 "Punjab FC beat Odisha FC at home")
Punjab FC beat Odisha FC at home
Punjab FC registered back-to-back victories in the Indian Super League 2024-25 (ISL) after beating Odisha FC 2-1 at the Jawaharlal Stadium on September 20.
This was Punjab’s first win over Odisha FC in the ISL, with the home side losing both their games against the visitors last season.
Hugo Boumos got the consolation goal for Odisha in stoppage time.
Nihal dedicates goal to skipper Luka Majcen
The Punjab side dedicated the goal to their skipper, Luka Majcen, who is ruled out after injuring his jaw in the first game against Kerala Blasters. Nihal took Luka’s jersey and showed it around the stadium to show support for the Slovenian.
Starting the game slowly, it was Odisha FC who got the first chance, with Roy Krishna, who was playing his 100th ISL match, coming in from the right flank. However, Punjab’s fullback, Abhishek Singh, didn’t let him past the penalty area.
Punjab was more spirited before the half-time whistle as they looked to double their lead in the match.
Punjab’s Norwegian number 9, Bakenga, also came close to doubling the lead early on in the second half as he was found clear of the goal by Nihal. However, it wasn’t to be, as Bakenga’s delayed shot got blocked in the end.
Punjab hurt Odisha on the counter
As Odisha stepped up the pitch to find the equalizer, they were caught on the counter multiple times by Nihal and Co., who failed to make it count in the final third.
Odisha weren’t done yet wth 7 minutes of stoppage yet to play and got themselves a consolation goal in the end as Hugo Boumos scored in the 96th minute.
Playing their second season in the Indian Super League, two wins on the trot would do a lot of good for Dilmperis’ men’s morale going ahead in the season. The win took the Shers to second position in the ISL table, with many games still to go. However, it couldn’t get better for Punjab FC, with the side securing all possible 6 points so far.
First Published: Sep 20 2024 | 9:31 PM IST
