The highly-anticipated Kerala Blasters vs ATK Mohun Bagan clash will kick-off the new Indian Super League season at the GMC Stadium in Bambolim, Goa, on Friday, November 20.
ISL 2020-21 is the first major sporting event to be held in the country post the lockdown owing to the pandemic, which will see the tournament held in Goa behind closed doors at three neutral venues.
However, every match will be designated as a home game for one of the teams. The mouth-watering opening encounter, KBFC vs ATKMB, will be a home match for the Kerala Blasters.
ATK Mohun Bagan squad
ATK Mohun Bagan have retained their core team for ISL 2020-21, including their coach Antonio Lopez Habas, star strikers Roy Krishna and David Williams, midfielders Carl McHugh and Michael Soosairaj and defenders Prabir Das and Pritam Kotal.
They have spent heavily on defensive reinforcements by roping in former Kerala Blasters defender Sandesh Jhingan, Indian football international Subhasish Bose, and former Jamshedpur FC player Tiri.
Kerala Blasters squad
Kerala Blasters’ search for the coveted ISL title continues as they hope to break the voodoo with 2019-20 I-League winning coach Kibu Vicuna, who is their tenth coach in the seven ISL seasons.
Eyeing to make an instant impact, Kerala Blasters have signed former Tottenham Hotspur and Celtic striker Gary Hooper, former Lyon defender Bakary Kone and Australian striker Jordan Murray.
Kerala Blasters vs ATK Mohun Bagan predicted XI
ATK Mohun Bagan predicted starting XI: Arindam Bhattacharya, Pritam Kotal, Sandesh Jhingan, Tiri, Prabir Das, Carl McHugh, Javi Hernandez, Subhasish Bose, David Williams, Roy Krishna
Kerala Blasters FC predicted starting XI: Albino Gomes, Nishu Kumar, Bakary Kone, Costa Nhamoinesu, Jessel Carneiro, Sergio Cidoncha, Vicente Gomez, Prashanth, Sahal Abdul Samad, Rahul KP, Gary Hooper
KBFC vs ATKMB: Players to watch out for
Gary Hooper
The 32-year-old English footballer is one of the most high-profile signings in ISL 2020-21. Hooper had scored 63 goals in 95 games for Celtic a few years ago, before signing for Norwich City in the Premier League in 2013.
Roy Krishna
The ATK Mohun Bagan striker was the joint highest goal-scorer alongside Nerijus Valskis and Bartholomew Ogbeche in the last edition of the ISL. Krishna had finished with 15 goals and six assists in 21 games. The 33-year-old will look to continue his incredible form in this year’s ISL.
Facundo Pereyra
The 33-year-old Argentine footballer has massive experience in South America’s competitive tournaments. The attacking midfielder has also played for Greek outfit PAOK in the UEFA Europa League, where he scored against Moldovan club Zimbru.
David Williams
The 32-year-old Australian striker was one of the stand-out performers for what used to be ATK, having scored seven goals in 18 games. Williams has played for several A-League clubs including Queensland Roar, North Queensland Fury, Sydney FC and Melbourne City and Wellington Phoenix.
Where to watch Kerala Blasters vs ATK Mohun Bagan live
The Kerala Blasters vs ATK Mohun Bagan match will be broadcast live at 7:30 PM Indian Standard Time (IST) on Star Sports 1, Star Sports 2, Star Sports 3, Star Sports 1 Hindi and their respective HD TV channels in India.
The blockbuster KBFC vs ATKMB clash will also be streamed live on Disney+ Hotstar and Jio TV.
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Feature image courtesy: Twitter.com / @KeralaBlasters, @atkmohunbaganfc
