Bengaluru FC will lock horns with Hyderabad FC in the second semi-final of the Durand Cup 2022 at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata on Thursday, September 15. The match will kick off at 6:00 PM Indian Standard Time (IST).

Under new manager Simon Grayson, Bengaluru FC pipped Odisha FC in a thrilling quarter-final encounter to advance to the last four of Asia’s oldest football tournament.

Fijian international Roy Krishna netted a 121st-minute winner to help Bengaluru FC secure a 2-1 win over a 10-man Odisha FC outfit at the Kishore Bharati Krirangan (KBK) on Saturday. After the match ended in a goalless draw in normal time, Shivashakti Narayan opened the scoring for the Blues in the 97th minute of the extra-time before Odisha FC forward Diego Mauricio equalised in the 115th minute of the game.

Earlier, Bengaluru FC finished second in the Group A standings with eight points from four matches, two points behind toppers Mohammedan Sporting to qualify for the quarter-finals. 

BFC registered two wins and as many draws in their four group matches. While Simon Grayson’s men started the campaign with a 2-1 victory over Jamshedpur FC, they followed it up by thrashing Indian Air Force 4-0 in their second match of the tournament. The Sunil Chhetri-led side later drew against FC Goa (2-2) and Mohammedan (1-1) in their final two group games.

On the other hand, reigning Indian Super League (ISL) champions Hyderabad FC beat Rajasthan United 3-1 in their quarter-final clash to storm into the Durand Cup 2022 semi-finals.

Hyderabad FC star forward Bartholomew Ogbeche opened the scoring in the sixth minute before Uruguayan Martin Chavez converted a penalty to equalise for Rajasthan in the 29th minute. Later, Akash Mishra gave Hyderabad the lead followed by an important strike by Javier Siverio to guide the Nizams to a convincing 3-1 win.

Led by manager Manolo Márquez, Hyderabad FC earlier finished at the top of the Group C standings to secure their place in the quarter-finals. Having registered three wins and one defeat, Hyderabad FC ended the group stage with nine points from four matches, two points ahead of second-placed Chennaiyin FC. Hyderabad FC have defeated TRAU (2-0), Chennaiyin FC (3-1) and NEROCA (3-0) before being stunned by Army Red (0-1).

Bengaluru FC vs Hyderabad FC head-to-head

Hyderabad FC have a slight edge over Bengaluru FC in the head-to-head record, winning two of the six matches that they have played so far. Bengaluru have managed just a solitary victory while three matches have ended in draws.

The last time these two sides met, Hyderabad FC defeated Bengaluru FC 2-1 in an Indian Super League encounter at the GMC Athletic Stadium in Bambolim, Goa in February this year.

Bengaluru FC: 1

Hyderabad FC: 2

Draws: 3

Where to watch Bengaluru FC vs Hyderabad FC Durand Cup 2022 semi-final live in India?

The Bengaluru FC vs Hyderabad FC Durand Cup 2022 semi-final match will be telecast live from 6:00 PM Indian Standard Time (IST) on the Sports18 1, Sports 18 1HD and Sports18 Khel TV channels in India.

Live streaming of the Bengaluru FC vs Hyderabad FC Durand Cup 2022 semi-final match will be available on the Voot app and JioTV.

Interested in football betting? Click here to check out the list of top sites.

Featured photo: Bengaluru FC

The Indian Super League 2021-22 campaign drew to a dramatic conclusion as Hyderabad FC won their maiden ISL title after beating Kerala Blasters 3-1 on penalties after the match ended 1-1 in normal time.

The ISL 2021-22 season brought plenty of surprises and goals with high quality individual performances. A few select players were recognised for their contribution and presented with awards for their consistent performances over the course of the season.

On that note, we take a look at a few of the notable awards won by players in the Indian Super League 2021-22.

Golden Boot

Bartholomew Ogbeche, with 18 goals in 20 games, bagged the Golden Boot award for the most prolific goalscorer in Indian Super League 2021-22. The Nigerian forward also broke the record for most goals in the ISL history with 53 goals in 77 games.

