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The South Indian Derby, also known as the Southern Derby or Southern Rivalry, is the name given to a
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
derby Derby ( ) is a city and unitary authority area in Derbyshire, England. It lies on the banks of the River Derwent in the south of Derbyshire, which is in the East Midlands Region. It was traditionally the county town of Derbyshire. Derby gai ...
contested by any two of the three professional
football clubs A football team is a group of players selected to play together in the various team sports known as football. Such teams could be selected to play in a match against an opposing team, to represent a football club, group, state or nation, an all- ...
from
South India South India, also known as Dakshina Bharata or Peninsular India, consists of the peninsular southern part of India. It encompasses the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana, as well as the union territo ...
Bengaluru FC Bengaluru Football Club () is an Indian professional football club based in Bangalore, Karnataka. The club competes in the Indian Super League, the top flight of Indian football. The club was established on 20 July 2013, and began its first ...
,
Chennaiyin FC Chennaiyin Football Club is an Indian professional football club based in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. The club competes in the Indian Super League, the top flight of Indian football. The club was founded in August 2014 during the inaugural season o ...
and
Kerala Blasters FC Kerala Blasters Football Club (), commonly referred to as The Blasters, is an Indian professional football club based in Kochi, Kerala, that competes in the Indian Super League, the top tier of football in India. The club was established ...
. The geographical proximity of the clubs contributes significantly to the rivalries. Along with this, the competition between the West Block Blues and
Manjappada Manjappada (; ) are an organised supporters' group of the Kochi based professional football club Kerala Blasters FC, which competes in Indian Super League, the top tier league of Indian football. One of the largest and most active fan groups ...
—the fan clubs of Bengaluru FC and the Blasters respectively—intensifies the rivalry among those two clubs. Bengaluru was founded in 2013; the Blasters and Chennaiyin were founded one year later. The first South Indian Derby was in 2014, when Kerala and Chennaiyin first met in the inaugural season of the
Indian Super League The Indian Super League (ISL) is an Indian professional league for men's association football clubs. At the top of the Indian football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Organised by the All India Football Federat ...
. Bengaluru joined the Indian Super League (ISL) in 2017, playing in the same division with the Blasters and Chennaiyin for the first time. They played their first Southern Derby against Chennaiyin FC on 17 December 2017, and played their first match against the Kerala Blasters on 31 December 2017.


History

Karnataka Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as Mysore State , it was renamed ''Karnat ...
,
Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...
and
Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a States and union territories of India, state in southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of India ...
are the three among the five states from
South India South India, also known as Dakshina Bharata or Peninsular India, consists of the peninsular southern part of India. It encompasses the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana, as well as the union territo ...
that also shares their borders. Kerala Blasters is based in
Kochi Kochi (), also known as Cochin ( ) ( the official name until 1996) is a major port city on the Malabar Coast of India bordering the Laccadive Sea, which is a part of the Arabian Sea. It is part of the district of Ernakulam in the state of K ...
, in Kerala's west; Chennaiyin FC is based in
Chennai Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...
, in Tamil Nadu's north east;
Bengaluru FC Bengaluru Football Club () is an Indian professional football club based in Bangalore, Karnataka. The club competes in the Indian Super League, the top flight of Indian football. The club was established on 20 July 2013, and began its first ...
is based in Bengaluru, in Karnataka's south east. Though
Hyderabad FC Hyderabad Football Club is an Indian professional football club based in Hyderabad, Telangana. The club competes in the Indian Super League, the top flight of Indian football. Founded on 27 August 2019, the club replaced Pune City after t ...
, located in
Telangana Telangana (; , ) is a States and union territories of India, state in India situated on the south-central stretch of the Indian subcontinent, Indian peninsula on the high Deccan Plateau. It is the List of states and union territories of India b ...
, geopolitically a South Indian state, the club is generally not considered in the derby because of its location and it being a relatively new club in the league. Bengaluru FC was founded in July 2013 as a direct entrant to play in the 2013-14 I League season. Concurrently, there were plans to start a new tournament between eight new clubs; the ISL was officially launched on 21 October 2013 by IMG–Reliance,
Star Sports Star Sports refers to several current or former Asian sports networks owned by The Walt Disney Company: * Star Sports (East Asian TV channel) * Star Sports (Indian TV network) * Fox Sports (Southeast Asian TV network) Fox Sports (formerly ESPN ...
, and the All India Football Federation. Kerala Blasters and Chennaiyin FC were founded in 2014 as the league's only South Indian clubs. The first official South Indian Derby took place on 21 October 2014 at
Marina Arena Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium (also known as the Marina Arena) is a multi-purpose stadium in Chennai, India. It has a capacity to seat 40,000 people. It hosts football matches and athletic competitions. The complex also houses a multipurpose indoor s ...
where Chennaiyin won the match 2–1 against Kerala Blasters. However, the rivalry between Chennaiyin and Blasters took shape in December 2014, when the Blasters defeated Chennaiyin 4–3 on aggregate in the
semifinals A single-elimination, knockout, or sudden death tournament is a type of elimination tournament where the loser of each match-up is immediately eliminated from the tournament. Each winner will play another in the next round, until the final matc ...
to enter the 2014 season final. In 2017, the AIFF approved the proposition to simultaneously run the ISL and I-League in the short–term, with the ISL to become Indian football's top tier in the near future. As part of a league expansion, the ISL's organizers accepted bids for two new franchises in the 2017–18 Indian Super League season; Bengaluru FC won the bid for one of the slots. For the first time, South India's three dominant clubs competed in India's top football league; a new derby atmosphere developed, similar to that of the
Kolkata Derby The Kolkata Derby (locally known as "Boro Match"; bn, বড় ম্যাচ) is the football match in Kolkata, between East Bengal and ATK Mohun Bagan (Mohun Bagan till 2019–20). In January 2020, the owners of a Kolkata based Indian Su ...
.


