Kerala Blasters wants to complete their business of moving top of the ISL table with a victory against winless Punjab FC in Delhi.
PUN vs KBFC Match Details
Date: Thursday, 14 December 2023
Time: 20:00 (IST)
Venue: Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Delhi
PUN vs KBFC Match Preview
Punjab FC played their second goalless draw of the season by restricting East Bengal at the Salt Lake Stadium. While a point earned in three straight matches left them despairing for a win again, they will at least be happy stopping a team that scored five past NorthEast United only a week ago to just one shot on target. The defence kept a clean sheet for only the second time while the attack has fired only eight times and not more than once apart from the 3-3 draw against Bengaluru FC last month. Neither are signs of any progress that Staikos Vergetis’s team will be positive about as they stay second bottom of the table with merely five points collected from nine matches. The search for the first three points goes on for the Shers but they will want to get it in the next three games at home to end 2023. Punjab FC have not lost in Delhi so far although the caliber of opposition could be too much for them to handle. Second-placed Kerala Blasters will visit them on Thursday followed by Chennaiyin FC and Odisha FC who recently booked a place in the knockout stages of the AFC Cup.
Visitors Kerala Blasters will wish to return to winning ways as soon as possible after suffering a 1-0 defeat to FC Goa at Fatorda in the top-two clash and losing their hold on the first place of the table. It was a close encounter but the Gaurs got themselves the strike that mattered at the end making it a disappointing defeat to swallow for the Blasters. Moreover, they could be without their head coach Ivan Vukomanovic again having been handed a one-match ban by the AIFF for his comments on referring which reflected his infamous episode last season again. The Tuskers will hope not to turn matters sour again and hope to pick a second away win of the season against Punjab FC. The defeat to Goa was not severe at least as they remain only three points away from regaining the top spot which will keep them out of pressure in their trip to Delhi. They beat the I-League winners comfortably in the Super Cup meeting last season and will want to repeat the result to get ready for a challenging end to the year with Shield holders Mumbai City and trophy winners Mohun Bagan to face.
PUN vs KBFC Team News
Punjab FC have no injury concerns but Kerala Blasters have been hit with a massive injury blow. Their star player Adrian Luna has suffered an injury in training and at best will miss the next match with the extent of his absence not yet known. Daisuke Sakai will replace him in the starting XI.
PUN vs KBFC Predicted Lineups
PUN: Kiran Chemjong; Khaiminthang Lhungdim, Suresh Meetei, Dimitrios Chatziisais, Nitesh Darjee; Tekcham Singh, Madih Talal, Nikhil Prabhu, Krishnananda Singh; Juan Mera, Luka Majcen
KBFC: Sachin Suresh; Prabir Das, Pritam Kotal, Milos Drincic, Huidrom Singh; Daisuke Sakai, Vibin Mohanan Danish Farooq, Mohammed Aimen; Kwame Peprah, Dimitrios Diamantakos
PUN vs KBFC Dream11 Prediction
PUN vs KBFC Dream11 Team Suggestion
GK: Suresh (7.5)
DEF: Lhungdim (8.5), Pritam (8.5), Drincic (7.5), Prabhu (8.5)
MID: Sakai (8.5), Farooq (8.5), K Singh (8)
FW: Mera (9), Majcen (9), Diamantakos (8.5)
Vice-captain: Dimitrios Diamantakos
Captain: Adrian Luna
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