Kochi, Sep 15: Kerala Blasters FC suffered a disappointing defeat on their home turf at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, as Punjab FC secured a 2-1 win in their opening match of the Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 season on Sunday.
Captain and Slovenian striker Luka Majcen converted a penalty in the 86th minute, while Croatian midfielder Filip Mrzljak scored in the 90+5th minute to seal Punjab’s victory.
Punjab FC’s new Greek head coach, Panagiotis Dilberis, will be delighted with his team’s win, as they continued their form from last season.
Meanwhile, Kerala Blasters’ new Swedish head coach, Michael Stahre, will be left disappointed, as their streak of strong season starts was broken with this home defeat.
The match saw its first goal in the 86th minute when captain Luka Majcen calmly converted a penalty, giving Punjab FC a 1-0 lead.
The penalty was awarded in the 84th minute when Kerala Blasters’ Mohammad Saheef fouled Leon Augustine inside the box. Referee R. Venkatesh immediately pointed to the spot and booked Saheef with a yellow card. Majcen then blasted the ball into the left corner, leaving goalkeeper Sachin Suresh rooted to the spot.
In the six minutes of stoppage time, Kerala Blasters found an equaliser in the 90+2nd minute through substitute Spanish striker Jesús Jiménez. Defender Pritam Kotal delivered a cross from the right flank, which Jiménez headed into the net, catching Punjab FC’s goalkeeper Ravi Kumar off guard.
However, Punjab FC regained their lead in the 90+5th minute when Croatian midfielder Filip Mrzljak found the back of the net, thanks to a pass from Luka Majcen, making it 2-1.
The first half ended goalless, with both teams struggling to break the deadlock.
The majority of the play was centred in midfield, with both sides failing to make an impact in the opposition’s box due to poor passing and ball control.
Kerala Blasters had 55% possession and managed one shot on target, while Punjab FC, with 45% possession, failed to hit the target with any of their five attempts. (Agencies)