Bengaluru FC v Chennaiyin FC

Bengaluru and Chennaiyin first met on 17 December 2017 at Sree Kanteerava Stadium, the home ground of Bengaluru FC, with the match ending 1–2 in favour of Chennaiyin. They met face-to-face three times that season; the last occasion was in the finals of 2017–18 Indian Super League season, where Chennaiyin defeated Bengaluru 2–3, thereby clinching their second Indian Super League title. Since then, both teams' fans had started to develop a rivalry. The rivalry between fans and players grew more intense when the fans of Chennaiyin FC displayed a controversial banner speaking out about Raphael Augusto, when he left Chennaiyin to play for Bengaluru during the 2019-20 Indian Super League season. Since the fans' first confrontation, a match between Bengaluru FC and Chennaiyin FC is one of the most awaited in the Southern Derby.


By competition


Full list of results

:''Score lists home team first.'' Note: Not included friendly matches.


Bengaluru FC v Kerala Blasters FC

Kerala Blasters and Bengaluru FC first met on 31 December 2017, with Bengaluru winning the match 3–1. However, the rivalry between the Blasters and Bengaluru is a unique one in Indian football as it developed even before the pair played against each other. The rivalry originates from the competition between both clubs' fan bases—
Manjappada Manjappada (; ) are an organised supporters' group of the Kochi based professional football club Kerala Blasters FC, which competes in Indian Super League, the top tier league of Indian football. One of the largest and most active fan groups ...
of the Blasters and Bengaluru's West Block Blues. When Bengaluru FC joined the Indian Super League in 2017, it was also announced that
C. K. Vineeth Chekiyot Kizhakkeveettill Vineeth (born 20 May 1988), commonly known as C. K. Vineeth, is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a forward for RoundGlass Punjab in the I-League. Personal life Born in Kannur district in the state of K ...
and
Rino Anto Rino Anto (born 3 January 1988) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a right back for RoundGlass Punjab FC in the I-League. Club career Early career Born in Thrissur, Kerala, Anto is a product of the Tata Football Academy in Ja ...
, who both played for Kerala Blasters in 2016 season on loan from Bengaluru, would be signing permanently with the Blasters. When Bengaluru played at home against the North Korean side
April 25 SC April 25 Sports Club (, ''Sa i o ch'eyuktan''), or 4.25 SC for short, or sometimes April 25 National Defence Sports Club (4.25'국방체육단', ''Sa i o ch'eyuktan "Kukpang ch'eyuktan"''), is a multi-sports club based in P'yŏngyang, North Ko ...
in the first leg of the AFC Cup Inter-Zone in August 2017, both Vineeth and Anto were present at
Kanteerava ''Kanteerava'' is a 2011 Kannada-language action drama film directed by Tushar Ranganath and produced by Ramu. It is a remake of the Telugu film '' Simhadri'' (2003). The film features Duniya Vijay, Shuba Poonja and Rishika Singh in the lead r ...
to witness the game. Even though the majority of West Block Blues began singing their specialized chants for Vineeth and Rino Anto, acknowledging their presence and their contributions to the club, a number of supporters among the group also started abusive chanting against Kerala Blasters. Later tension between the groups began when Rino Anto expressed his displeasure over the incident on social media. The rivalry intensified when the groups started going against each other posting banter on social media. It was in the 2021 Durand Cup that the two sides met for the first time outside the ISL with Bengaluru winning the match 2–0 at full-time on 15 September 2021. With a new format for the
playoffs The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eithe ...
of the 2022–23 Indian Super League season, Bengaluru and Kerala Blasters met against each other in the knockout stage match on 3 March 2023, which took an unusual turn. The Blasters players forfeited the knockout match in the extra-time following the controversy around the legitimacy of the free-kick goal scored by the Bengaluru captain
Sunil Chhetri Sunil Chhetri (born 3 August 1984) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a forward and captains both Indian Super League club Bengaluru and the India national team. Widely regarded as the greatest Indian footballer of all time, h ...
in the 96th minute. The Blasters players and staff argued that the free-kick was taken before the Blasters players set themselves in their defensive positions. The referee gave Sunil Chhetri's goal the greenlight, and the infuriated Blasters coach
Ivan Vukomanović Ivan Vukomanović ( sr-Cyrl, Иван Вукомановић; born 19 June 1977) is a Serbian professional football manager and former player who is the current head coach of Indian Super League club Kerala Blasters. Playing career Vukomanović ...
called-off his players from the pitch into the dressing room. Following the discussion with the match commissioner, the referee blew the final whistle and Bengaluru was awarded the win. This match was met with immense criticism from fans and pundits and added to tensions between both the clubs. Kerala Blasters management then appealed to the AIFF for the match to be replayed and protested for the match referee Crystal John to banned from refereeing. A separate AIFF disciplinary panel was met on 6 March to decide on the possible sanction on Kerala Blasters for waking out of the game, but the disciplinary committee rejected the Blasters' protest to replay the match. The AIFF DC rejected the appeal of the Blasters citing that the case did not fall in the exception mentioned in the Article 70.5 of the AIFF disciplinay code. AIFF further issued a notice to the Blasters for the walkout as a punishable offence under the violation Article 58 of AIFF disciplinary code which states that if a team refuses to play a match that was in progress, the club has to pay 'at least rupees six lakh' as penalty, and in serious cases, the club would be penalized six lakh rupees and would be disqualified from a competition in progress and/or would be excluded from taking part in a future competition. Just four days from this controversial match and the rejection of the Blasters' appeal, Bengaluru and Kerala Blasters were drawn in the same group of the
2023 Indian Super Cup The 2023 Super Cup, also known as the Hero Super Cup due to sponsorship ties with Hero MotoCorp, is the 3rd edition of the Super Cup and the 41st season of the national knockout competition for football clubs in India. The tournament is bein ...
tournament that is to be held in
EMS Stadium The EMS Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Kozhikode, Kerala, India. It is currently used mostly for football matches. The stadium is currently home of I-League side Gokulam Kerala FC, together with Indian Women's League side Gokulam Keral ...
in
Kozhikode Kozhikode (), also known in English as Calicut, is a city along the Malabar Coast in the state of Kerala in India. It has a corporation limit population of 609,224 and a metropolitan population of more than 2 million, making it the second la ...
, Kerala. Since their first meeting in December 2017, the match between the Blasters and Bengaluru is one of the most anticipated derbies in the Indian football and in the league and is often referred to as the 'Real South Indian Derby'.


By competition


Full list of results

:''Score lists home team first.'' Note: Not included friendly matches.


Chennaiyin FC v Kerala Blasters FC

Kerala Blasters and Chennaiyin FC were founded in 2014 as two of the eight clubs competing in the Indian Super League's (ISL) inaugural season. Their first match was on 21 October 2014 at
Marina Arena Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium (also known as the Marina Arena) is a multi-purpose stadium in Chennai, India. It has a capacity to seat 40,000 people. It hosts football matches and athletic competitions. The complex also houses a multipurpose indoor s ...
, with Chennaiyin winning 2–1. Chennaiyin won the second match, at Kochi, 1–0. The clubs played each other again in the semi-finals of that season's playoffs; in the first of two legs, the Blasters defeated Chennaiyin 3–0. At the end of regular time in the second leg, Chennaiyin led 3–0 on the night, levelling the tie 3–3 on aggregate and sending it to extra time. However, in the 116th minute,
Stephen Pearson Stephen Paul Pearson (born 2 October 1982) is a Scottish former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He began his career at Motherwell and joined Celtic in 2004, where he won domestic honours including two Scottish Premier League ...
scored for the Blasters, giving them a 4–3 win on aggregate. In 2016, Chennaiyin manager
Marco Materazzi Marco Materazzi (; born 19 August 1973) is an Italian former professional footballer and manager. Early in his career, Materazzi played with various Italian teams in Serie B and Serie C, and with Everton in the Premier League. He spent two p ...
was suspended for one match after his involvement in a scuffle between a Chennaiyin and a Kerala Blasters player. This incident led to Blasters' fans wearing
Zinedine Zidane Zinedine Yazid Zidane (; born 23 June 1972), popularly known as Zizou, is a French professional football manager and former player who played as an attacking midfielder. He most recently coached Spanish club Real Madrid and is one of the mos ...
masks at the return leg in Kochi, intensifying the clubs' rivalry.


By competition


Full list of results

:''Score lists home team first.'' Note: Not included friendly matches.


Statistics


All-time results

This table includes all matches played between the teams. From the first game played between Kerala Blasters FC and Chennaiyin FC on 21 October 2014, to the most recent South Indian Derby between Bengaluru FC and Kerala Blasters FC on 3 March 2023. Note: Not included friendly match statistics.


Head-to-head ranking in Indian Super League (2014–present)

This list includes the regular season performance of the three clubs that compete in the derby. Notes: *
Bengaluru FC Bengaluru Football Club () is an Indian professional football club based in Bangalore, Karnataka. The club competes in the Indian Super League, the top flight of Indian football. The club was established on 20 July 2013, and began its first ...
was not part of the first three seasons of the
Indian Super League The Indian Super League (ISL) is an Indian professional league for men's association football clubs. At the top of the Indian football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Organised by the All India Football Federat ...
. They came in as one of two new entries from the 2017–18 season onward. * The first three seasons of the Indian Super League were finished in the same year with the regular season running from October to December. In the 2017–18 season, ISL started to follow a regular season running from November to March. * * *


Records


Match records


Highest scoring matches

Notes: * This table includes only the matches from the derby with five or more goals in total. * Not included friendly matches.


Individual records


Appearances

Notes: * This table includes the top five players with the most appearances in the derby. Players in bold are still active on one of the teams that participates in the derby. * Not included friendly match appearances.


Goal-scorers

Notes: * This table includes the top five all-time goal scorers in the derby. Players in bold are still active on one of the teams that participates in the derby. * Not included friendly match goals.


Assists

Notes: * This table includes the top five players with the most assists in the derby. Players in bold are still active on one of the teams that participate in the derby. * Not included friendly match assists.


Hat-tricks

This table includes the players, who scored three goals in a derby match. Notes: * Scores of the home teams are given first. * Not included friendly match hat-tricks.


Honours


All competitions

This table includes all the trophies that the clubs won across all competitions since their first appearance in the Indian Super League.


Performance in the ISL by title

This table includes all the trophies that the clubs won within the league since their first appearance in the Indian Super League.


Notable matches

*Chennaiyin FC 2–1 Kerala Blasters FC (''21 October 2014'') :This was the first ever match to take pace in the derby. The match took place in Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in
Chennai Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...
on 21 October 2014. Elano Blumer put Chennaiyin in front in the early moments of the match in the 14th minute who netted the ball after Chennaiyin was awarded with a penalty for a foul committed by
Gurwinder Singh Gurwinder Singh (born 16 April 1986) is an Indian footballer who plays as a defender. Career Gurwinder started his senior career with JCT in 2005 after passing out from their youth academy, where he spent a year. Gurwinder left JCT to joi ...
of Kerala Blasters against Chennaiyin's Abhishek Das in penalty box. The Blasters drawn level through
Iain Hume Iain Edward Hume (born 30 October 1983) is a Canadian football manager and former professional soccer player who played as a forward. He began his career at Tranmere Rovers in 2000, and six years later moved to Leicester City for an initial £5 ...
, who scored a close range goal from Pulga's corner-kick in the 50th minute of the match. But Chennaiyin took the lead again, as they scored their second and final goal of the night through
Bernard Mendy Bernard Mendy (born 20 August 1981) is a French former professional footballer who played as a right-back. He was known for his blistering pace and constant overlapping runs. He most recently served as the assistant manager of Paris Saint-Germain ...
, who scored a
bicycle kick In association football, a bicycle kick, also known as an overhead kick, scissors kick, is an acrobatic strike where a player kicks an airborne ball rearward in midair. It is achieved by throwing the body backward up into the air and, before d ...
in the 63rd minute from a Khabra's header set up by Elano as the ''Marina Machans'' won the first ever match in the southern derby. *Kerala Blasters FC 3–0 Chennaiyin FC (''13 December 2014'') :This match was one of the first legs of the 2014 Indian Super League semi-finals, which was the third-ever match between these two clubs and is considered one of the causes that sparked the rivalry between them. The match took place in
Kochi Kochi (), also known as Cochin ( ) ( the official name until 1996) is a major port city on the Malabar Coast of India bordering the Laccadive Sea, which is a part of the Arabian Sea. It is part of the district of Ernakulam in the state of K ...
and had an attendance of 60,900.
Ishfaq Ahmed Ishfaq Ahmed (born 17 March 1983) is a former Indian footballer who currently works as the assistant coach of Kerala Blasters FC in Indian Super League. He is also a member of the AIFF technical committee. Ishfaq is one among the two professi ...
scored the first goal for Blasters in the 27th minute and two minutes later Iain Hume scored their second goal. In injury time, Sushant Mathew scored a left-footer from from the goal, which sealed the match for the Blasters, and is the first-ever victory for the Blasters against Chennaiyin. Many fans consider Sushant's goal as one of the greatest goals in the club's history. *Kerala Blasters FC 1–3 Chennaiyin FC (''16 December 2014'') :This match was the second leg of one of the semi-finals which took place in
Chennai Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...
and is considered to be one of the most dramatic matches in the history of the Indian Super League. Kerala Blasters suffered an early setback as their defender
Jamie McAllister James Reynolds McAllister (born 26 April 1978 in Glasgow) is a Scottish professional football coach and former player, who is currently an assistant manager at Hibernian. McAllister played as a defender. McAllister played for Queen of the Sou ...
received a second yellow card during the 28th minute for kicking a Chennaiyin FC player,
Bernard Mendy Bernard Mendy (born 20 August 1981) is a French former professional footballer who played as a right-back. He was known for his blistering pace and constant overlapping runs. He most recently served as the assistant manager of Paris Saint-Germain ...
.
Mikaël Silvestre Mikaël Samy Silvestre (born 9 August 1977) is a French former professional footballer who played as a defender. Silvestre began his career at Rennes in 1996, before moving to Italian club Inter Milan in 1998. He joined Manchester United in 19 ...
opened the score sheet for Chennaiyin in the 42nd minute of the game. During the 50th minute, Chennaiyin received a penalty because of a foul committed by Sandesh Jhingan, but
Marco Materazzi Marco Materazzi (; born 19 August 1973) is an Italian former professional footballer and manager. Early in his career, Materazzi played with various Italian teams in Serie B and Serie C, and with Everton in the Premier League. He spent two p ...
missed the shot by hitting it wide of the left post. Chennaiyin then got their second goal when Jhingan scored an own goal while clearing the ball in the 76th minute. Chennaiyin FC levelled the semi-final on an aggregate score of 3–3 in the 90th minute, when Jeje found the net taking the match to extra time. During the 104th minute of the game, Marco Materazzi was sent off after receiving a second yellow card reducing Chennaiyin to ten men. In extra time,
Stephen Pearson Stephen Paul Pearson (born 2 October 1982) is a Scottish former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He began his career at Motherwell and joined Celtic in 2004, where he won domestic honours including two Scottish Premier League ...
scored the decisive goal for the Blasters in the 117th minute to win the tie 4–3 on aggregate to move into the final. Just before the final whistle, during the 119th minute, Chennaiyin FC midfielder
Bojan Djordjic Bojan Djordjic ( or Bojan Đorđić; born 6 February 1982) is a Swedish former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. Starting off his career with IF Brommapojkarna in the late 1990s, he is best remembered for his time with Manche ...
received a red card. *Chennaiyin FC 4–1 Kerala Blasters (''21 November 2015'') :This was the first meeting between the two sides in the 2015 Indian Super League season. The match started with an early goal by Chennaiyin in the 3rd minute when
Dhanachandra Singh Leihaorungbam Dhanachandra Singh is an Indian footballer who plays as left back. International Dhanachandra made his national team debut on 11 June 2015 against Oman in a Group D game of the 2018 World Cup qualifier, playing as centre back a ...
scored a volley past the Kerala Blasters goalkeeper Stephen Bywater to open the score-sheet. Chennaiyin doubled their lead through
