I-League: Pune FC face East Bengal in a crucial game

The rescheduled Round-10 encounter will be an important one for Pune FC who will be looking for a win after back-to-back losses at the Balewadi Stadium in previous three games.

The clash will be the second time both sides face off in little over a month; and given the fact that the first leg encounter ended 3-2 In favour of East Bengal, Pune FC will be eager to settle scores this time around.

Currently fifth in the standings, Pune FC (23 pts) are just three points behind fourth-placed East Bengal (26 pts). A win on the morrow would not just bring Pune FC level on points with their opponents but will also pull them away from the chasing pack and consolidate their top-5 position making the three points on offer crucial.

Going into the game on the back of a poor run, the Pune FC squad will be keen to get a positive result. Echoing the same sentiment, Pune FC Assistant Coach Gift Raikhan said, “The game against East Bengal will be a tough one. They have a very good squad with top attackers. But we have worked hard and are ready for this challenge.”

On the team news front, Pune FC will be missing services of defender and skipper Anas Edathodika who is out with a hamstring injury. Joining him on the sidelines are Prakash Thorat and Lalrempuia Fanai.

“We do have a few injury problems and some players will be missing from the action. However, the atmosphere in the team is very good. The boys are positive and will give their best and I hope they will rise up to the occasion,” added Coach Raikhan.

Meanwhile, Pune FC will be boosted by the return of key midfielder Dhanpal Ganesh who is back after serving his one match suspension for four yellow cards and utility man Ishfaq Ahmed who returns after a long injury lay off. The addition of the duo will certainly add some stability on the field.

Furthermore, having failed to score a goal in the last three games, Pune FC will depend heavily on strike force led by Thongkhosiem Haokip, Darko Nikac and Ryuji Sueoka to fire up front as they look to force a result against the Kolkata-side.

On the other hand, East Bengal come into the game on the back of a 2-2 draw against Kitchee SC in Hong Kong during the midweek after 0-3 away loss to Bengaluru FC in the I-League.

The Eelco Schattorie-led side will be banking heavily on the strike pair of I-League top-scorer Ranti Martins (16) and Dudu Omagbemi (6). The duo has contributed 22 out of 25 goals scored by East Bengal in this campaign and will provide a good challenge for the Pune FC backline led by Luciano Sabrosa and Zohmingliana Ralte.

The likes of Harmanjot Khabra, Milan Susak, Leo Bertos and Mehtab Hossain will also add to the experience in the East Bengal lineup.

Over the years both sides have faced off thirteen times with Pune FC logging just two wins compared to the opponents’ nine. Moreover, in five away games in the league against East Bengal, Pune FC have managed to log only one win (2010) while losing four games since. Thus a win on the morrow will be a very important one for Pune FC as they look to break the East Bengal jinx.

The match kicks off at 4.30 PM IST on Sunday and will be LIVE on Ten Action.

FORM RUN (Last Five Matches)

East Bengal (4th, 26 pts): L-W-W-D-W
Pune FC (5th, 23 pts): L-L-L-W-L

HEAD-2-HEAD

11/04/15 – IL – Pune FC 2-3 East Bengal at Pune
19/04/14 – IL – Pune FC 1-2 East Bengal at Pune
12/04/14 – IL – East Bengal 3-1 Pune FC at Kolkata
25/01/13 – IL – Pune FC 1-2 East Bengal at Pune
29/10/12 – IL – East Bengal 1-0 Pune FC at Kolkata
14/01/12 – IL – Pune FC 0-0 East Bengal at Pune
09/11/11 – IL – East Bengal 3-1 Pune FC at Kolkata
19/09/11 – FEC – East Bengal 2-1 Pune FC at Kolkata
18/04/11 – IL – Pune FC 2-1 East Bengal at Pune
08/01/11 – IL – East Bengal 1-0 Pune FC at Kolkata
25/09/10 – FEC – East Bengal 1-0 Pune FC at Cuttack
02/03/10 – IL – East Bengal 1-2 Pune FC at Kolkata
03/10/09 – IL – Pune FC 0-0 East Bengal at Pune