I-League: Pune FC takes on Shillong Lajong in first home game of the season

Going into the Round-3 encounter, Pune FC will be confident after a dominant 3-1 win over defending champions Bengaluru FC in their own backyard in the previous round and will be keen to build on that.

Having played a total of sixteen games away from home since the start of the season in four different competitions, Pune FC will be excited to be playing in front of their home support and will want to begin on a positive note.

The game on the morrow will be the second time both sides face off this season after their meeting in the Federation Cup opener exactly a month ago. Back then, Pune FC came from a goal down to beat Lajong 3-1 and will be hoping for a similar result this time around.

Speaking after a pre-match training session on Tuesday, Pune FC Coach Karim Bencherifa said, “I think it was a superb show from Pune FC with all the players giving an all-round performance on the field. Bengaluru FC is not an easy team to play especially in their home ground, but we dominated the game completely.”

He further added, “We are very excited to play our first home game in front of our supporters. The result in the previous game has boosted the team’s morale and we hope for a similar performance against Lajong at home.”

However, going by the past results, the job at hand won’t be an easy one given the fact that all four I-League games between the two sides at the Balewadi stadium so far have ended in draws.

The last time both sides faced off in Balewadi, Pune FC came from a goal down to equalise right at the death in 2-2 draw. Nonetheless, Pune FC will be eager to break this deadlock and get a first home win over the Northeast side.

On the team news front, Pune FC will be boosted by the return of a few players from injury notably striker Prakash Thorat and skipper Anas Edathodika, although a decision on their availability will only be made tomorrow.

Nonetheless, new signings Darko Nikac and Edgar Marcelino have boosted the team’s morale having settled in quickly and will play an important role on matchday.

On the other hand, Lajong come into the game after a narrow 1-0 win over Mumbai FC which was a welcome change after suffering five consecutive losses since the start of the Federation Cup and the I-League.

The Thangboi Singto-led side will depend heavily on the foreign duo of strikers Cornell Glen and Uilliams Souza while newly signed medio Penn Orji will be their engine in the midfield.

Local Indian players in skipper Aiborlang Khongjee, attacker Boithang Haokip and striker Semilen Doungal will add the experience to the line up.

Over the years, both sides have faced off twelve times in all competitions with seven drawn affairs. Having logged just two wins compared to Lajong’s three, Pune FC will be eager to set the record straight. Meanwhile, in eight I-League meetings so far both sides have shared a win each.

The game kicks off at 7.00 PM IST on Thursday and will be telecast LIVE on Ten Action.

Head to Head

29/12/14 – FEC – SLFC 1-3 Pune FC at Goa
08/03/14 – I-L – Pune FC 2-2 SLFC at Pune
29/09/13 – I-L – SLFC 0-0 Pune FC at Shillong
24/03/13 – I-L – Pune FC 2-2 SLFC at Pune
29/12/12 – I-L – SLFC 1-2 Pune FC at Shillong
28/01/12 – I-L – SLFC 1-1 Pune FC at Shillong
22/10/11 – I-L – Pune FC 0-0 SLFC at Pune
26/03/11 – IFS – Pune FC 1-2 SLFC at Kolkata
20/03/10 – I-L – SLFC 1-0 Pune FC at Shillong
27/12/09 – FEC – SLFC 1-1 Pune FC at Guwahati
08/11/09 – I-L – Pune FC 1-1 SLFC at Pune
14/04/09 – I2D – SLFC 2-0 Pune FC at Gurgaon