Indian Super League (ISL) side Kerala Blasters FC secured a narrow victory over Rajasthan United FC in their opening Group D match, while Bengaluru FC saw off Mohammedan Sporting Club in the second fixture on Thursday.

Kerala Blasters FC pip 10-man Rajasthan United FC

New signing Koldo Obieta’s late header propelled Kerala Blasters FC to begin their AIFF Super Cup 2025-26 campaign on a winning note. They beat 10-man Rajasthan United FC by a 1–0 scoreline at the GMC Stadium on Thursday.

In a tense opening Group D encounter, Rajasthan United FC were reduced to ten men, with Gursimrat Singh Gill seeing a straight red card, but still pushed the Blasters all the way before Obieta’s strike in the dying minutes sealed the points. It was a match that tested both patience and endurance.

For long stretches, it seemed that the Blasters, heavy favourites against their I-League opponents, would be held to a stalemate. Rajasthan United FC, despite their numerical disadvantage, defended bravely, throwing bodies in front of every cross and shot.

The early exchanges saw Rajasthan United FC play with surprising confidence. Ghanaian midfielder Ebenezer Amoh Kings, one of their new signings, came close in the ninth minute when his driven shot whistled past the post. Kerala Blasters FC took time to find their rhythm, relying heavily on Adrian Luna’s set-piece delivery.

In the 23rd minute, Danish Farooq’s header from Luna’s corner grazed the crossbar, while moments later, Muhammed Saheef’s header was cleared off the line by Gursimrat Singh Gill to keep it goalless at the interval. Just after the restart, however, Rajasthan United FC’s resistance suffered a major setback. Gill was shown a straight red card for bringing down Nihal Sudheesh, who was clean through on goal. The dismissal left the I-League side down to ten men, forcing them to sit deep and defend in numbers for the remainder of the match.

Despite the numerical advantage, the Blasters struggled to make it count. Rajasthan United FC’s goalkeeper Bhabindra Malla Thakuri stood firm, while striker Robinson Blandón kept the Kerala Blasters FC’s backline on edge with his rare counterattacks.

In the 70th minute, Naoba Meitei’s low cross flashed across the face of the goal, inches away from Blandón’s outstretched boot. The breakthrough finally came in the 87th minute. Defender Juan Rodríguez surged down the right and sent in a teasing cross. Rising highest in the crowded box, Koldo Obieta met it perfectly with a thumping header that flew past Malla into the far corner, his debut goal for the Blasters and the only one of the match. Rajasthan United FC almost equalised in stoppage time, forcing Nora Fernandes into a reflex save, before Harmanjot Khabra made a last-ditch clearance to prevent a second goal for Kerala Blasters FC.

Bengaluru FC edge past Mohammedan Sporting Club

Kelvin Singh and Sunil Chhetri were on target as Bengaluru FC secured a comfortable 2-0 win against an all-Indian Mohammedan Sporting Club in the second fixture of the day at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Goa. Notably, it was Gurpreet Singh Sandhu’s 200th match for the Blues across all competitions.

Gerard Zaragoza’s men looked in rhythm from the outset, creating a few attacking moves in the early exchange of the game. The Kolkata giants, on the other hand, held their shape well and maintained their defensive cohesion to cut down Bengaluru FC’s attacking threats.

New signing Braian Sanchez caught eyes on his Bengaluru FC debut, pulling the strings and breaking up play, playing an all-round role at the heart of the pitch. The Blues broke the deadlock in the 34th minute thanks to Kelvin’s curling strike.

The teenager slipped through the Mohammedan Sporting Club defence and lodged a precise strike that found the back of the net, handing a crucial 1-0 lead before the half-time break. Both teams created a few chances in the second half but couldn’t convert them into goals. Mehrajuddin Wadoo’s men kept on searching for the equaliser while the Blues were in search of their second goal.

In the 86th, Chhetri converted a penalty with trademark composure to double the lead and wrap up the night as Bengaluru FC kick off the AIFF Super Cup 2025-26 campaign on a positive note.

Related tags:

Kerala Blasters FCBengaluru FCMohammedan SC2025-26 AIFF Super Cup