Hyderabad FC look to play for pride as they take on Kerala Blasters in ISL

The home team is in the penultimate place on the points table with 17 points from 23 games

HYDERABAD: Former champions, Hyderabad FC, take on Kerala Blasters FC in the ISL last league match before the play-offs at the GMC Balayogi Stadium here on Wednesday.

With both the teams out of reckoning for a top six place, it should be a contest for redemption and look to finish off the campaign on a winning note.

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The home team is in the penultimate place on the points table with 17 points from 23 games while Kerala Blasters has 28 points to be ninth.

It is also a chance for HFC to complete their first-ever league double against Kerala having won the reverse fixture in November 2024.

One of the areas of concern for HFC has been its defence conceding multiple goals in each of their last two games to face defeats. The last longer run of such results was a three-game stretch in April 2024, which included a 1-3 loss to Kerala Blasters.

HFC has the dubious distinction of their game trailing spending 47.4 per cent this season, the highest in the league.

On the other hand, Kerala Blasters lost the last away game against Goa (0-2) and would definitely seek to avoid another loss.

In 12 head-to-head clashes, HFC has won five and Kerala six matches with one ending in a draw.

Kerala Blasters coach TG Purushothaman said every team had their ups and downs with injuries. “So, we are just focusing on the last league match,” he added.

For his part, HGC interim head coach Shameel Chembakath said they had a lot of learning experience throughout the season. “There is always room for improvement and we are focusing on that,” he said.

• Match starts at 7.30 pm and is live on JioHotstar and Star Sports-3