‘After picking up a morale-boosting win over Kerala Blasters in their opening game, Punjab FC are all set to play in their first home game of the Indian Super League 2024-25 season where they take on Odisha FC at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Delhi on Thursday.
With Panagiotis Dilmperis at the helm as the Head Coach, he has already had a vibrant start to the season with the players looking to compete on all fronts. But the side has been hampered by the stoppage-time injury to their captain, Luka Majcen.
A blow to the head during the final seconds of the game in Kochi has resulted in the star striker being ruled out of action for 6-8 weeks. The Slovenian sustained two fractures to his jaw for which he is set to undergo surgery.
But Dilmperis backs his squad to ensure that Luka’s gap is filled until his return to the side.
“We should work all together and replace Luca in the field, outside of the field. I trust my players, I trust the experienced players and also the young ones that they will manage during these six or eight weeks,” the Punjab FC Head Coach shared during the pre-match press conference.
The game against Odisha being the first home game of the season, the 49-year-old will be expecting his side to adjust as per the demands and is not exactly solely focused on sticking to a style of play.
The Head Coach also opened up on some of the recent trends that he has seen from the recent games where sides tend to look to catch their opponents on the counter. He sees the coming game against Odisha FC following a similar pattern but backed the side to get their second win on the trot.
The Punjab FC Head Coach has also given his seal of approval for Sergio Lobera’s men and sees the game being a competitive one between two quality sides.
“I do respect the opposition and respect their coach. I can easily see that he’s a good coach. They have the style of playing, but I like it and with good players. So I guess that it’s a really interesting game that we will see both of the teams possess defence in all these phases in the last two games,” Dilmperis shared.
Can Hosts Punjab FC Dictate the Terms?
Like most mid-table teams, Punjab FC will also be tested tomorrow with regards to being the one to take the initiative. Something that happened in the final stretch of the second half which on the day proved to be enough, however, it might not always be the case.
Being the home team and with the support of the local crowd, The Shers could find themselves struggling to dictate the terms. But it is also likely possible that the talent present in the squad could be the surprise of the season.
Bakenga to Shine at Home?
The hosts will be lucky that they can rely on the Norwegian, Mushaga Bakenga to lead the line. But he might still be getting used to playing in Indian conditions. During the opening game of the tournament, the 32-year-old was not able to establish himself in the game and was eventually subbed out for Luka who proved to be the difference.
After getting a flavour of the ISL, Bakenga could be one of the key players to watch out for should he be able to link up with the likes of Filip Mrzljak, Ezequiel Vidal and the Kerala Blasters loanee, Nihal Sudeesh in the frontlines.
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