You are looking at our #HeroISL 2021-22 Golden Boot Winner, Bart Ogbeche, for scoring 1️⃣8️⃣⚽s! #HFCKBFC #HeroISLFinal #FinalForTheFans #HeroISL #LetsFootball pic.twitter.com/P9YVhLK5kR

�?Indian Super League (@IndSuperLeague) March 20, 2022

Furthermore, Ogbeche also equalled the record for most hat-tricks in the ISL (3) during Hyderabad’s 4-0 win against SC East Bengal.

Golden Glove

Kerala Blasters�?Prabhsukhan Singh Gill won the Golden Glove award for registering seven clean sheets in 20 games. The 21-year-old made 47 saves over the course of the season as he helped KBFC secure a spot in the ISL 2021-22 final.

It's been a season with many positives, and a major one is @SukhanGill01

Well done to our Golden Boy on securing the Golden Glove for this #HeroISL season! #YennumYellow #KBFC #കേരളബ്ലാസ്റ്റേഴ്സ് pic.twitter.com/QOprOyFzNz

�?K e r a l a B l a s t e r s F C (@KeralaBlasters) March 20, 2022

Gill’s efforts have earned him a call-up to India’s 25-man squad for the upcoming friendlies in Bahrain.

Hero of the League 

With 10 goals and 10 assists, Jamshedpur FC’s Greg Stewart was named as the Hero of the League. The Scottish forward was the driving force behind the Red Miners�?run to win the ISL League Winners' Shield.

Our Scottish magician Greg 'The Great' Stewart has won the Hero of the League for #HeroISL 2021-22 season.#JamKeKhelo pic.twitter.com/ILRi2iDFjR

�?Jamshedpur FC (@JamshedpurFC) March 20, 2022

Stewart scripted history this season as he matched Hugo Boumous�?tally for most assists in a single ISL season.

Emerging Player of the Season

Bengaluru FC’s Naorem Roshan Singh was adjudged as the Emerging Player of the Season for his fine performances in ISL 2021-22, despite his team’s faltering performances.

YES, LAD! Another feather for Naorem Roshan Singh's cap, as he is named the 2021-22 #HeroISL Emerging Player of the Season. A fantastic year for the youngster, and one of many more to come. #WeAreBFC #YouthDevelopment #ComeTogether pic.twitter.com/Ev7jxZ7FIf

�?Bengaluru FC (@bengalurufc) March 20, 2022

The young full-back contributed one goal as well as seven assists in 17 matches and his efforts earned him a spot in Igor Stimac’s squad for India’s friendlies later this month.

Featured photo: ISL Media

Nigerian striker Bartholomew Ogbeche and retired Canadian star Ian Hume share the record for most hat-tricks in Indian Super League.

Hume, who represented Kerala Blasters, Atlético de Kolkata and Pune City, hit his first hat-trick in a 4-1 win against Mumbai City FC in the 2015 edition. His second triple strike came just 26 days later in Atlético de Kolkata’s 4-1 triumph over Pune City.

Ian Hume’s third and final hat-trick came in the 2017-18 season as he inspired Kerala Blasters to a 3-1 win against Delhi Dynamos.

Hume’s feat of most hat-tricks in Indian Super League (3) would later be matched by Bartholomew Ogbeche with his hat-trick in the ISL 2021-22 season.

Bartholomew Ogbeche, the all-time leading goalscorer in the Indian Super League, recorded his three hat-tricks with three different clubs. In the 2018-19 season, the 37-year-old Nigerian forward initiated NorthEast United’s counter-attack in their 4-3 win over Chennaiyin FC with his triple strike.

His next hat-tricks came in Kerala Blasters�?3-6 loss to Chennaiyin FC (ISL 2019-20) and Hyderabad FC’s 4-0 win against SC East Bengal (ISL 2021-22).

Indian national football team captain Sunil Chhetri is the only homegrown player to have scored a hat-trick in the Indian Super League. Chhetri is among the six players with two hat-tricks in the tournament.

Andre Moritz, the first player to score a hat-trick in the Indian Super League, leads the list of 13 players with a solitary triple strike in the ISL.

