Goa: Punjab FC will play at home for the second time this Indian Super League (ISL) 2023-24 campaign when Hyderabad FC come to visit them on November 7, 2023, Tuesday.
Both teams are looking for their first win of the season and their respective head coaches will be eyeing that to get some positive momentum going before heading into the international break.
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Hyderabad played out a 1-1 draw against Bengaluru FC on Saturday, but Thangboi Singto will target three points against a Punjab outfit that lost 2-1 to Mumbai City FC in their last game.
What’s at stake?
Punjab FC
“I wanted the team, before starting the league, to be competitive, and apart from the previous game against Chennaiyin FC, all the other games were very competitive. It’s (first win) not far away,” tactician Staikos Vergetis conceded after the defeat to Mumbai when the Islanders struck twice late in the second half to grab the victory.
Punjab was in good control over the proceedings in the last game and needs to focus on closing out games after getting into winning positions. They should aim to execute their learning from the faceoff against the Islanders in this match.
Hyderabad FC
Hyderabad FC ceded control in the last game when Ryan Williams bagged the equalizer, but they delivered a strong performance to take confidence from the match going into the clash against Punjab FC. They need to bolster their frontline and get more goals under their belt as only three strikes in five matches raise concerns over the quality of their attackers.
Key Players
Luka Majcen (Punjab FC)
The Slovenian striker showed some slick footwork to score from outside of the box against Mumbai. He spearheaded their promotion to the ISL by finishing as the top-scorer (16) of the I-League last season and is the focal point of their attacking unit. Majcen will hope to build up on that performance to find the back of the net for the first time on Punjab FC’s home turf this season.
Mohammed Yasir (Hyderabad FC)
The midfielder demonstrated sharp skillsets similar to that of a striker whilst bagging the opener for Hyderabad FC against Bengaluru FC. His creative inputs help his side’s offensive moves and Yasir will have to carry on the confidence he must have gained from the previous match into this fairly challenging away encounter.
