Punjab FC face winless Kerala Blasters in Kochi

Kochi, Friday, March 20, 2026: Punjab FC will hope to maintain their unbeaten run in Indian Super League 2025-26 as they face winless Kerala Blasters FC at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi on Saturday, March 21, 2026. The match is scheduled to kick off at 19:30 IST. The match will be streamed live on FanCode and telecast on Sony Sports TEN 2. Punjab FC have bounced back from their first-round loss against Jamshedpur FC by being unbeaten in their last three fixtures, which included a win against Bengaluru FC and two draws against NorthEast United FC and FC Goa. On the other hand, Kerala Blasters have had a terrible start to the season, losing their first four matches, including three at home. In the final round, Blasters secured their first point of the season after a 1-1 draw against East Bengal, while the Shers also drew their previous match 1-1 against FC Goa. The side from Mohali will be missing the services of their top scorer, Nsungusi Effiong, for the next three matches.

Speaking ahead of the match, Kerala Blasters head coach David Català said, “We performed better than in other games in the last match. We showed character and competed, especially in the first half against them. I’m satisfied with the point, but I’m overall dissatisfied with the situation. But the win is a way to start, a way to believe. We may have anticipated issues, but we must trust our recent performance and that things will improve. The Shers are currently eighth in the table with five points from four matches, while the Blasters are languishing at 13th place in the table with just one point from five matches. Speaking about their recent performances, Punjab FC head coach Panagiotis Dilmperis said, “During all our games this season, not only the ones we tied, but also the ones we won, we were better than the opponents. We prevented them from entering our defensive zone and generated numerous opportunities on the opposing side. I think for us the most important thing is quicker decision-making, quicker finishing, and of course scoring goals.”

Both have faced each other four times in the ISL, winning two each away from their respective homes. In the last meeting between the teams, Blasters edged Punjab FC 1-0 with Noah Sadaoui scoring the winner in New Delhi. In Kochi, they beat the home side 2-1, which was also Dilmperis’s first match in charge of the side. Both head coaches had mutual respect before the crucial fixture. “They are a very difficult team to play against. They are compact on defence and know exactly what they have to do. When they score, it’s very difficult to come back against them,” said Català. Dilmperis said, “The last two games of Kerala against Chennaiyin and East Bengal showed that Kerala’s players have outstanding potential, and they deserve better results. I think we must deal with the excitement that they might have at the beginning of the game.” Speaking about playing in his home state, Punjab FC defender Muhammad Uvais said, “I’m thrilled to play in my hometown. And I’m excited to play a good match here. In the camp, we are taking every match one by one. Every match is like a final because it is a short season. We will do our maximum and play well to get the best result.”

Kerala Blasters defender Aiban Dohling said, “We have a clear plan from the coach, and he has explained how we should approach the game. Punjab is strong in attack and good in transitions. We need to stay focused, give our 100 per cent, and try to get the three points. “We didn’t have a great start in the first few games, but we improved in the last match. The new players have helped us, especially in defence. The energy in the team is very positive, and we are looking forward,” the defender said. Punjab FC have good memories of playing in Kochi and will hope to continue that experience against a Kerala Blasters side that is low on confidence but has started to show signs of improvement.