Stiven Mendoza John Stiven Mendoza Valencia (born 27 June 1992) is a Colombian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Campeonato Brasileiro Série A club Santos. He earned two caps for the Colombia national football team in 2019. Formed at Env ...
, who netted the ball in the 16th minute of the game. Mendoza then went on to score two more goals in the 79th and 81st minutes of the match respectively to complete his hat-trick and took Chennaiyin to a 4–0 lead before
Antonio German Antonio Timothy German (born 26 December 1991) is a footballer who plays as a winger or a forward for Leatherhead and the Grenada national football team. Club career Early career Born in Park Royal, London, German progressed through the Quee ...
scored a relief goal for the Blasters in the 90th minute from a ball that deflected off from the body of the goal-scorer Dhanachandra Singh. The match finally ended 4–1 in favour of Chennaiyin. *Bengaluru FC 1–2 Chennaiyin FC (17 December 2017) :This match, which took place at Kanteerava Stadium, was the first-ever Southern Derby match for Bengaluru FC.
Jeje Lalpekhlua Jeje Lalpekhlua Fanai (born 7 January 1991) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a striker, and last appeared with Indian Super League club East Bengal. Between 2011 and 2019, he scored 23 goals in 56 international matches represe ...
put Chennaiyin in front when he put the ball past the Bengaluru goalkeeper
Gurpreet Singh Sandhu Gurpreet Singh Sandhu (born 3 February 1992) is an Indian professional association football, footballer who plays as a goalkeeper (association football), goalkeeper for Indian Super League club Bengaluru FC, Bengaluru and the India national foo ...
after the ball deflected off the body of
Sunil Chhetri Sunil Chhetri (born 3 August 1984) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a forward and captains both Indian Super League club Bengaluru and the India national team. Widely regarded as the greatest Indian footballer of all time, h ...
just five minutes into the match in the first-half. However, Chhetri could score the equalizer for the Bengaluru in the last moments of the second-half, when he netted an angled shot from a Toni Dovale's ball in the 85th minute. The match was destined to go to a single goal draw before
Dhanpal Ganesh Dhanpal Ganesh (born 13 June 1994) is an Indian professional association football, footballer who plays as a Midfielder (association football), midfielder for Chennaiyin FC, Chennaiyin in the Indian Super League. Career Pune Born in Chennai, ...
scored the match winner in the 88th minute for Chennaiyin, when he scored a header from the ball slotted in by
Rene Mihelič Rene Mihelič (born 5 July 1988) is a Slovenian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for SC Kalsdorf. Club career Mihelič came through NK Maribor's youth academy, before making his senior team debut in September 2005. In 2010 he ...
to seal the victory for Chennaiyin by the score of 1–2 at full-time. *Kerala Blasters FC 1–3 Bengaluru FC (''31 December 2017'') :This was the first-ever southern derby match between Kerala Blasters and Bengaluru. After a goalless first-half, a handball by
Sandesh Jhingan Sandesh Jhingan (born 21 July 1993) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a defender for the Indian Super League club Bengaluru and the Indian national team. He won the AIFF emerging player of the year award in 2014 and made ...
in the penalty box allowed Bengaluru to break the deadlock after Chhetri converted the penalty into a goal in the 60th minute of the match. Miku put the game to bed and sealed the victory for Bengaluru by scoring two goals in the stoppage time, when he scored his first goal of the night in the 3rd minute into stoppage time from a through-ball from Edu Garcia and scored his second of the night just one minute after his first goal, when Subhasish Bose set Miku up as he netted the ball in the center of the net. Courage Pekuson scored a consolation goal for the Blasters in the last minute of the stoppage time, but it was not enough for the Blasters to avoid a 1–3 defeat. After the final whistle, Sunil Chhetri was applauded off the pitch by the Kerala Blasters supporters. *Bengaluru FC 2–3 Chennaiyin FC (''17 March 2018'') :The 2017-18 Indian Super League final saw the two South Indian clubs meet in the final for the first time in the league's history. The match was held in Sree Kanteerava Stadium, Bengaluru. This was Bengaluru FC's first appearance in an Indian Super League final.
Sunil Chhetri Sunil Chhetri (born 3 August 1984) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a forward and captains both Indian Super League club Bengaluru and the India national team. Widely regarded as the greatest Indian footballer of all time, h ...
opened the score sheet in the ninth minute of the game. Chennaiyin levelled the match in the 17th minute with a goal by Maílson Alves. He found the net again just before the half-time during the 45th minute. During the 67th minute, Raphael Augusto scored the third goal for Chennaiyin, taking the lead to 3–1. Though Bengaluru got their second goal by Miku in the injury time, the match concluded 2–3 in favour of Chennaiyin and they clinched their second
Indian Super League The Indian Super League (ISL) is an Indian professional league for men's association football clubs. At the top of the Indian football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Organised by the All India Football Federat ...
title. *Kerala Blasters FC 3–0 Chennaiyin FC (''15 February 2019'') :This match was an important match for the Blasters as it was the first time since November 2016 that they had defeated Chennaiyin FC.
Matej Poplatnik Matej Poplatnik (born 15 July 1992) is a Slovenian footballer who plays as a forward for Ilirija 1911. Career Poplatnik started his senior career with Zarica Kranj, before joining Triglav Kranj in 2012. He made his Slovenian PrvaLiga debut ...
scored the opener for the Kerala Blasters in Kochi with a thumping header, which he headed in after the ball was lofted up in the air following a save by the Chennaiyin goalkeeper
Karanjit Singh Karanjit Singh Parmar (born 8 January 1986) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Indian Super League club Kerala Blasters. Club career Born in Hoshiarpur, Punjab, India, Karanjit started playing football at t ...
. The Blasters doubled their lead through Poplatnik himself, who competed his brace in the 55th minute from a
Slaviša Stojanović Slaviša () is a South Slavic masculine given name, an old Slavic origin given name derived from word "slav" - glory. This name may refer to: * Slaviša Čula, Serbian football player *Slaviša Jokanović, Serbian football player * Slaviša Du ...
