Punjab FC secured a convincing 3-1 victory against Hyderabad FC in their Indian Super League (ISL) clash at the GMC Balayogi Stadium. The win was aided by goals from Luka Majcen and 17-year-old Singamayum Shami, who created history by becoming the youngest goal scorer in ISL history. Punjab had initially taken the lead in the first half through an own goal by Hyderabad’s Alex Saji. This match also marked the first time that Punjab FC completed a double over an opponent in the ISL. With this victory, Punjab FC climbed to ninth place in the standings with 27 points from 23 matches, while Hyderabad FC remained in 12th place with 17 points from the same number of games.
Punjab FC’s head coach, Panagiotis Dilmperis, made two changes to his starting lineup. Pramveer Singh replaced Ivan Novoselec in central defense, while Ezequiel Pulga Vidal returned to the squad after suspension, taking the place of Ashis Pradhan. Luka Majcen led the attack alongside Asmir Suljic, Muhammad Suhail F, and Pulga Vidal. On the other side, Hyderabad FC’s head coach, Shameel Chembakath, fielded a youthful and energetic starting XI, as his team aimed to extend their unbeaten run at home.
Punjab started the game strongly, with Pulga Vidal testing Hyderabad’s goalkeeper Arshdeep Singh early with a long-range effort. Shortly after, another of Vidal’s attempts from the edge of the box was blocked by Hyderabad captain Alex Saji. Punjab controlled possession for most of the first half, as their midfield and forwards worked well together to create openings, though they struggled to convert chances. Meanwhile, Punjab’s defense remained solid, nullifying Hyderabad’s attacking threats.
The deadlock was broken four minutes before halftime when Muhammad Suhail’s shot from the edge of the box took a massive deflection off Alex Saji, looping into the net past a wrong-footed Arshdeep Singh. The move was set up by Ricky Shabong, who received the ball from a clever one-two play between Pulga Vidal and Luka Majcen, allowing Suhail to take a curling shot that resulted in the fortunate goal.
Punjab FC intensified their attacking play at the start of the second half, creating several goal-scoring chances in a span of ten minutes. Suhail was instrumental in this period, first setting up Pulga Vidal, whose left-footed shot was brilliantly saved by Arshdeep Singh. Moments later, Suhail’s own effort struck the crossbar, with Pulga Vidal blasting the rebound over the goal.
Punjab finally doubled their lead in the 56th minute, with Luka Majcen scoring his ninth goal of the season. Once again, Suhail was the architect, delivering a precise low cross into Majcen’s path. The striker calmly opened up his body and side-footed the ball past the goalkeeper, securing a two-goal cushion for Punjab FC.
This dominant performance by Punjab FC highlights their growing form in the league as they head into their final match of the season against Mohammedan SC on March 10th at the Kishore Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata.
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