Most hat-tricks in Indian Super League

Player	Hat-tricks	Last hat-trick date
Ian Hume	3	January 10, 2018
Bartholomew Ogbeche		January 24, 2022
Stiven Mendoza	2	November 21, 2015
Dudu Omagbemi		November 26, 2016
Coro		December 9, 2017
Marcelinho		December 30, 2017
Sunil Chhetri		March 11, 2018
Modou Sougou		February 22, 2019
Andre Moritz	1	October 18, 2014
Thongkhosiem Haokip		November 17, 2015
Reinaldo		November 29, 2015
Diego Forlán		November 19, 2016
Seiminlen Doungel		January 19, 2018
Roy Krishna		February 8, 2020
Manuel Onwu		February 23, 2020
Bipin Singh		February 24, 2021
Greg Stewart		December 14, 2021
Deshorn Brown		December 27, 2021
Kiyan Nassiri		January 29, 2022
Jorge Ortiz		February 9, 2022
Airam Cabrera		March 6, 2022

Author: William Paul

Featured photo: Twitter / Indian Super League

Former FC Goa attacker Ferran Corominas and Hyderabad FC striker Bartholomew Ogbeche share the record for most goals by a player in one Indian Super League season.

The Nigerian forward Ogbeche netted his record-equalling 18th goal of the season in the 3-1 win over ATK Mohun Bagan in the semi-final first leg of ISL 2021-22. Interestingly, he is the record holder for the most hat-tricks in the Indian Super League.

Corominas, who was Indian Super League’s leading goal scorer for a considerable amount of time, got on the scoresheet in the very first game of the 2017-18 campaign against Chennaiyin FC, scoring once in a 3-2 win. The Spaniard netted 18 times in 20 appearances during the season as Goa reached the semi-final before being eliminated.

Goa won four of their first five matches that season and Coro scored eight goals during those outings, including two hat-tricks against Bengaluru FC and Kerala Blasters. After a midseason slump that saw Goa go on a five-match winless run, Coro returned to his best, scoring five goals in his team’s last three league stage games.

Coro came close to matching his tally from the 2017-18 season as he registered 16 goals in 20 appearances.

The 2019-20 ISL season was the most competitive among goal-scorers with as many as three players - Bartholomew Ogbeche, Roy Krishna and Nerijus Valskis - finishing with 15 goals. The Golden Boot, however, was awarded to Valskis since the Lithuanian had more assists to his name.

A couple of seasons before the aforementioned trio battled for the Golden Boot, former Bengaluru FC forward Miku had scored the same number of goals (15) in the 2017-18 ISL campaign. Riding on his return, the Blues reached the final and despite Miku’s 92nd-minute strike in the match, the Blues lost 2-3 to Chennaiyin FC.

Most goals by a player in one Indian Super League season

Player	Goals	Season	Team
Ferran Corominas	18	2017-18	FC Goa
Bartholomew Ogbeche	18	2021-22	Hyderabad FC
Ferran Corominas	16	2018-19	FC Goa
Bartholomew Ogbeche	15	2019-20	Kerala Blasters
Nerijus Valskis	15	2019-20	Chennaiyin FC
Roy Krishna	15	2019-20	ATK Mohun Bagan
Miku	15	2017-18	Bengaluru FC

 

Featured photo: ISL Media

A battle of ideologies and bragging rights awaits at the Fatorda Stadium in Goa, as two heavyweights in Mumbai City FC and ATK Mohun Bagan cross swords in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2020-21 final on Saturday, March 13.

Sergio Lobera’s MCFC, who have scored 37 goals this term, reached their maiden final on the back of a hard-fought penalty shootout win over FC Goa in the semi-finals.

The Islanders�?last attempt to book a spot in an ISL final was in the 2015-16 season, where the now-defunct ATK won by a 3-2 aggregate in the semi-finals.

ATKMB, on the other hand, edged past Khalid Jamil’s NorthEast United FC with a 3-2 aggregate win and have secured a place in the final against a team they lost twice this season. However, given his 100 per cent record in ISL finals, Antonio Lopez Habas will be eager to spoil the party for his younger counterpart. 

