Kolkata, Feb 4 (IANS) Mohun Bagan Super Giant will face off against Punjab FC in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan (VYBK) on Wednesday.
After a clean sweep last season, the Mariners will be looking to complete their second league double over Punjab FC since they won the reverse fixture 3-1 on December 26, 2024. Punjab FC are the only team besides East Bengal FC that Mohun Bagan Super Giant have been unbeaten against in the ISL despite facing more than twice.
As of now, the Mariners are on an eight-game-long winning streak at home. They have recorded six clean sheets in this time period and a victory in the forthcoming fixture will equal the longest home victorious stretch by any team in ISL history, leveling FC Goa’s sequence of nine such games between December 2019-November 2022.
Punjab FC have found themselves coherent offensively on the road, netting in each of their last five away matches. A strike in this encounter will make it their outright longest run of the same in the league.
Currently, Mohun Bagan Super Giant are placed comfortably at the top, winning 43 points from 19 matches on the back of 13 victories and four draws. They have won thrice and drawn twice in their previous five games.
If MBSG draw or win against PFC, they will become the first team to qualify for the playoffs. Punjab FC are placed ninth with seven wins and two draws, having accumulated 23 points thus far. With a solitary win, alongside two draws and losses each in the last five games, they will want to get on a positive rhythm for their remaining seven league matches. They are currently five points behind the sixth-placed Mumbai City FC (28), who have also played an additional game (18).
Mohun Bagan Super Giant have netted 10 headed goals this season, which includes two in their previous match against Mohammedan SC. Only Hyderabad FC (14 in 2021-22), Chennaiyin FC (13 in 2017-18), and Mumbai City FC (13 in 2020-21) have scored more in a single ISL campaign. Punjab FC’s box will have to be alert of any lateral deliveries coming their way from the Mariners.
Mohun Bagan Super Giant head coach Jose Molina spoke about his team’s strength from set pieces. “Of course, we focus on set-pieces, but we focus equally on attack and defence too. I’ve always spoken about the importance of having balance in the team,” he said.
Punjab FC head coach Panagiotis Dilmperis asked his team to be cautious of Mohun Bagan Super Giant’s goal-scoring prowess.
“Obviously, we will change a few things. One thing we need to be careful about is that most of the times Mohun Bagan is not scoring directly, but they are so strong in second balls and rebounds, that we must be aware of it,” he said.
–IANS
aaa/
