favourites Kerala Blasters beat East Bengal 3-1 in the lung opener of Indian Super League (ISL) 2022-23 season in front of a packed house at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi on an exciting Friday (October 7) night.

The season 9 of ISL welcomed backed the fans back as they cheered their teams at the stadiums.

After two years in a bubble, the top-tier league in Indian football returned to a home-and-away format, with fans thronging the ISL season opener at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi.

Two quick-fire goals by Ivan Kaliuzhnyi handed the home side the win against East Bengal as the opening fixture of season 9 of ISL got off to a rousing start.

After a goalless first half, Adrian Luna broke the deadlock after getting a long ball from Harmanjot Khabra, in the penalty box to toss the ball over Kamajlit Singh to give Blasters the lead in the 72nd minute.

Ivan took a corner kick in the 81st minute after a headed clearance outside the box to hit on the volley into the net to get the comfort goal for Blasters.

East Bengal reduced the deficit in the 87th from a set-piece as Alexandre Lima who got the ball following a failed headed clearance from the corner kick and shot it into the net.

Two minutes later, Ivan was at it again as he produced another beauty from outside the box to help Blasters seal the contest.

Attacking instincts

Last season, Blasters scored 37 goals with Alvaro Vazquez and Jorge Diaz being their leading scorers with eight goals apiece.

In ISL 2022-23, the Blasters were without both of them, but they still found the resources to pierce the East Bengal defence.

Head-to-Head

East Bengal had signed proven attacking players in Cleiton Silva, Aniket Jadhav, and Suhair VP ahead of the season as well as fortified their defence - which conceded 18 more than they scored last season - with the likes of Ivan Gonzalez and Jerry Lalrinzuala.

KBFC and East Bengal had played four times and with three stalemates and KBFC winning the last time these two met in ISL 2021-2022. This time it was Blasters again, who had the lastr laugh.

Unwavering support

Having reached the final of last season, Blasters coach Ivan Vukomanovic had forewarned his players not to take East Bengal lightly while also deeming them as a potential surprise package for the season ahead and his wards did exactly that.

The Yellow Brigade, relied heavily on the unwavering support of their Yellow Army -- Manjappada -- after a gap of two years at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi, with the fans spicing up the atmosphere during the match.

Last laugh!

The Red and Golds had undergone an overhaul in the summer as former India coach Stephen Constantine took over the club that has almost an entirely new squad this season.

Constantine had suggested his team will take it one step at a time in the ISL 2022-23 season as the players and the coaching staff slowly understand each other better. But it was Blasters who had the last laugh!