Mumbai City FC squad

Goalkeepers: Amrinder Singh, Nishit Shetty, Vikram Singh, Phurba Lachenpa

Defenders: Mourtada Fall, Mandar Rao Dessai, Tondonba Singh, Sarthak Golui, Amey Ranawade, Mohamad Rakip, Mehtab Singh, Valpuiah

Midfielders: Ahmed Jahouh, Cy Goddard, Hugo Boumous, Herman Santana, Rowllin Borges, Farukh Choudhary, Raynier Fernandes, Bidyananda Singh, Asif Khan, Bipin Singh, Pranjal Bhumij, Sourav Das, Vikram Singh, Vignesh Dakshinamurthy

Forwards: Bartholomew Ogbeche, Adam le Fondre

ATK Mohun Bagan squad

Goalkeepers: Arindam Bhattacharja, Dheeraj Singh, Arsh Shaikh, Aryan Niraj Lamba, Avilash Paul

Defenders: Tiri, Sandesh Jhingan, Prabir Das, Pritam Kotal, Subhasish Bose, Sumit Rathi, Boris Singh Thangjam

Midfielders: Edu Garcia, Javier Hernandez, Carl McHugh, Michael Soosairaj, Jayesh Rane, Pronay Halder, Bradden Inman, Michael Regin, Sahil Sheikh, Ningombam Engson Singh, Md. Fardin Ali Molla, Lenny Rodriguez

Forwards: Roy Krishna, David Williams, Manvir Singh, Marcelinho

Mumbai City FC vs ATK Mohun Bagan predicted playing XI

Mumbai City FC playing XI: Amrinder Singh (GK); Amey Ranawade, Mourtada Fall, Hernan Santana, Mandar Rao Desai; Rowllin Borges, Ahmed Jahouh; Raynier Fernandes, Hugo Boumous, Bipin Singh; Bartholomew Ogbeche

ATK Mohun Bagan predicted playing XI: Arindam Bhattacharja (GK); Pritam Kotal, Tiri, Sandesh Jhingan, Subhasish Bose; Javier Hernandez, Manvir Singh, Lenny Rodrigues; Roy Krishna, David Williams

Where to watch Mumbai City FC vs ATK Mohun Bagan ISL final live?

The Mumbai City FC vs ATK Mohun Bagan ISL final will be telecast live at 7:30 PM Indian Standard Time (IST) on Star Sports 1, Star Sports 2, Star Sports 3, Star Sports 1 Hindi, as well as the respective HD TV channels in India.

MCFC vs ATKMB will also be streamed live on Disney+ Hotstar and Jio TV. Get ISL live scores here.

Feature image courtesy: Indian Super League

With a passionate fanbase, Kerala Blasters FC has emerged as one of the most revered sides in the Indian Super League (ISL). The club finished as runners-up in 2014 and 2016 and has had notable football players like David James, Dimitar Berbatov and Wes Brown headlining its squad.

But there have been a few select names that have given the team an edge and have, over the years, taken the mantle of being the best player at Kerala Blasters. Here’s a look at those who have made a difference for the Yellow Army in the ISL.

Bartholomew Ogbeche, Blasters�?top goal-scorer

Bartholomew Ogbeche spent just one season at the club, but in that time, the Nigerian etched his name as the highest goal-scorer of all time in the Kerala Blasters�?history.

With 15 goals in 16 games in the 2019-20 season, Ogbeche scored half of the team’s goals in a rather sluggish ISL season and lifted the Blasters�?fans�?spirits with confident performances as club captain.

With 15 goals in the last campaign, our skipper Bart Ogbeche got his personal best tally in a Hero ISL season and etched his name in our history books as the highest goalscorer for the club.#YennumYellow #Staturday pic.twitter.com/XHysOBYQc8

�?K e r a l a B l a s t e r s F C (@KeralaBlasters) May 2, 2020

Bartholomew Ogbeche now plays for Mumbai City FC after signing a year-long deal in October 2020. Given his prolific scoring rate during his time at the club, Ogbeche is undoubtedly someone who has earned the right to be called the best player at Kerala Blasters.

CK Vineeth, the Mr Unpredictable

In four seasons at the club, Indian footballer CK Vineeth became a local hero at Kerala Blasters despite his inconsistent performances.

