I-League: Pune FC hosts Royal Wahingdoh in a top of the table clash

Pune FC will have a task cut out when they host north-east side Royal Wahingdoh FC in a top-of-the-table clash at the Shree Shivchhatrapati Sports Complex in Balewadi on Saturday.

The I-League Round-8 encounter will be a crucial one for both sides who currently occupy the top two places in the league table and win will be vital before the league takes a short break for international fixtures.

Moreover, the clash will also be the first time second placed Pune FC (12 pts) and leaders Royal Wahingdoh (13 pts) face off in any competition and either side will be eager to get that first win.

Both sides go into the game on the back of contrasting results. While Royal Wahingdoh suffered a 1-2 loss to Mumbai FC at the Cooperage, Pune FC were held to a 1-1 draw by Sporting Clube de Goa at home.

However, having improved their performance vastly in the game against Sporting after the clashes against Mohun Bagan and Dempo SC in the previous encounters, Pune FC will be confident of their chances going into the game on Saturday.

“We had a good game against Sporting last week. Despite missing a few key players, we played as per plan and created a host of chances, something we lacked in the previous games,” said Coach Bencherifa on the sidelines of a training session at the Pune FC training Pitches in Mamurdi.

Nonetheless, the clash against leaders Royal Wahingdoh won’t be an easy one and Pune FC Head Coach Karim Bencherifa echoes the same sentiment.

“Royal Wahingdoh may be a newly promoted side, but they are not on the top of the standings for nothing. They boast some exciting talent in their side and play a good brand of attacking football and so we need to be at our best when we face them,” added Coach Bencherifa.

Despite having scored just once in the last three games, Pune FC continue to be the top scorers in the league with 13 goals, four ahead of Wahingdoh who follow in the second place, and will be eager to improve the tally further.

On the other hand, the visitors have the second weakest defense in the league which has conceded nine goals, something the Pune FC front line led by Thongkhosiem Haokip and Ryuji Sueoka will be looking to exploit.

On the team news front, injures to overseas players Darko Nikac and Edgar Marcelino have seen them miss out the last two games. However, with the duo making considerable progress they might take the field on Saturday but a final decision will be made late.

Meanwhile, Santosh Kashyap-led Royal Wahingdoh have been on a fairy-tale ride in their first ever season in the top-flight. Four wins in the opening seven games has helped them top the table after seven rounds.

Going into the game after a 1-2 loss against Mumbai FC in the previous round, the Shillong-based side will be hoping to bounce bank and will depend heavily on their overseas players, Densil Theobald, Loveday Okechukwu, Kim Seong-Yong and Bekay Bawar.

The likes of Jackichand Singh and Seityasen Singh have been in form for Wahingdoh and provide enough options in attack.

With top-placed Wahingdoh, second-placed Pune FC and third-placed Mohun Bagan in action this weekend, a combination of results gives each side a chance of topping the table at the end of Round-8. This scenario makes it a must win game for Pune FC as they hope to reclaim the top spot once again.

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

FORM RUN (Last 5 Matches | I-League)

Pune FC (2^nd, 12 pts): D-D-L-W-W

Royal Wahingdoh FC (1^st, 13 pts): L-W-D-L-W