Punjab FC will look to carry forward their winning momentum when they take on league leaders Mohun Bagan Super Giant in the India Super League match in Kolkata on Wednesday. (More Football News)
The Shers🎉, currently ninth in the league table with 23 points from 17 matches, will be aiming to put up a strong fight against Mohun Bagan, who sit comfortably at the top with 43 points from 19 matches.
🎀A positive result in this game would provide a significant boost to Punjab's playoff ambitions as they look to close the gap on the teams above them.
Speaking ahead of the game, Punjab FC ♋head coach Panagiotis Dilmperis emphasised the importance of maintaining focus and taking the fight to the league leaders.
♔"Every match is important for us from this point on. We will have to play every match like a final and any point we can take is really important. Tomorrow's match will be crucial like the others. We have to be focused during the entirety of the game and stick to our game plan," said Dilmperis.
ꦉThe Shers will take confidence from their thrilling 3-2 victory over Bengaluru FC, in which Luka Majcen's injury-time winner secured all three points for the former.
ꦆThe Slovenian striker remains Punjab FC's talisman upfront, with seven goals and three assists this season.
🍌Filip Mrzljak, who also found the net in the previous match, has been a vital presence in midfield alongside Ezequiel Pulga Vidal, both of whom have played crucial roles in creating and converting chances.
🍌New signing Petros Giakoumakis impressed on his first start and will be eager to build on that performance. However, the Shers will miss the services of Asmir Suljic, who is suspended after accumulating four yellow cards.
🍃Defensively, Ivan Novoselec, who played a crucial role in Punjab FC's last-minute winner against Bengaluru, will need to marshal the backline effectively alongside Nikhil Prabhu, Tekcham Abhishek Singh and Suresh Meitei. The youngsters have racked up 48, 36 and 29 interceptions respectively placing them in the top five of the league statistics.
𓆉Mohun Bagan enter this match in formidable form, unbeaten in their last five matches, including a dominant 4-0 win over Mohammedan SC in their most recent outing.
🎃Under the guidance of José Francisco Molina, the Kolkata-based side boasts of the best home record in the league, with eight wins and one draw.
♋Their attack, led by Dimitri Petratos and Jamie Maclaren, has been lethal, scoring 36 goals this season, while their defence has been equally resolute, keeping 11 clean sheets.
༺"When a team scores two goals against you from set-pieces, then it's obvious that you should be aware of their physical strength. We will change some things tomorrow but I think the most important thing that we should be really careful is that Mohun Bagan have the quality to take advantage of any situation and score goals," Punjab FC coach Dilmperis said.
๊While Punjab FC will need to be wary of Mohun Bagan's offensive firepower, they will also take motivation from their own ability to create chances against the Mariners from their previous encounter.
🦹The Shers dominated the first half at home, only to see the game slip away due to a series of contentious decisions.
💛Despite a spirited performance, the Shers were left frustrated with 1-3 defeat as crucial moments went against them. This time, they will need to be more clinical in the final third and resolute in defence to secure a positive result.