His debut season in ISL 2014-15 was forgettable, as he failed to score a single goal in nine outings. But he made a strong comeback in the next campaign where he registered five goals and an assist in six appearances. CK Vineeth scored 11 goals in 44 games for the Tuskers before moving to East Bengal.

Blessed with incredible pace, the Kannur native is a versatile player who has played in as many as seven different positions on the pitch.

Iain Hume, Kerala Blasters�?first superstar

If one has to ask a Kerala Blasters fan about Iain Hume’s impact, the only words to describe him would be an ‘ageless icon.�?Whenever he held the ball in a Kerala shirt, the crowd would shout ‘Humettan' - the Keralites' way of addressing a person as a brother.

Iain Hume, who had two spells with the Kochi-based club, is remembered as a tireless worker who embodied the hopes of the Kerala faithful. In the inaugural edition, the Canadian registered four goals and two assists to walk away with the Hero of the League award.

In 28 appearances for Kerala Blasters, Iain Hume registered 10 goals and three assists and is fondly remembered as the first player to score an ISL hat-trick.

These players may not be playing for Kerala Blasters in the ISL anymore, but their legacy makes them the best players in the club’s folklore.

Jordan Murray, who joined Kerala Blasters after two seasons with A-League’s Central Coast Mariners, has scored seven goals in 18 appearances in the ISL 2020-21 season. Needless to say, the Australian is in the running to be adjudged the best player in Kerala Blasters.

Feature image courtesy: Twitter / KeralaBlasters

There were a number of top Indian Super League (ISL) transfers that created a lot of interest among the football fans across the country.

As the ISL 2020-21 season gets underway, let’s take a look at some of the high-profile football players who grabbed headlines when ISL transfer market was in swing.

ISL transfer: How it works

The All India Football Federation (AIFF), in June this year, confirmed that it will open the ISL transfer window for the summer from August 1, 2020, till October 20, 2020. The second transfer window, on the other hand, starts on January 1, 2021, and runs till the end of January. The ISL teams will be allowed to acquire new players during this phase only.

The registration of the amateur players, however, can be done anytime during the season. In other ordinances, a club can only sign a minimum of five and a maximum of seven foreign players and at least one of them should be from an AFC-affiliated country. There are, however, no other restrictions in terms of the number of players that can be transferred, restricted to the extent of the squad limit.

ISL transfer market: Big moves of ISL 2020-21

Sandesh Jhingan: Kerala Blastes to ATK Mohun Bagan

ATK Mohun Bagan roped in Indian football team defender Sandesh Jhingan after a long ISL transfer battle with several other clubs.

The former Kerala Blasters FC captain had earlier decided to part ways with the Kochi-based outfit after six consecutive years. Jhingan joined ATK Mohun Bagan on a free transfer and was the most notable signing from the Indian contingent.

Sandesh Jhingan, who made his international debut in 2015, has represented India 36 times and scored 4 goals for the national side.

Interestingly, the Indian football team star defender will make his ATKMB debut against his former side Kerala Blasters in the first match of the ISL this season.

Hugo Boumous: FC Goa to Mumbai City FC

Hugo Boumous�?move from FC Goa to Mumbai City FC has been one of the most talked-about ISL transfers in recent memory. Mumbai City FC paid INR 1.6 crores to secure the services of ISL 2019-20 ‘Hero of the League�?

Boumous had scored 11 goals and also provided 10 assists in just 14 matches in ISL season 6, which helped FC Goa qualify for the 2021 AFC Champions League.

The French midfielder had joined the Gaurs in 2018 under head coach Sergio Lobera, who is now the coach of the Islanders and has been instrumental in bringing Hugo Boumous to Mumbai.

Bartholomew Ogbeche: Kerala Blasters to Mumbai City FC

Kerala Blasters�?all-time top goal-scorer Bartholomew Ogbeche has penned a one-year deal with Mumbai City FC. 

The Nigerian had netted 15 goals for the Tuskers and finished as the joint-top scorer in ISL 2019-20 season alongside Chennaiyin FC’s Nerijus Valskis and erstwhile ATK’s Roy Krishna.

Previously, Ogbeche had scored 12 goals playing for NorthEast United in ISL 2018-19.

The Nigerian will bring in plenty of experience in Indian football and can help the Islanders secure their maiden ISL title.

