East Bengal Vs Kerala Blasters, ISL 2025-26: 'It Was Intentional,' David Catala On Tuskers' Tactics

Kerala Blasters shared the spoils with East Bengal on Saturday (March 14) to end their four-match losing streak in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2025-26 season. After conceding an early penalty at Salt Lake Stadium, Kolkata, the visiting Tuskers found the equaliser in the injury time.

In a cagey clash, with neither side managing to take complete control, Kerala Blasters eventually salvaged a 1-1 draw thanks to a Muhammad Ajsal header in the stoppage time, 90+2 to be precise, from a corner, delivered by another youngster, Ebindas Yesudas.

A dramatic finish to a high-stakes game, a last-gasp draw for sure, but that decisive moment was shaped by the hard work and planning of David Catala and his boys. Looking back, the goal looked inevitable.

The Match Flow

Desperately in need of a result to revive their season, a young Kerala outfit arrived in India's football hub for a showdown with a team that started their campaign with back-to-back wins, followed by a defeat and a draw.

Having scored eight goals in their previous four outings, as against one for Kerala, East Bengal were the favourites. And it took only 10 minutes for the hosts to break the deadlock.

After an early exchange, Palestinian recruit Mohammed Rashid found Edmund Lalrindika free on the right channel. The Mizoram winger then fed Youssef Ezzejjari, only to see the Spain-born Moroccan brought down by Aibanbha Dohling, tackled from behind inside the box.

Harish Kundu, the referee, pointed to the spot without hesitation. Ezzejjari turned up and converted the penalty, sending the visiting goalkeeper the wrong way. It appeared that the Blasters were heading for another defeat, a fifth on the trot. That would be an unwanted first for the team.

Catala and his players, however, had other ideas.

Kerala Blasters' Big Response

Despite witnessing an early defensive lapse and his young team playing a chasing game for the majority of the first half, David Catala not only remained unfazed but found a way to sucked the momentum out of East Bengal's sails.

The former Espanyol defender, who has had managerial stints in Cyprus, Croatia and his homeland Spain, introduced three fresh legs in a space of 12 minutes to shore up the attacking play, and changed his tactics after the breather to counter Oscar Bruzon's ploy.

But what really made his plan tick was the persistence with Kevin Yoke and Huidrom Naocha. Operating on the left flank and supported by Ruiba Hormipam and Ruiba Hormipam, the Indo-French pair hunted together and often created opportunities with their incisive runs in the attacking third.

As a result, East Bengal started to lose concentration. It was one of those nervy moments for the hosts in the added time when Blasters put in a dangerous ball from a corner, resulting in Ajsal's header.

What The Spaniard Said

When David Catala was asked about the strategy of attacking from the left side during the post-match press conference, he admitted it was one of the plans.

"We knew we had a good attack from the left side, and also we had good players there. They (East Bengal) played with not that kind of fullbacks, we knew that if we could control the areas, we could make more attacks from the flanks. It was intentional," the 45-year-old from Barcelona said.

After replacing interim boss TG Purushothamman in March 2025, Catala made his Kerala Blasters debut with a 2-0 win over East Bengal 2-0 in the Super Cup. Now, he has secured a vital point in the league against the Torch Bearers.

Catala did concede that his plans "sometimes it happens (work), sometimes it doesn't, but it was one of the targets of the game.

Finally, with points on the table, Catala will look forward to the upcoming matches. Up next, they host Punjab FC on Saturday.