ISL 2025-26: Matias Hernández’s Late Header Hands Kerala Blasters Dramatic Victory Over Odisha FC

ISL 2025-26: Kerala Blasters FC beat Odisha FC 2-1 in the Indian Super League 2025-26 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi on April 23, 2026. Goals from Víctor Bertomeu and a last-minute goal from substitute Matías Hernández gave the home team all three points.

Kerala Blasters’ win puts them in ninth place with 11 points from 11 games. Odisha FC stays in 13th place with six points from eight games. Bertomeu was named Player of the Match because he had such a big impact on the game.

Kerala Blasters started strong, with Kévin Yoke always being a threat down the left side. His early runs made things hard for Odisha’s defence, and his impact led to the first goal in the 12th minute. After a driving run and a blocked shot by Hitesh Sharma that bounced into the box, Bertomeu was the first to react. He controlled the ball well and scored from close range to give the home team the lead.

The Tuskers kept pushing, and Bertomeu tested Amrinder Singh again a few moments later. Meanwhile, Arsh Anwer Shaikh stayed alert at the other end to stop Rahim Ali during Odisha’s first real attack.

Even though Kerala was in charge at first, Odisha slowly got into the game, having more possession and looking for chances. In the 27th minute, their hard work paid off when Rahim Ali finished a well-planned move by combining with Hitesh and calmly shooting into the bottom corner to tie the game.

In the rest of the first half, both teams had chances. Francisco Feuillassier and Nihal Sudheesh came close for Kerala, while Rahim Ali kept threatening Odisha on the counter. But neither side could score before the break.

Odisha came out strong in the second half, forcing a number of early corners and putting Arsh Shaikh to the test. He made a number of important saves to keep the score level. Aibanbha Dohling and Vibin Mohanan led Kerala’s defence, which also held up under a lot of pressure.

As the game went on, both teams took turns being in charge, but there weren’t many clear chances. Yoke kept directing Kerala’s attacks from the middle of the pitch, and Odisha looked dangerous when they quickly switched sides. Lalthathanga Khawlhring and Isak Vanlalruatfela were both involved in a number of forward moves.

It looked like the game was going to end in a tie until something dramatic happened in stoppage time. In the 90th minute and 3rd minute, Kerala Blasters took advantage of a corner kick when substitute Ebindas Y sent a perfect cross into the box. Matías Hernández, who came on as a substitute, timed his run perfectly and jumped to head the ball into the net, giving the hosts a very important late goal.

Kerala almost scored again a moment later with Yoke, but the goal was ruled out for offside. Odisha’s last chance in stoppage time went wide as the visitors desperately tried to tie the game.

Kerala Blasters FC won a hard-fought three points at the final whistle, keeping their good run going. Odisha FC, on the other hand, had to think about missed chances despite a strong performance.