Nerijus Valskis: Chennaiyin FC to Jamshedpur FC

ISL’s Golden Boot winner in season 6, Nerijus Valskis followed his former head coach Owen Coyle from Chennaiyin FC to Jamshedpur FC ahead of ISL 2020-21.

Nerijus Valskis had scored 15 goals and provided six assists in 20 matches for the ‘Marina Machans�?

The Lithuanian footballer has also represented his national side 24 times. He has played his club football in his homeland, Israel, Belarus, Poland, Thailand and Romania. 

Adam Le Fondre: A-League to Mumbai City FC

Mumbai City FC arguably made the biggest signing of the season by roping in Sydney FC star Adam Le Fondre on loan.

Adam Le Fondre, who has also played in the Premier League, has scored 35 goals in just 49 appearances for Sydney FC and helped them win back-to-back A-League titles.

Additionally, Adam Le Fondre was named in the A-League Team of the Season in both 2018-19 and 2019-20.

Other notable ISL transfers

Nishu Kumar: Among Indian players in the ISL, Nishu Kumar’s transfer also grabbed headlines. After another splendid season with Bengaluru FC, 23-year-old Nishu Kumar decided to move to Kerala Blasters for ISL 2020-21, signing a four-year contract which made him the highest-paid Indian defender.

Redeem Tlang: Redeem Tlang, who scored three goals in the 2019-20 ISL season (his personal best), became FC Goa’s first acquisition when he switched his alliance from NorthEast United FC, signing a pre-contract in June. Despite NorthEast United finishing ninth last season, Tlang showed what he brings to the table.

Marcelinho: Marcelinho, the ISL Golden boot winner of the 2016 season, will play in his fourth Indian Super League club in the 2020-21 season after Odisha FC decided to splash �?8 million to lure the attacker away from Hyderabad FC.

Gary Hooper: Former Celtic and Norwich City forward Gary Hooper has arrived in Kerala Blasters amidst massive fanfare. The 32-year-old is expected to fill the void left by Bartholomew Ogbeche and judging by his experience, it is safe to say the Tuskers have done a fantastic job.

Anthony Pilkington: Hooper’s teammate at Norwich City, Anthony Pilkington signed for SC East Bengal ahead of the 2020-21 season and brings in an experience of over 400 appearances across four tiers of English football leagues and cup competitions. He will certainly be the one to keep a keen eye on.

Feature image courtesy: Twitter / @MumbaiCityFC

The ISL fantasy league is back after an eight-month hiatus with the ISL 2020-21 season set to begin from November 20, Friday. Kerala Blasters will take on defending champions ATK Mohun Bagan at the GMC Stadium in Bambolim, Goa, in the season-opener. 

No matter how experienced you are with the ISL fantasy league, you will need suggestions in cherry-picking the most productive playing eleven to kickstart the tournament. Here are five players who could potentially fetch you the maximum points in the opening matchweek:

Player: Gary Hooper, Kerala Blasters FC

Match: Kerala Blasters FC vs ATK Mohun Bagan FC

Gary Hooper has arrived at the back of eight goals and five assists to his name in 21 A-League matches after Kerala Blasters FC broke the bank to sign the perfect replacement for ISL 2019 star Bartholomew Ogbeche. Hooper, a journeyman footballer, has enjoyed prolific stints with Scunthorpe United and Scottish giants Celtic apart from his prominent outings with Premier League side Norwich City. Replacing Ogbeche was never going to be easy but the Manjappada have already forgotten him after the arrival of Gary Hooper. The English professional is a must-have in your ISL fantasy league team.

Player: Roy Krishna, ATK Mohun Bagan FC

Match: Kerala Blasters FC vs ATK Mohun Bagan FC

Speaking of the Blasters' opponent in the ISL 2020-21 season-opener, defending champions ATK Mohun Bagan FC will yet again pin their goal-scoring burden on last season's ISL top scorer Roy Krishna. The 33-year-old Fijian striker had netted 15 times and provided six assists last season, thereby helping his side to lift their third ISL title - the most by any club. Roy Krishna has been reliable in front of goal throughout his career and is expected to bag a bunch of goals this season as well.