assist from an unmarked position. The Blasters would go on to score their third and final goal of match in the 71st minute when the local boy
Sahal Abdul Samad Sahal Abdul Samad (born 1 April 1997) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder or winger for Indian Super League club Kerala Blasters and the India national team. Club career Early life and youth career Sahal was born in ...
scored his first ever ISL goal, which originated from a Chennaiyin's defensive error as the Blasters would go on to win the match 3–0 at home and ended their 14-game winless streak at full-time. *Bengaluru FC 3–0 Chennaiyin FC (''10 November 2019'') :This was the first meeting between both sides in the 2019-20 Indian Super League. An early header goal by
Erik Paartalu Erik Endel Paartalu (born 3 May 1986) is an Australian professional Association football, footballer of Estonian descent who plays as a Midfielder#Defensive midfielder, defensive midfielder. He has played professionally in Scotland, Australia, ...
that resulted from a
Dimas Delgado Dimas Delgado Morgado (born 6 February 1983), known simply as Dimas, is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for CF Montañesa. Club career Born in Santa Coloma de Gramanet, Barcelona, Catalonia, Dimas was a product of l ...
's corner kick put Bengaluru in front in the 14th minute of the match. In the 25th minute, the Bengaluru skipper Sunil Chhetri took Bengaluru into a 2–0 lead with a first-time ball before half-time. Though Chennaiyin had their fair share of chances, the match was quiet for the most of the second-half until the 84th minute when Thongkhosiem Haokip netted the third goal of the night for Bengaluru from a Paartalu's assist, as he outpowered the Chennaiyin defender Eli Sabiá to poke the ball through the keeper Vishal Kaith, as the match ended 3–0 in favour of the ''Blues''. *Kerala Blasters FC 3–6 Chennaiyin FC (''1 February 2020'') :This match became the highest scoring Southern Derby match in its history and is also one of the highest scoring games in the Indian Super League. Chennaiyin took the lead in the 39th minute after Kerala Blasters goalkeeper TP Rehenesh miss-passed the ball straight to
Rafael Crivellaro Rafael Schuler Crivellaro (born 18 February 1989) is a Brazilian professional Association football, footballer who plays as an Midfielder#Attacking midfielder, attacking midfielder for Indian Super League club Chennaiyin FC, Chennaiyin. Career ...
who broke the deadlock before half-time.
Nerijus Valskis Nerijus Valskis (born 4 August 1987) is a Lithuanian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Kauno Žalgiris and Lithuania national team. Club career Earlier career Valskis began his senior club career in 2005 at FK Žalgiris of L ...
netted the ball in the 45th minute for Chennaiyin and Crivellaro completed his brace just one minute after the goal scored by Valskis in the added time.
Bartholomew Ogbeche Bartholomew Owogbalor Ogbeche (born 1 October 1984) is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Indian Super League club Hyderabad. He is the all-time top scorer in Indian Super League history. He played his club football i ...
scored the first goal for the Kerala Blasters in the 48th minute. Chennaiyin responded to the goal scored by the rivals, as Lalianzuala Chhangte scored his first of the night in the 59th minute. Chhangte's goal was followed by two another goals by Ogbeche for the Kerala Blasters, who completed his hat-trick by the 76th minute, and took the scoreline to 3–4. Chennaiyin retaliated, as both Chhangte and Valskis both scored another goal, thus completing their respective braces. The match ended 3–6 at full-time for Chennaiyin with three braces for the latter and a hat-trick for the Kerala Blasters. *Kerala Blasters FC 2–1 Bengaluru FC (''15 February 2020'') :This match saw the Blasters defeating Bengaluru FC for the first time in Indian Super League.
Deshorn Brown Deshorn Dwayne Brown (born 22 December 1990), is a Jamaican professional footballer who plays as a forward for USL Championship club Sacramento Republic. Club career Early and collegiate A native of Jamaica, Brown attended St. Elizabeth Techn ...
gave Bengaluru the lead in the 16th minute. Just before the end of the first half, Albert Serran committed a foul on Blasters' captain
Bartholomew Ogbeche Bartholomew Owogbalor Ogbeche (born 1 October 1984) is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Indian Super League club Hyderabad. He is the all-time top scorer in Indian Super League history. He played his club football i ...
just outside the box and conceded a free kick. Zuiverloon laid it off for Ogbeche to blast a fierce low shot to score a goal. Ogbeche scored the winner in the 70th minute from a penalty, sealing the victory for the Blasters. *Kerala Blasters FC 2–1 Bengaluru FC (''20 January 2021'') :This is considered as a game, that had one of the most dramatic ending in the history of derby. A goal by
Cleiton Silva Cleiton Augusto Oliveira Silva (born 3 February 1987) is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Indian Super League club East Bengal. Club career BEC Tero Sasana His career took off in the 2012 season when incomin ...
in the first half gave Bengaluru, the early lead. The Blasters equalised with the goal of Puitea in the 72nd minute. In the injury time, Paartalu's overhead kick should have given Bengaluru the lead again. But it hit on the bar, went loose and the Blasters launched the counter attack. Assisted by Hooper, Rahul KP race down to the right flank and scored the winner in the 94th minute sealing the victory for the Blasters. * Bengaluru FC 2–0 Kerala Blasters FC (''15 September 2021'') :This was the first ever southern derby match to occur outside the Indian Super League. This match between Bengaluru and the Blasters happened in the group stages of the 2021 Durand Cup. Held in
Salt Lake Stadium The Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan (VYBK; ), commonly known as the Salt Lake Stadium, is an all-seater multi-purpose stadium located in Bidhannagar, with current capacity of 85,000 spectators. Named after Swami Vivekananda, the stadium f ...
in
Kolkata Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , the official name until 2001) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary business, comme ...
, the Blasters' created more chances in the initial parts of the first-half, but failed to register any goals. The deadlock was broken by Bengaluru's
Namgyal Bhutia Namgyal Bhutia (born 11th August 1999) is an India, Indian professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder for the Indian Super League side Bengaluru FC. Career Indian Arrows Bhutia started his professional career with developmental ...
