Hyderabad, March 5 Out of the playoffs race, former League Cup winner Hyderabad FC are set to host Punjab FC in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 at the GMC Balayogi Athletic Stadium on Thursday. Both of these sides are not in contention for the vacant sixth spot for the playoffs. However, they will want to wrap up their campaign on a strong note, to cap off the work done so far and lay the foundation for the forthcoming campaign.
Punjab FC have a promising record against Hyderabad FC in the ISL, remaining unbeaten in three encounters, including consecutive 2-0 victories. A win in this game will mark their maiden league double over any team in the competition’s history. However, Hyderabad FC have been unbeaten in their last five home games, winning twice.
Hyderabad FC have gone scoreless in their last two ISL matches after netting in six consecutive games before this slump. Rest assured, the team will want to sign off from the campaign with their frontline firing from all ends. Hyderabad FC have allowed their opponents to string together 170 sequences of 10+ open-play passes this season, the most in the ISL. They need to be pressing with greater intensity to not let the other team as much time in building up their plays.
Hyderabad FC interim head coach Shameel Chembakath said his team needs to close out games with better discipline. “If you see the second phase of the competition, there were a few matches where we did well but conceded late goals. We need to work on that”, he said.
Punjab FC have given away goals in each of their last 13 ISL games, which is the longest active streak among all teams. Their last shutout was against Mohammedan SC in December, and their previous away clean sheet came against Mumbai City FC in November. The Shers have won just 44.9% of their contested duels in 2025, the lowest percentage among all teams.
Punjab FC head coach Panagiotis Dilmperis said that his side needs to improve their composure up front. “A lot of times, because we are using a lot of young players, they approach the final third with pressure, but when you work under pressure, the execution of the action is not really accurate,” he said.
In their three ISL encounters thus far, Punjab FC have won twice, while a solitary game has resulted in a draw.
Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor