Kerala Blasters FC succumbed to their first loss of Hero Indian Super League 2017-18 in a disappointing manner, as FC Goa beat them 5-2 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Goa on Saturday. Mark Sifneos and Jackichand Singh’s goals weren’t enough to handle the attacking onslaught received courtesy of Ferran Corominas’ hat-trick and Manuel Lanzarote’s brace.

Kerala lost their star man Dimitar Berbatov within the first five minutes of the game and seemed to lose their composure thereafter. In the post-match press conference, Kerala head coach Rene Meulensteen spoke about the same topic. He said, “Obviously, the fact that Berbatov had to come off was a big problem, but we did not handle this well. If you see that another team is pressing high and aggressively, then the main thing to do is think of what we can do to get the ball in the opposition half and press from there. Obviously, we tried. It was a bit of a frantic start, and we never really got back into the game after 2-2 at half-time. It was a really strange game in the first half, and I don’t think it was great for either end. And then there were seven minutes of total torture – conceding three goals in seven minutes, after which there really was no way back. Great viewing for the Goa and neutral supporters, but we have to go back and really drink this poisonous result very quickly and move on.”

Speaking on Berbatov’s injury, he further added, “It (his injury) was definitely a big setback because he has sort of been the catalyst to keep the composure and quality in the team. We are not entirely sure about the extent of the injury, but I know Berbatov really well, and he is not a soft player so to speak. So, I know there is definitely something wrong. The extent, we have to find out, but he would not come off if it weren’t serious. His role was slightly different from what you are used to seeing, and he was comfortable with it. He gives that composure when you are playing out from the back and to put the balls at the right angles. So, we have to see how we are going to cope with this for the next few games because if he is out, it is a big loss for sure.”

The Dutchman, however, heaped praise on the hosts and applauded their attacking prowess. “I have to say they have some really good footballers in the middle of the park – that is basically where the team operates from. They have a good understanding and know what the coach wants, but also there is a risk involved with them, and we capitalised on that in the first half. After the three goals in the seven minutes, it becomes easier, and it gave them a lot of confidence, and for us, it was very difficult to come back in,” he shared.

In the three games Kerala had played prior to Saturday, they had conceded just once but Goa completely turned the tables. When asked what the problem could have been, he concluded, “You always have to look over a longer period, and if it becomes a trend, then you have a problem. I thought they utilised that well, and we know how good the link is between Lanzarote and Coro(minas), and he made great runs in behind. We have seen that in previous games.”