Kerala Blasters and Punjab FC Draw 1-1 in Exciting Durand Cup Match
In a thrilling Group C match of the Durand Cup held at Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata, Kerala Blasters and Punjab FC ended in a 1-1 draw. Luka Majcen scored for Punjab FC in first-half injury time, while Mohammed Aimen equalized for Kerala Blasters in the second half.
Match Highlights
Both teams now have four points from two matches. Kerala Blasters lead the group due to their earlier big win against Mumbai City. Kerala Blasters’ coach Mikael Stahre made a change by starting Yoihenba Meitei on the right wing, while Punjab FC’s coach Panagiotis Dilmperis started Tekcham Abhishek Singh at right back.
Kerala Blasters dominated the first half but struggled to score. Freddy’s powerful shot from 40 yards hit the crossbar. Luka Majcen then gave Punjab FC the lead with a side-footed finish past Kerala’s keeper Som Kumar.
Second Half Action
In the second half, Kerala Blasters brought in Pritam Kotal and Mohammed Aimen, increasing their attacking pressure. Aimen scored the equalizer in the 56th minute from a pass by Peprah. Punjab FC had two chances to regain the lead, but Kerala’s keeper Som Kumar made crucial saves.
The match ended with both teams unable to find a winning goal, despite Kerala Blasters’ Freddy hitting the post with a header in the final moments.
Doubts Revealed
Kerala Blasters -: Kerala Blasters is a football (soccer) team from the state of Kerala in India. They play in the Indian Super League (ISL).
Punjab FC -: Punjab FC is a football team from the state of Punjab in India. They play in the I-League, which is another top football league in India.
Durand Cup -: The Durand Cup is one of the oldest football tournaments in India and the world. It started in 1888 and is named after its founder, Sir Mortimer Durand.
Group C -: In tournaments, teams are often divided into groups. Group C is just one of the groups in the Durand Cup where teams play against each other to advance to the next round.
Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan -: This is a big stadium in Kolkata, India, also known as Salt Lake Stadium. It is one of the largest football stadiums in the world.
Luka Majcen -: Luka Majcen is a football player who plays for Punjab FC. He scored a goal in the match against Kerala Blasters.
Mohammed Aimen -: Mohammed Aimen is a football player who plays for Kerala Blasters. He scored the equalizing goal in the match against Punjab FC.
Injury time -: Injury time is extra time added to the end of each half of a football match to make up for time lost due to injuries and other stoppages during the game.
Mumbai City -: Mumbai City is another football team in India that plays in the Indian Super League (ISL). Kerala Blasters won against them in an earlier match.