Punjab FC, currently enjoying a commendable season in the Indian Super League (ISL), are gearing up for their maiden clash against East Bengal FC in Matchweek 13 at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan on December 17.
Sitting in fifth place with 18 points from 10 matches, Punjab FC have showcased remarkable defensive solidity this season, allowing the fewest touches and attempts in their box. “We have a certain plan for defending, and sometimes we adjust ourselves to the advantages and disadvantages of the opponent. Something like this will happen tomorrow against East Bengal according to the demands of the attacking plan that the new coach has brought to East Bengal and made here a more attacking team,” Punjab FC Coach Panagiotis Dilmperis told HindustanTimes.com.
While Punjab FC have had a strong campaign, their recent performances have been a mixed bag, with three losses in the last five matches, including a disappointing 1-2 defeat against Jamshedpur FC. Similarly, East Bengal also faced a 1-2 setback against Odisha FC in their previous outing.
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Dilberis dismisses massive audience and psychological advantage
When asked whether these results plate a “psychological advantage”, Dilmperis was clear: “Every game is a separate match with different demands, and our philosophy is that every time we have a game, the experiences and the feelings that we have, we have to use them as an advantage and a motivation for the next game.”
“We have a lot of anger the way we lost the game, and we have to transfer all this anger,” he added.
The match will see East Bengal backed by a vociferous home crowd of 60,000 fans. “This is great for me and for my team, because it’s amazing when you are able to play in a stadium with fans, even if they are supporting their team. Most of the time, when we played in fields like this or stadiums like this, my players were more motivated, more aware, and morefocused,” he expressed.
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When HT pressed to name another potential game-changer apart from Luka Majcen and Ezequiel Vidal, Dilmperis clarified the outlet, “I’m not only a coach in my team, I’m a father, and all the players are my sons, so I would never dare to name some players as really important or more important than others.”
“We are a team, we are all together, from the oldest to the youngest, from the keepers to the strikers, and every time we try to use each player so we can take and approach 100% of the potential of them,” he concluded.