Player: Bartholomew Ogbeche, Mumbai City FC

Match: NorthEast United FC vs Mumbai City FC

A new era begins for Mumbai City FC on Saturday and their revamp has largely been based on the big imports at the City Football Group-funded club. One of the biggest ISL transfers this summer was Bartholomew Ogbeche as he traded his Kerala Blasters shirt for Mumbai City FC after just one season. With 27 goals and three assists already to his name in just 34 ISL appearances, the Nigerian striker is only expected to get better. And with Spanish coach Sergio Lobera now leading Mumbai City FC after three successful years at FC Goa, where he built quite a reputation for his attractive football, Ogbeche is among the early favourites to win the ISL Golden Boot this season.

Player: Mandar Rao Dessai, Mumbai City FC

Match: NorthEast United FC vs Mumbai City FC

One of the many players that followed Sergio Lobera from FC Goa to Mumbai City was left-back Mandar Rao Dessai. The full-back played exactly 100 games for his former side before leaving the Gaurs with four assists to his name last season. Widely regarded as one of the best fullbacks going forward, the experienced and prolific Dessai should definitely be in your dream team for both defensive reassurances and offensive stability.

Player: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Bengaluru FC

Match: FC Goa vs Bengaluru FC

For the goalkeeper's spot, there can only be one safe option for every fantasy team owner �?Bengaluru's Gurpreet Singh Sandhu. The Indian No.1 one has never finished below the third position in the race for the ISL Golden Glove and is currently the winner of the award after keeping 11 clean sheets in 19 matches last season. An unparalleled shot-stopper, Sandhu is commanding in the box and brilliant at distributing the ball as well. A must-have in any ISL fantasy league team.

Feature image courtesy: Twitter / @GurpreetGK

Kerala Blasters FC have made some excellent acquisitions in the recently concluded transfer window under their new head coach Kibu Vicuna and the 32-year-old English striker Garry Hooper is probably the best one among them.

Hooper comes into the Indian Super League with a big reputation. In fact, he has had quite an illustrious career, having represented clubs in reputed leagues like the English Premier League, Scottish Premier League and the A-League. In a total of 572 club games in his career, Hooper has netted 235 goals and that sums up how good he is.

Gary Hooper's previous stints

Hooper came out of the youth system at Tottenham Hotspur but was released by the club when he was 14.  After that, he plied his trade for the lower tier clubs of English football like Grays Athletic, Southend United, Leyton Orient, Hereford United and Scunthorpe United. It was his stint with Scunthorpe between 2008 and 2010 that helped Hooper to grow massively as a player. He scored 50 goals from 95 outings for them and attracted the attention of scouts from all over the world.

His big break came soon at the age of 22 when the Scottish Premier League club Celtic signed him up for a fee of £2.4 million. Hooper went on to have his best years with them as he scored a total of 82 goals during his three-year stint with them. His exploits also helped Celtic to the Scottish Premier League title and Scottish Cup win in back to back seasons.

After such success, Hooper made a move to the English Premier League Club Norwich City in the 2013-14 season. He remained with them for three seasons as well scoring 20 times in 70 games. Norwich released him in 2015-16 after which he joined the Championship Club Sheffield Wednesday. After a decent four-year association with them, Hooper joined the A-League club Wellington Phoenix as one of the marquee players. He scored eight times in 21 appearances for the club in 2019-20 and thus helped them to their best season in A-League history.

Gary Hooper's claim to fame

Hooper has won many accolades in his playing career. He has been a proven scorer all throughout and his list of achievements has just kept on increasing over the years. He had won the Scottish Premier League Golden Boot in his maiden season in 2010-11 and had helped Celtic to the title as well. He continued his scoring prowess next year as well and that helped the club to their second consecutive title. On top of these, Celtic won the Scottish Cup consecutively during his stint as well.

In fact, Hooper went on to be Celtic's top scorer in the Scottish Premier League in each of his three seasons of stay at the club. Not only that, he was named as Scunthorpe United's player of the year in 2008-09 and was announced to be the greatest ever player in the club's history in 2012 as well.

What does he bring to the table for Kerala Blasters now?

