Kerala Blasters FC to Face Punjab FC in ISL 2024-25 Opener with New Coaches at Helm

Kerala Blasters FC face Punjab FC in the ISL 2024-25 opener at Nehru Stadium, Kochi. Both teams introduce new head coaches, aiming to start strong. Kerala eyes a hat-trick of opening-game wins, while Punjab aims for consecutive victories. Key players to watch include Adrian Luna and Luka Majcen.

Kerala Blasters FC (KBFC) will kick off their Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 season against Punjab FC (PFC) at the Nehru Stadium in Kochi on Sunday. The start of the season comes without last season's top scorer, Greek footballer Dimitrios Diamantakos, who has departed from KBFC.

This match marks the third encounter between the two teams, each previously securing one win. Known for their passionate fans, Kerala Blasters aim to continue their perfect streak of opening-game wins for the third consecutive season. Punjab FC, who had an impressive 4-1 debut ISL season victory over East Bengal FC, seeks to carry that momentum forward.

A victory for Punjab would mean their first ever back-to-back wins in ISL history, setting a strong foundation for the new season. Kerala Blasters welcome their new Swedish head coach Mikael Stahre, renowned for guiding top teams across Europe and Asia. Meanwhile, Punjab's new Greek coach Panagiotis Dilmperis embarks on his first assignment in Asia, focusing on quality over quantity at the club.

"They are a very eager group, always ready to put in maximum effort. We have a good mixture of youth and experience and also foreign players. But all of them have a huge drive, they want to improve themselves, and they want to achieve something for this club," Stahre said to ISL.

"Punjab FC are moving forward every year. They are taking quality steps forward and everyone at the club including the director (Nikolaos Topoliatis) is focused on quality more than quantity. This is a great challenge for me because for this season we have to do one step better than last season. The previous season was also good, especially in the second half," Dilmperis shared with ISL.

Kerala Blasters' key player Adrian Luna is notable for his goal-scoring ability, with 13 goals to his name, just two short of becoming the club's joint second-highest scorer in ISL history. For Punjab FC, all eyes will be on Slovenia's Luka Majcen, who scored eight goals last season and brings valuable experience and leadership to the team.

(With inputs from agencies.)