The stage is set for two of the nation’s biggest clubs to lock horns on Super Sunday, as the ongoing season of Hero Indian Super League (ISL) bids adieu to 2017 in style. Kerala Blasters FC welcome home fellow southerners Bengaluru FC at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi. Not only will the encounter witness some of the biggest names of the game mesmerising the nation with their skills, but it will also be a battle for bragging rights between arguably the biggest fan bases of India - Kerala’s yellow brigade ‘Manjappada’ and Bengaluru’s ‘West Block Blues’.

Current Form:

As the two teams meet for the first time ever in Hero ISL, the encounter is sure to become a cauldron of robust physicality and tactical nous. Bengaluru, playing their debut Hero ISL season, had started their campaign with a string of positive results before facing a couple of setbacks in their last two matches. Albert Roca’s men quickly need to recover and assert their dominance in the league once again.

Kerala Blasters - two-time finalists - on the other hand, are one of the most popular clubs in the Indian footballing circuit. However, they are yet to live up to the wealth of experience and talent in their squad this season, having managed to secure just one victory out of six games. They are unbeaten in their last two fixtures though and that will surely infuse confidence in Rene Meulensteen’s men.

Numbers Game:

If one compares the statistics of both teams, the Blues are surely leading the race. While the hosts have managed to net only five goals from their six games this season, the visitors have an impressive 14 goals to their name from seven encounters. Bengaluru also leads the ‘Shots on Target’ category with a mammoth 51 to their name as opposed to Kerala’s mere 20.

The shot accuracy and goal conversion rate of Bengaluru is also starkly higher than that of Kerala’s. The former’s 60% shot accuracy is outstanding when compared to the latter’s 39.21%, while they also boast of a goal conversion rate of 16.47 in front of Kerala’s 9.8.

Key Battles on the Field:

Sunday’s encounter will also see a clash of strategic masterminds in head coaches - Meulensteen and Roca. The former prefers his team to soak up the pressure at the beginning and do maximum damage during counters, Roca believes in a more possession-based football with a clear intent of attacking. While their strategies will be laid bare in front of a rapturous crowd at Kochi, we take a note of the key figures who will surely be the trump cards for their respective teams.

Captain Fantastic - Sandesh Jhingan vs Sunil Chhetri

Attacking Forces - Mark Sifneos vs Miku

Midfield Maestros – Courage Pekuson vs Erik Paartalu

Rapid Wingers – CK Vineeth vs Udanta Singh

What the players make of the rivalry, in fact, was wonderfully worded by India and Bengaluru FC captain Sunil Chhetri ahead of the eagerly-anticipated fixture, "I think it’s a great, great rivalry. It’s good for the game. Lots of banter and lots of opinions. Kerala has a huge fan base. The stadium is jampacked, not only at home but the Kerala fans are there in away games also. And so do we. We have home support, which is amazing. We also have travelling supporters. It’s good for the game. The rivalry between Kerala Blasters and Bengaluru FC or for that matter any other team, if it happens it’s good for the game."

Even before a ball is kicked at Kochi, an off-field battle between the two set of loyal fans has already been brewing for several weeks on social media and around. As the southern rivalry reaches its climax from 5:30 pm onwards on new year’s eve 2017, football fans from around the country can only hope for a fantastic display of football and sportsmanship, both on and off the field.