Punjab FC Prepares for First Home Game Against Odisha FC in ISL
Punjab FC will welcome Odisha FC for their first home game of the season on Friday in the Indian Super League (ISL) at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi. The match is scheduled to kick-off at 7:30 PM.
Punjab FC started their new season with a brilliant 2-1 victory over Kerala Blasters at Kochi, with Filip Mrzljak’s 95th minute goal. In contrast, Odisha FC went down to Chennaiyin FC 2-3 in their season opener at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneshwar.
Speaking ahead of their first home game, PFC head coach Panagiotis Dilmperis said, “We are excited to be playing at home tomorrow. We have had a very good start to the season and we will look to continue that momentum into tomorrow. Odisha are a good side who are coached by a very experienced and tactically sound manager.”
PFC will miss the services of Luka Majcen who sustained an injury in the first match. “We hope that Luka recovers quickly and joins the team. He is a fighter and would have been with the team even in this situation if it was possible,” said the coach.
PFC midfielder Filip Mrzljak during the pre-match press conference said, “It has been a great start personally for me and for the team. The ISL is tougher than I expected and the matches will get tougher from here. We have trained well as a team and we hope for a tough match against Odisha tomorrow.”
Last season, Odisha got the better of Punjab FC at New Delhi, beating them 1-0 with Roy Krishna scoring the decisive goal. The Fijian striker will be the focal point of attack for the Juggernauts along with dynamic midfielder Ahmed Jahouh and new signing Hugo Boumous and Indian players Isak Vanlalruatfela, Raynier Fernandes and Jerry Mawihmingthanga.
Doubts Revealed
Punjab FC -: Punjab FC is a football (soccer) team from the state of Punjab in India. They play in the Indian Super League (ISL), which is a big football competition in India.
Odisha FC -: Odisha FC is another football team in the Indian Super League. They are from the state of Odisha in India.
ISL -: ISL stands for Indian Super League. It is a professional football league in India where different teams from various states compete.
Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium -: Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium is a big sports stadium in New Delhi, India. It is named after the first Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru.
Kerala Blasters -: Kerala Blasters is another football team in the Indian Super League. They are from the state of Kerala in India.
Chennaiyin FC -: Chennaiyin FC is a football team in the Indian Super League. They are from the city of Chennai in the state of Tamil Nadu, India.
Panagiotis Dilmperis -: Panagiotis Dilmperis is the head coach of Punjab FC. A head coach is the main person who trains and manages the football team.
Luka Majcen -: Luka Majcen is a player for Punjab FC. He is currently injured and cannot play in the upcoming game.
Roy Krishna -: Roy Krishna is a key player for Odisha FC. He is known for being very good at scoring goals.
Ahmed Jahouh -: Ahmed Jahouh is another important player for Odisha FC. He is known for his skills in controlling the ball and making good passes.
Hugo Boumous -: Hugo Boumous is also a key player for Odisha FC. He is known for his ability to create scoring opportunities for his team.
