Kerala Blasters are one of the big Indian Super League (ISL) teams, but they are yet to hit top gear. They have not won a single game in ISL 2017, and are languishing in the second last place in the standings with two draws under their belt.
The Sachin Tendulkar co-owned team will be looking to pick their first win as they are set for an important encounter against Mumbai City FC at JLN Stadium in Kochi. Their opponents Mumbai might have picked up a win in ISL 2017, but they have lost two already, so they will be desperate to ensure that they do not suffer a third defeat.
The problem for Kerala have been their failure to score goals. They are looking for their first goal against Mumbai, and coach Rene Meulensteen also spoke about the importance of finding the back of the net soon.
"We all know the most important goal to score in any season is the first one. Because as soon as you have scored the first one, it will bring confidence to the players, it will bring confidence to the team and then there will be a different sort of flow," Sportstarlive.com quoted Kerala Blasters coach as saying.
The Blasters are definitely not short of ammunition in their squad, with CK Vineeth, Dimitar Berbatov and Iain Hume, known for their attacking prowess on the field. It is time for the big guns to shine on Sunday against Mumbai, who also have some quality players in their ranks, and one of them being power forward Balwant Singh.
Mumbai understand about the importance of this game. A win against the Blasters will give them a huge confidence to take on other teams in the competition, and with Mumbai having defeated quality team in ISL 2017, FC Goa, they will be inspired from that win.
However, Mumbai's consistency has been a problem. Can they stun Blasters?
Where to watch live
Kerala Blasters vs Mumbai City FC is scheduled for 8 pm IST. Here are the TV and live streaming options.
TV: India - Star Sports 2/HD, Star Sports Hindi 1/HD, Star Sports 3, Star Gold, Star UTSAV, Jalsha Movies, Suvarna Plus.
Live streaming: India - Hotstar
