New Delhi, Nov 22 (IANS) The Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 action resumes after the international break with an exciting encounter between two teams whose charts are on the upward trajectory with Punjab FC and NorthEast United FC locking horns at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here on Saturday.
Both these teams had narrowly missed out on qualifying for the playoffs last year, with the Highlanders finishing seventh and Punjab FC trailing them at eighth. However, they have turned a new chapter this time around – starting the season on a strong footing, with NorthEast United FC positioned third with 12 points thanks to three wins and as many draws from eight games.
Punjab FC, on the other hand, have secured four victories in six matches and claimed the sixth spot in the standings. They will hope to brush aside any rustiness after the two-week-long break and rejuvenate the campaign with similar vigour and vehemence come Saturday.
Punjab FC hold an unbeaten record over NorthEast United FC, winning and drawing once in their two matches against them. They had notched a 1-0 triumph over the Highlanders in their most recent fixture. A clean sheet in this match will see the Highlanders become only the second team after Hyderabad FC against whom Punjab FC will have back-to-back games without conceding a goal.
Speaking of clean sheets, a key factor swinging things in the favour of Punjab FC is that they have conceded the fewest shot attempts (65) and shots on target (20) in the current ISL campaign. Thereby, they have given away only seven goals in total, winning thrice in their previous five encounters.
NorthEast United FC have recorded the best differential between expected goals (11.95) and actual goals scored (19) in ISL 2024-25 (+7.05 xG value). Their 19 strikes after eight games are five more than their previous-best tally after these many matches (14 in 2018-19). At the heart of all of this has been Alaaeddine Ajaraie, who has scored 11 goals and made four assists in eight appearances.
The Highlanders stand at an unprecedented stage right now, since they have netted multiple goals in each of their previous three ISL matches. However, they have never scored 2+ strikes in four straight-away encounters in the competition’s history – something that they can achieve tomorrow if their frontline comes to the fore perfectly tomorrow.
Punjab FC head coach Panagiotis Dilmperis said his team is going into the match with significant preparation and added that they have all the players ready and fit for the game. “We know how we should work and we have done it in the previous days with a lot of concentration and focus to adjust ourselves to the demands of the next game. We have managed. We have all the players ready for this match,” Dilmperis said in the pre-match conference.
NorthEast United FC head coach Juan Pedro Benali said his team is getting used to overcoming difficult situations and mentioned that they aim to maintain control over large chunks of the game. “We are learning. We are getting used to winning points in difficult situations. We hope that we don’t stop at the 65-70-minute mark, which is why we have scored so many goals late into the game. A football match is a collection of a lot of small games and we need to control most of them,” Benali said.
–IANS
aaa/bsk/
Disclaimer
The information contained in this website is for general information purposes only. The information is provided by BhaskarLive.in and while we endeavour to keep the information up to date and correct, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the website for any purpose. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk.
In no event will we be liable for any loss or damage including without limitation, indirect or consequential loss or damage, or any loss or damage whatsoever arising from loss of data or profits arising out of, or in connection with, the use of this website.
Through this website you are able to link to other websites which are not under the control of BhaskarLive.in We have no control over the nature, content and availability of those sites. The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them.
Every effort is made to keep the website up and running smoothly. However, BhaskarLive.in takes no responsibility for, and will not be liable for, the website being temporarily unavailable due to technical issues beyond our control.
For any legal details or query please visit original source link given with news or click on Go to Source.
Our translation service aims to offer the most accurate translation possible and we rarely experience any issues with news post. However, as the translation is carried out by third part tool there is a possibility for error to cause the occasional inaccuracy. We therefore require you to accept this disclaimer before confirming any translation news with us.
If you are not willing to accept this disclaimer then we recommend reading news post in its original language.
