Thrissur: Thrissur Magic FC defeated Malappuram FC, handing them their first loss of the season in the Sports.Com Super League. This victory pushed Thrissur to the top of the Kerala points table. The match at Thrissur Corporation Stadium ended 2-1. Ivan Markovich and SK Fayas scored for Thrissur, while John Kennedy netted for Malappuram. All three goals were scored in the first half. With this win, Thrissur holds first place with 13 points after six rounds, while Malappuram is in third with nine points.
The excitement began with two quick goals within six minutes. Thrissur took the lead in the fourth minute, with Ivan Markovich scoring from Bibin Ajayan’s pass (1-0). Malappuram equalized just two minutes later with John Kennedy’s goal, assisted by Roy Krishna (1-1). This was the Brazilian’s fifth goal in the league. Thrissur regained the lead in the 27th minute when SK Fayas headed in a cross from Bibin Ajayan from the right wing (2-1). As the first half was ending, Malappuram’s Irshad received a yellow card for a foul on Thrissur’s captain Lenny Rodrigues. Shortly after, a free-kick awarded to Thrissur hit the post and bounced back.
Malappuram made three substitutions at the start of the second half, bringing in Akhil Praveen, Ishaan Pandith, and Abdul Haque. In the 60th minute, Malappuram’s captain Aytar Aldlir had to leave the field due to injury, and Spanish player Facundo Ballardo came in as his replacement. Following a corner, Haque’s header was saved by Thrissur goalkeeper Katim Mani. Malappuram managed to control the game in the second half but failed to score an equalizer. A crowd of 6,219 attendees witnessed Thrissur retaliating against Malappuram for their earlier season loss on their home ground.
On Saturday (November 15), the first match of the seventh round will feature Force Kochi FC facing Tiruvananthapuram Combines FC at Ernakulam Maharajas Stadium, kicking off at 7:30 PM. Kochi, having lost all six matches so far, needs a substantial win against Tiruvananthapuram to keep their semi-final hopes alive.
Live:
The match will be broadcast live on Sony Ten 2, DD Malayalam, and Sports.com. Viewers in the UAE can watch it on E Visions channel (number 742).