New Delhi, Jan 27 (IANS) Punjab FC will look to secure all three points when they face the fourth-placed Jamshedpur FC in a crucial encounter of the Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 which will be played here at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.
The team will also look to return to winning ways after being held to back-to-back draws against NorthEast United and Mumbai City FC. A win against the Red Miners will see them move closer to the playoff position and with matches in hand, will have an advantage going ahead in the season.
The Shers are currently in ninth position with 20 points from 15 matches while Jamshedpur FC are fourth with 28 points from 16 matches.
Speaking about the match, PFC Head Coach Panagiotis Dilmperis said, “We are working hard towards our goal of qualifying for the playoffs. It is now in our hands whether we use the match in hand to our advantage or not. We have been playing well even in the matches that we have lost and I have no complaints about the team’s performances. “We have been creating a lot of chances but are unable to convert them and close matches. Thankfully we have our full team available tomorrow after a long time and I hope we go back to how we started the season by winning games,” he said.
Punjab FC will be bolstered by the return of their Head Coach in the touchline along with Nikhil Prabhu and Khaimingthang Lhungdim who were all suspended for the previous match against Mumbai City FC.
Jamshedpur FC who held table toppers Mohun Bagan Super Giant to a 1-1 draw on Matchweek 17, were stunned by 12th-placed Hyderabad FC 3-2 in their previous encounter. Luka Majcen has continued his goal-scoring form, taking his tally to six goals, including one in the last game against Mumbai City, and also has three assists to go along with that.
Ezequiel Vidal has scored four goals while Asmir Suljic and Filip Mrzljak have scored three each in the season. Along with new signing Petros Giakoumakis and the Indian attack line of Nihal Sudeesh, Leon Augustine, and Ricky Shabong, the Shers will be confident of outscoring their opponents.
The defensive statistics of the team have also been terrific this season with Nikhil Prabhu, Tekcham Abhishek Singh, and Suresh Meitei holding their spot in the top five for interceptions with 40, 33, and 28 respectively.
The team has conceded only 21 goals in the season and maintains the third-best record of all the teams and are also the team that has faced the least number of shots on goal in the season.
Sharing his thoughts during the pre-match press conference, defender Khaimingthang Lhungdim said, “The experience of playing in the ISL for the first time last season has helped me perform better this season. I am more confident now and with the help of the coaches, I hope to continue performing for the team. We have worked hard and the team is confident for tomorrow and we hope that we secure all three points and start moving towards achieving a playoff position.”
As the season is getting closer to the business end, both teams will look to get back to winning ways, and with much at stake, three points will be crucial for both teams and it promises to be a thrilling encounter.
–IANS
aaa/bsk/
