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Punjab FC (PFC) will face Mohun Bagan Super Giant and will hope to register a win in order to keep their playoff dreams alive in the Indian Super League 2023-24 season which will be played here on Saturday at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. The match is scheduled to kick off at 5 PM and will be played behind closed doors due to unforeseen circumstances.
Punjab FC who are currently placed in the tenth place in the league table will go level on points with Chennaiyin FC with a win, who occupy the final playoff spot. Mohun Bagan can jump to the second spot with a win, keeping them in the mix for the ISL Shield title. Both teams suffered losses in their last round, with The Shers losing 3-1 away to Odisha FC at Bhubaneshwar while The Mariners suffered a shock 3-2 loss to Chennaiyin at Kolkata. PFC shared spoils with FC Goa in their last home match in a six goal thriller before the international break. Speaking ahead of the game, PFC Assistant Coach Sankarlal Chakroborty said, "The team has moved on from the result of the previous match. We will be playing the best side in the league according to me tomorrow and we expect a very tough match. The last time we played them was back in September and both the team have come a long way from that. We have adapted to a new playing style and so have they, under a new coach. We are entirely focused on our game plan and if we are able to execute it, we can definitely earn the three points." Definitely, this'll be a huge miss for the team, in the dugout as well as in the dressing room. But we have collectively prepared the team for tomorrow and we'll hope to execute the plans to perfection, added Sankarlal about how the team will miss the presence of Staikos Vergetis in the dugout. Head Coach Staikos Vergetis is suspended for this important match. In the reverse fixture played in Kolkata, which was the debut game in the ISL for Punjab FC, the home team got the better of the debutants in a 3-1 win with Jason Cummings, Dimitri Petratos and Manvir Singh scoring for the winners while Luka Majcen scored for Punjab. The attacking triumvirate of Madih Talal, Luka Majcen and Wilmar Jordan Gil have turned the fortunes of the club since the league restarted after the AFC Asian Cup. Madih Talal in particular has been in terrific form throughout the season scoring five goals and assisting in another eight, which is the highest in the league. He has also created 49 chances, which is the highest in the league by some distance. The striking pair of Luka Majcen and Wilmar Jordan have scored seven and six goals each. The midfield has been successful in being the bridge between the defence and attack line with Ricky Shabong and Nikhil Prabhu putting in standout performances in both defence and attack. Dimitrios Chatziisaias and Suresh Meitei have formed a formidable defensive combination in the centre fizzing out opponent attacks. PFC defender Melroy Assisi during the pre - match press conference said, "The last match was a setback for us. But we have moved on from that and we are all focused for tomorrow's game. We'll play as per our plan and hopefully, we'll be able to get the three points. There's always an element of pressure in football or any sports. But we don't want to have any additional pressure on us. We know how crucial the remaining games are and we'll play accordingly to get the best possible results." Punjab FC are currently tenth on the table with 21 points from 20 matches while Mohun Bagan Super Giant are third in the table with 39 points from 19 matches. (ANI)
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