Kerala Blasters vs Punjab FC, ISL 2024-25 Highlights: FT KBFC 1-2 PFC; Majcen, Mrzljak star in Punjab's dramatic win in Kochi

90+7’: Play stopped a nasty collision between Majcen and Rahul, both of whom were charging towards the ball from different directions! Rahul, whose shoulder hit Majcen on the head, ends up walking away with a yellow card as the two teams get into a bit of tussle. Also getting a yellow is Punjab’s Bakenga, who gets involved in the on-field tussle from the bench.

The six minutes are up in extra time but it looks like the final whistle is another couple of minutes away.

90+12′: FULL TIME IN KOCHI! What was a drab encounter in the first 85 minutes transformed into a three-goal thriller towards the end, and all it took was one foul on Leon Augustine inside the box for the match to turn on its head.

In the end, it’s three full points for Punjab FC. And a forgettable ISL debut for Blasters’ new coach Stahre.

90+2’: GOAL! The Nehru Stadium erupts with joy in stoppage time! The match has suddenly come alive towards the end, with Jesus Jimenez helping the Blasters draw level with a header following a superb cross by Pritam Kotal from the right flank!

Jimenez does well to find himself between two defenders and catches PFC keeper Ravi napping!

86’: GOAL! Punjab FC finally seize the lead with less than five minutes left in regulation time after Luka Majcen successfully scores from the spot after a penalty is awarded to the visiting team!

Leon Augustine was brought down inside the box a little over 10 minutes after being brought in as a substitute, and Slovenian striker Majcen made the most of the opportunity by sending the ball down to the bottom-left corner of the goal.

Majcen, however, is shown a yellow card for taking his shirt off while celebrating!

80’: Another 10 minutes left in regulation time. Can either team find a potential winner in the business end of the match?

The second half has been fairly even in terms of possession so far. Punjab FC have had far more shots (9) compared to Kerala Blasters (4), though none of them have been on target.

76’: More changes from both teams:

Kerala Blasters: IN – Mohammed Azhar and Aibanbha Dohling; OUT – Freddy Lallawmawma and Sandeep Singh

Punjab FC: IN – Leon Augustine; OUT – Vinit Rai

46′: Second half underway at the Nehru Stadium in Kochi, with the teams still aiming to break the deadlock.

Blasters coach Stahre, meanwhile, begins the second half with a double substitution, bringing in Jimenez and Vibin in place of Peprah and Aimen.

45+2’: HALFTIME at the Nehru Stadium in Kochi, with the two teams still goalless in what has been a largely uneventful game so far. Blasters coach Stahre doesn’t look happy at the moment, and will likely be having a few stern words with his team in the locker room during the interval.

Don’t go anywhere. We’ll be back with the second half of the match shortly.

Here’s what Kerala Blasters coach Mikael Stahre said ahead of his maiden Indian Super League season:

“Kerala Blasters FC is a big club with a massive fan-base who pack the stadiums completely in every single match, which is a part of the reason behind my coming here. We trained for a month in Thailand under great facilities and I have been very pleased with that. The guys have been super committed from the very first second; it’s a great group of players who are eager to develop themselves.”

Here’s the Punjab FC lineup:

Here we go! 🔥

Presenting the Punjab FC starting XI presented by @Dafanewsindia for our @IndSuperLeague opener against @KeralaBlasters 🦁

Leading the charge as captain is Mushaga Bakenga! ⚽ 💪#PunjabDaJosh #TheShers #KBFCPFC #ISL pic.twitter.com/3z8WgL27qQ

— Punjab FC (@RGPunjabFC) September 15, 2024

The home team unveil their lineup for their season-opener:

🗞️ 𝐓𝐄𝐀𝐌 𝐍𝐄𝐖𝐒 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐈𝐍 𝐅𝐎𝐑 #KBFCPFC #KBFC #KeralaBlasters pic.twitter.com/MDvp8rmscZ

— Kerala Blasters FC (@KeralaBlasters) September 15, 2024

Here’s how the 11th season of the Indian Super League has panned out so far:

— Mohun Bagan 2-2 Mumbai City FC at Salt Lake Stadium, Kolkata

— Chennaiyin FC 3-2 Odisha FC at Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar

— Bengaluru FC 1-0 East Bengal in Sree Kanteerava Stadium, Bengaluru

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of Match 4 of the 2024-25 Indian Super League, in which Kerala Blasters host Punjab FC at the Nehru Stadium in Kochi.

Can Kerala Blasters begin their journey under new coach Mikael Stahre? Stay tuned to find out.