ISL final: Hyderabad FC, Kerala Blasters eye maiden title

Blasters look to end their final jinx while Hyderabad are keen to make their maiden final appearance countThe Fatorda Stadium in Goa will be painted in yellow on Sunday. But deciding which shade of yellow will come out on top will be Kerala Blasters and Hyderabad FC who will contest in a high-voltage Indian Super League (ISL) final. It's an encounter that will see two well-balanced compact outfits battling for their first-ever ISL title. While Hyderabad are preparing for their first final in their third year of existence, Blasters had gone closest without winning the silverware twice in 2014 and 2016.

Manolo Marquez's Hyderabad finished runners-up in the league stages and beat ATK Mohun Bagan 3-2 on aggregate while Blasters have had a renaissance of sorts under Ivan Vukomanovic to finish fourth in the league, before getting the better of shield winners Jamshedpur FC 2-1 over two legs. "Having seen all the disappointment from previous seasons, we have come back with strength and force to be here this year. It's a huge achievement for the club to be here after a long period," said Vukomanovic on the eve of the title decider.

The Kerala outfit are sweating over the fitness of couple of their key players. Sahal Abdul Samad missed the semifinal second-leg and doubts persist over his availability for the title decider. Adding to Blasters' worries is the knock picked up by their talismanic forward and captain Adrian Luna. "Luna had some medical treatment in the morning. So, we still don't know who will be the captain on Sunday. We will have to evaluate how he is in the training. Hopefully everything will be alright," the Serbian tactician said.

Looking to stop Blasters will be a familiar foe in Bartholomew Ogbeche, who is