ISL 2015: Three reasons why NorthEast will defeat Kerala tonight
NorthEast United will host bottom-rankers Kerala Blasters at the Indira Gandhi Stadium in Guwahati tonight as they look to climb to the top of the table for the first time this season. Both the teams are heading into this fixture on the back of contrasting results and the home team will go into this game as the favorites.
Prediction
NorthEast United 2-1 Kerala Blasters
Contrasting forms
Cesar Farias, manager of NorthEast, has managed to turn around his team's fortune, despite having limited resources and a squad which has struggled with injuries. It is almost incredible that the Highlanders face the prospect of reaching the top of the table with a win against Kerala tonight, considering the poor start they had to the tournament.
NorthEast have lost only one of their last six games and are heading into this match on the back to two succesive away wins - against Atletico de Kolkata and Chennaiyin. In comparison, Kerala have won only one of their last eight matches and their mini-revival was nipped in the bud by the 3-2 defeat against Atletico in their last game.
On form their is only one winner in this game.
Kerala's worries at the back
The Blasters have conceded seven goals in their last four games and statistically they are the second worst defense in the league - which is a far cry from how they performed last season. Kerala stormed into the final of ISL relying on a solid back-four, but this time, even a back-five does not seem to be enough.
NorthEast have struggled at the back at the start of this campaign, but they have improved drastically in their last three matches - against Delhi, Kolkata and Chennaiyin. The arrival of Andre Bikey and Javier Lopez has turned them into a more reliable defensive unit, which is one of the reasons why they have managed to turn around their season.
NorthEast are back in their fortress
After four consecutive away matches, NorthEast are back at home and the Indira Gandhi Stadium has been nothing short of a fortress for them. The Highlanders have won their last two games at home and that too against formidable opponents like Chennai and Kolkata.
Kerala, meanwhile, are struggling on the road this season and have lost all their three away games. They are likely to return from this trip to Guwahati empty-handed as well.
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