The Blasters lost Bartholomew Ogbeche, their top scorer from last season, to Jamshedpur FC and that had created a big void for a quality striker in their squad. That was when Vicuna decided to go for Hooper as he needed someone who could match Ogbeche's scoring prowess. The English striker will be playing as the Blasters' main target man this season and Vicuna will be banking on him to bring stability and consistency to their offensive line.

Feature image courtesy: Twitter.com / @KeralaBlasters

If you love football, consider this week to be an enthralling one, to say the least. Atletico Madrid taking on Liverpool, Dortmund locking horns against PSG, Tottenham hosting German powerhouse Leipzig, Bayern Munich pays a visit to Stamford Bridge while Barcelona travel to Naples and this is just Champions League. To make things better (or worse, depending on your team) ISL is in full steam ahead and no, you cannot miss a single match. 

Picking the players for Nostragamus is going to be very difficult this week and therefore, we are here to help you out with the team of the week

Player: Ferran Corominas

Team: FC Goa

Match: Jamshedpur Vs FC Goa

Table-toppers FC Goa will be looking forward to extending their gap from ATK to 6 points and just like every week, it is their Spanish goal-machine Ferran Corominas who would be in the centre of the plans. 

Coro just cannot stop scoring goals at the moment and his 13 goals and four assists in just 14 games will run chills down the spine of any defence. His technical prowess and his ability to always create something from nothing is the biggest asset for the interim manager Clifford Miranda. 

Player: Roy Krishna

Team: ATK

Match: Bengaluru FC vs ATK

The battle-royale of this season's ISL trophy hunt. This is going to be one of the most crucial matches in the run for the championship. Bengaluru FC, powered by captain Sunil Chhetri, would consider themselves favourites, but in the midst, cannot forget about one name; Roy Krishna. The 32-year-old Fijian has taken the league by storm this year. He is perched at the top of the scorer's list with 14 goals and judging by his ability to score from virtually any situation, it doesn't seem like he is slowing down any time soon. 

But scoring against Bengaluru is going to be a different and difficult ordeal as they have conceded just 11 goals in the league till now. ATK would need to come out of their shocking loss against Chennaiyin FC if they want to cruise ahead and give Goa a run for their money. Can Krishna step up his game and bring his team all three points? We bet he can!

Player: Bartholomew Ogbeche 

Team: Kerala Blasters

Match: Odisha FC vs Kerala Blasters

If there is one player who has looked a complete misfit amongst the utter mediocrity of the Kerala Blasters franchise, Bartholomew Ogbeche is the name. The former Paris Saint Germain forward looks lethal every time he receives the ball in front of the goal. 

His 13 goals are probably the reason Kerala are not fighting to finish last this season. Although the outcome of the match would not change the table, a brace can see Ogbeche off to the top goal scorer spot, above Roy Krishna. 

Player: Kylian Mbappe

Team: Paris Saint-Germain

Match: Borussia Dortmund vs Paris Saint Germain

Five matches, five goals, three assists and countless defenders ending up with nightmares. That is probably the gist of Kylian Mbappe's run of form in the Champions League. With the absence of superstar Neymar and the advent of new-boy Icardi, Mbappe has taken up the responsibilities of finding the net.

The swashbuckling goal machine would be up against another young kid who is in a similar form, Erling Braut Haaland. While PSG would like to get out of Signal Iduna Park unscathed, their hopes of inflicting any major injury lie with their 21-year-old French World-cup winner, Kylian Mbappe. Can his pace find the answers against the experience of Mats Hummels? Only time can tell!

Player: Sadio Mane

Team: Liverpool

Match: Atletico Madrid vs Liverpool 

Let's just face it, no matter who you are, facing, Liverpool are not someone you want to face at this moment. Diego Simeone and his Atletico side look like a shadow of their past. As they get ready to take on Liverpool, one name would haunt them the most. And no, it's not Mohamed Salah. It is Sadio Mane. 

The Senegalese forward has been feasting on teams. His goal against Norwich in the second half shows how incredibly gifted this man is. He has already scored 12 and assisted six this Premier League season. Simeone would have to come up with one of his plans that used to work against the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi if he wants to play Liverpool's formidable trio this week.