, when he netted a free-kick right before the half-time in the 45th minute of the game. The match took a different turn in the second-half, when the Blasters side saw three red cards. Hormipam was the first one to be sent-off in the 62nd minute. Then it was Sandeep, who saw the red in the 83rd minute. Meitei was the third player, who was sent-off during the 85th minute, downing the Blasters side to 8. Between these dramatic scenes,
Leon Augustine Leon Augustine Asokan (born 2 October 1998), is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a winger for Bengaluru in the Indian Super League. Club career Born in Kozhikode, Leon started his youth career at Bengaluru B After one year in ...
scored the second goal for Bengaluru in the 71st minute, thus rising the lead for Bengaluru, and paving their way to a 2–0 victory. *Chennaiyin FC 2–4 Bengaluru FC (''30 December 2021'') :This match is one of the highest scoring matches in the history of the derby. Chennaiyin took an early lead through a goal scored by Mirlan Murzaev in the 4th minute, but the score was levelled by
Cleiton Silva Cleiton Augusto Oliveira Silva (born 3 February 1987) is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Indian Super League club East Bengal. Club career BEC Tero Sasana His career took off in the 2012 season when incomin ...
, when he netted a penalty in the 38th minute of the game. Alan Costa's goal put Bengaluru to the lead for the first time in the match minutes before the half-time, which was met by Chennaiyin's Rahim Ali's equaliser in the 49th minute of the game. The match went goalless for the next 20 minutes until
Udanta Singh Udanta Singh Kumam (born 14 June 1996), is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Indian Super League club Bengaluru and the India national team. Club career Early career Born in Manipur, Singh started his youth care ...
broke the deadlock with a shot from right flank, and took Bengaluru to the leading position for the second time in the game, rising the score to 2–3. The match was sealed for Bengaluru as
Pratik Chaudhari Pratik Prabhakar Chaudhari (born 4 October 1989) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a defender for Indian Super League club Jamshedpur. Career Early career Born in Mumbai, Maharashtra, Chaudhari began his football career while ...
scored the fourth goal for them four minutes after Udanta Singh found the net, thus helping Bengaluru to end their seven-match winless streak with a score of 2–4 at
Tilak Maidan Stadium Tilak Maidan is a multi-use stadium located in Vasco da Gama, Goa, India. It is used mostly for football matches and regularly hosts matches in the I-League as well as Goa Professional League. It also hosted Indian Super League matches from ...
. *Kerala Blasters FC 3–2 Bengaluru FC (''11 December 2022'') :Being one of the highest scoring matches in the history of the derby, this match saw the return of southern derby to the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi. Bengaluru had the upperhand in the match when they netted an early penalty in the 14th minute through their skipper Sunil Chhetri, who received a foul in the penalty box and found the net from the spot. The Blasters were soon to equalize as they levelled the score through defender
Marko Lešković Marko Lešković (; born 27 April 1991) is a Croatian professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Indian Super League club Kerala Blasters. Club career Lešković started his career playing at youth level for Osijek, with whom he si ...
, who scored a goal for the Blasters just nine minutes after Bengaluru had opened the scoresheet. The Blasters found their lead through Dimitrios Diamantakos in the 43rd minute and further extended their lead to 3–1 when the substitute
Apostolos Giannou Apostolos Giannou ( el, Απόστολος Γιάννου; born 25 January 1990) is a Greek-Australian professional footballer who plays as a forward. He represented various Greek and Australian youth national teams, including one friendly with ...
scored a narrow-angle goal for the Blasters. Even though
Javi Hernández Jowzar-e Javid ( fa, جوزارجاويد, also Romanized as Jowzār-e Jāvīd, Jow Zār Jāvīd, Jūzār-e Jāvīd, and Jūzār Jāvīd; also known as Jāveh, Jāvi, Jāvīd, and Jowzār) is a village in Jowzar Rural District, in the Central Distr ...
scored a second goal for Bengaluru in the 81st minute of the game, it was not enough for the Blues to avoid a defeat, as they lost their third game in their history versus the Blasters by a final-score of 3–2. *Bengaluru FC 1–0 Kerala Blasters FC (''3 March 2023'') :This match is regarded as one of the most controversial matches in the history of Indian club football. The match is well-known for the Blasters walking-off following the allowance of the controversial goal scored by Sunil Chhetri. This was the first eliminator in the 2022–23 ISL playoffs, and took place in Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bangalore. Neither sides could move the scoreboard as the match ended in a goalless draw at the end of the first ninety minutes. The match proceeded into the extra-time of thirty minutes. Bengaluru received a free-kick near the Kerala Blasters penalty box in the 96th minute following a foul on Sunil Chhetri and Chhetri himself put the ball in net in what came to described as a controversial goal. The Blasters goalkeeper Prabhsukhan Gill was setting up the wall in front of him when Bengaluru's captain quickly took the free kick that shook the net. The Blasters players and staffs argued about the legitimacy of the goal to the officials, but the referee gave green light to Chhetri's goal. Following this decision, the head coach of Kerala Blasters,
Ivan Vukomanović Ivan Vukomanović ( sr-Cyrl, Иван Вукомановић; born 19 June 1977) is a Serbian professional football manager and former player who is the current head coach of Indian Super League club Kerala Blasters. Playing career Vukomanović ...
, called the players back into dressing room in protest to the poor refereeing decision. There were also debate regarding whether the referee blew the whistle for Chhetri to take the free-kick, but Chhetri later revealed that the referee gave him the permission to take the free-kick prior to the whistle. After the Blasters forfeited the match, the match referee Crystal John blew the full-time whistle after discussing with the match commissioner and Bengaluru was awarded the win and qualified to semi-finals of the playoffs by the score of 1–0 at the end of the controversial match. The Blasters later alleged that the referee asked Adrian Luna to move away from ball and hence the free kick should have only been allowed following a whistle. The club seeked for a rematch and a ban on the referee Crystal John, who controlled the match.


