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Bengaluru FC take on Kerala Blasters in their second Group C game of the 2023 Durand Cup at the Kishore Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata on Friday. The Blue Colts, who began their campaign with a 1-1 draw against Services side Indian Air Force FT, now face the task of getting past a Blasters side who will be keen on getting their first points on the board, having lost 3-4 to Gokulam Kerala FC in their opener last week.
“The young boys put up a good show, one that they can be proud of against a strong and physical team like the (Indian) Air Force. The next game against the (Kerala) Blasters is another opportunity for the boys to go face some of the best players in the country, and hopefully, get three points in the bag,” said Fernandes, speaking to the media ahead of the fixture.
The two sides have met previously in the Durand Cup, with Bengaluru FC running out 2-0 winners in the 2021 edition courtesy goals from Leon Augustine and Namgyal Bhutia. Most recently, Roy Krishna and Dimitris Diamantakos scored the goals in a 1-1 draw, when the clubs met in the Super Cup in April.
“This is a new group that’s still learning and improving. In the middle of the park, we are still a work in progress. Even though the boys are performing really well, I have a high standard set for them. This is because I know what they are capable of, and I demand more,” added Fernandes.
Bengaluru will be buoyed by standout performances from Salam Johnson Singh and Edmund Lalrindika in their opening fixture, with the former finding the net on debut. Kerala, meanwhile, had three scorers in their opening fixture with Prabir Das, Adrian Luna and Emmanuel Justine on the scoresheet.
The match against Kerala Blasters will be the Blues’ penultimate encounter in the group stages, with a fixture against Gokulam Kerala FC rounding up their Group C duties in the competition. The top-ranked team in each group will progress to the quarterfinals of the competition, with the two best-ranked second-placed teams across the groups.
All matches shall go live on the Sony Television Network and will also be available on the Sony LIV App [OTT].
