Indian Super League 2020/21: Kerala Blasters vs NorthEast United – tactical analysis

NorthEast United pulled out a shock victory against Sergio Loberas Mumbai City FC in their opening game. Kerala Blasters had no such luck, the Tuskers lost to the newly formed ATK Mohun Bagan in the Indian Super league 2020/21 opener, even though they dominated the outing with more possession.

Kibu Vicuña had a daunting task ahead of them as they faced the energetic and exuberant men of Gerard Nus. The Yellow Army started the game with a bang and went ahead 2-0 in the first half but Nuss men had a different plan.

In this tactical analysis, we will discuss the tactics and intricacies of both the managers.

Line-ups

Kibu Vicuña started with his preferred 4-2-3-1 formation but made numerous changes to the line-up. Nishu Kumar was back in the starting line-up after he completely recovered from his injury. The other three changes were  Rohit Kumar, Seityasen Singh, and Lalthathanga Khawlhring.

Gerard Nus stuck with his 4-4-2 that gave him the victory against the former Barcelona youth coach. He made two changes to the lineup with Rakesh Pradhan and Federico Gallego replacing Luís Machado and Fanai Lalrempuia.

Kerala Blasters’ high press

Kibu Vicuña’s men pressed NorthEast high with a 4-4-2 man oriented zonal-marking. In this method of marking, the opponent player and space around him is primary. The players stay in a zonal structure but mark the player around his space.