Crossing the divides


Players

''Players who have played for at least any of the two clubs are listed below'' Bengaluru FC and Kerala Blasters FC * Bidyashagar Singh *
Chencho Gyeltshen Chencho Gyeltshen (born 10 May 1996) is a Bhutanese professional footballer who plays as a forward for I-League club RoundGlass Punjab and captains the Bhutan national team. Gyeltshen is the all-time leading international goalscorer for Bhutan ...
* Danish Farooq Bhat * Darren Caldeira *
Karan Sawhney Karan Atul Sawhney (born 23 March 1992) is an Indian professional association football, footballer who last played as a forward (association football)#Centre-forward, striker for Kerala Blasters. Career Early career Born in Mumbai, Maharashtra ...
*
Lalthuammawia Ralte Lalthuammawia Ralte (orn 28 November 1992), known as Mawia, is an Indian Association football, footballer who plays as a Goalkeeper (association football), goalkeeper for Indian Super League club Odisha FC, Odisha. Career Shillong Lajong In t ...
*
Nishu Kumar Nishu Kumar Tashni (born 5 November 1997) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a full-back for Indian Super League club Kerala Blasters. Club career Youth career: 2009–2015 Nishu Kumar began his career with Chandigarh Football A ...
* Prabhsukhan Singh Gill *
Pratik Chaudhari Pratik Prabhakar Chaudhari (born 4 October 1989) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a defender for Indian Super League club Jamshedpur. Career Early career Born in Mumbai, Maharashtra, Chaudhari began his football career while ...
*
Rahul Bheke Rahul is a popular male name in India and has a variety of meanings. The earliest meaning found in the Upanishads is "conqueror of all miseries." Later use of the word is attributed to the Buddha, who named his son ''Rahula'' as he felt that fam ...
*
Rino Anto Rino Anto (born 3 January 1988) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a right back for RoundGlass Punjab FC in the I-League. Club career Early career Born in Thrissur, Kerala, Anto is a product of the Tata Football Academy in Ja ...
*
Rohit Kumar Rohit Kumar may refer to: * Rohit Kumar (footballer) * Rohit Kumar (kabaddi) * Rohit Kumar (rower) Rohit Kumar is an Indian professional rower. He won the bronze medal in the men's lightweight double sculls along with his partner Bhagwan Singh ...
*
Sandesh Jhingan Sandesh Jhingan (born 21 July 1993) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a defender for the Indian Super League club Bengaluru and the Indian national team. He won the AIFF emerging player of the year award in 2014 and made ...
*
Seiminlen Doungel Seiminlen Doungel (born 3 January 1994), also known as Len Doungel, is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a winger for Indian Super League club Jamshedpur. Career East Bengal Born in Saikul, Manipur, Doungel started his career i ...
*
Shankar Sampingiraj Shankar Sampingiraj (born 14 December 1994), is an Indian professional Association football, footballer who plays as a Defender (association football), defender or Midfielder#Defensive midfielder, defensive midfielder for RoundGlass Punjab FC, ...
* Thongkhosiem Haokip Chennaiyin FC and Kerala Blasters FC * Baoringdao Bodo *
Enes Sipović Enes Sipović (born 11 September 1990) is a Bosnian professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Kuwaiti Division One club Al-Jahra SC. Club career Oțelul Galați On 22 January 2009, At age of 18 Enes joined Oțelul Galați on thr ...
*
Godwin Franco Godwin Diogo Franco (16 February 1985) is an Indian people, Indian professional association football, footballer. Early life Godwin Diogo Franco comes from the Parish of Saint Diogo's (Saint Didacus) Catholic Church, Goa. He played academy ...
*
Halicharan Narzary Halicharan Narzary ( Bodo हलिचरन नार्जारी born 10 May 1994) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a winger for Indian Super League club Bengaluru. Club career Youth career Narzary first started playin ...
*
Karanjit Singh Karanjit Singh Parmar (born 8 January 1986) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Indian Super League club Kerala Blasters. Club career Born in Hoshiarpur, Punjab, India, Karanjit started playing football at t ...
*
Mohammed Rafi Mohammed Rafi (24 December 1924 – 31 July 1980) was an Indian playback singer and musician. He is considered to have been one of the greatest and most influential singers of the Indian subcontinent. Rafi was notable for his versatility and ...
* Prasanth Mohan *
Shilton Paul Shilton Paul (born 10 June 1988) is an Indian professional footballer who last played as a goalkeeper for I-League club Churchill Brothers. Career Mohun Bagan AC After graduating from Tata Football Academy, Paul signed with I-League club Mohun ...
* Vincy Barretto * Zakeer Mundampara * Givson Singh Bengaluru FC and Chennaiyin FC * Daniel Lalhlimpuia * Jayesh Rane * Lalchhuanmawia * Nikhil Bernard * Pawan Kumar (footballer, born 1990), Pawan Kumar * Raphael Augusto * Salam Ranjan Singh * Sena Ralte * Thoi Singh * Zohmingliana Ralte Players who played for all three clubs *
C. K. Vineeth Chekiyot Kizhakkeveettill Vineeth (born 20 May 1988), commonly known as C. K. Vineeth, is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a forward for RoundGlass Punjab in the I-League. Personal life Born in Kannur district in the state of K ...
* Harmanjot Khabra * Siam Hanghal


Notes


See also

*
Kolkata Derby The Kolkata Derby (locally known as "Boro Match"; bn, বড় ম্যাচ) is the football match in Kolkata, between East Bengal and ATK Mohun Bagan (Mohun Bagan till 2019–20). In January 2020, the owners of a Kolkata based Indian Su ...
*Northeast Derby (I-League), Northeast Derby *List of association football club rivalries in Asia and Oceania *List of association football rivalries


References


External links


Bengaluru FC Official Website

Chennaiyin FC Official Website

Kerala Blasters FC Official Website
{{Indian Super League Association football rivalries in India Bengaluru FC Chennaiyin FC Kerala Blasters FC