New Delhi [India], February 5 : Round 13 of the I-League not only brings with it its usual chaos but also two potentially season-defining fixtures at opposite ends of the table. While perennial contenders definitively stake their claims, for Delhi FC and new boys SC Bengaluru, this round will give them either a fresh start, or extinguish any semblance of survival this season.
Perhaps the single most important fixture of Round 13 will play out in the warm climes of Goa, where Churchill Brothers take on Gokulam Kerala FC. The hosts' will look to put an end to their stop-start form after the turn of the year. An imminently winnable fixture against newly-promoted SC Bengaluru saw them squander the top spot on the table, and there will be no easy points available going forward either.
Gokulam's two-match winning streak (their longest of the season) was broken by Inter Kashi last time around. While there are obvious rewards to getting the three points against Churchill it could potentially bump them up to third place the downside is that any reversal would leave them far behind the title contenders.
The direct beneficiaries of this title contenders' clash are Inter Kashi FC, who will play Dempo a few hours after their fellow title contenders have settled their duel. Dempo have won just one of their last five games, and have shipped eight goals in this period, a steep decline from their early-season brilliance.
Their capitulation against Rajasthan, though, was against the norm, and they will hope to rectify it quickly. In that regard, they are actually doing better than their opponents, who have shipped in 14 goals in their last five. Crucially though, they have won two of those games, and scored 10 themselves. All in all, expect lots of goals or now that it's been portended, expect none.
Before these games kick off, though, Real Kashmir will travel to play Sreenidi Deccan. In seasons past, this fixture would have reeked of top-table drama. But this isn't like the past. Real Kashmir have taken 10 points from a possible 15, but have dropped points every time they've played a title contender, suggesting that there is a cap to their limits.
The reverse fixture, earlier this season, saw a red card and a high scoring draw. Buoyed by a brilliant thrashing of Aizawl and a first clean sheet Sreenidi will hope to kick on in the table, and do something they haven't since the first weeks of the season record two wins in a row.
Table toppers Namdhari will take to the field last in this round, and playing Shillong Lajong, will hope to keep their high-flying days alive. There is no reason to believe otherwise. This is a team unbeaten in nine games now, a period in which they have dropped only four points. They handily beat Lajong just a few weeks prior and unless Lajong have definitively turned things around, it is tough to bet against the table toppers.
The bottom two clubs, Delhi FC and SC Bengaluru, will play a hugely important game in this round, one that could essentially decide their season and future in the league. Delhi have lost four in a row, and picked up just one point of their last 15.
While Bengaluru's form isn't much to crow about, it is significantly better than the hosts. A potential relegation decider plays out on February 8, and it is one that Aizawl FC will hope peters out with no winner. They play Rajasthan United as the first game of this round, and if they can get a result it could well put the pressure on those below them in the table.
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