The Tuskers will cement their position at the summit of their group with a win.
The second game of Group C will see two full-strength Indian Super League (ISL) sides, Kerala Blasters FC and Punjab FC, face off against each other on 4 August. Both teams will come into the match after convincing wins in their opening matches of the Durand Cup 2024. Punjab FC defeated CISF Protectors by 3-0 scoreline, whereas Kerala Blasters thrashed an inexperienced Mumbai City side by a mammoth 8-0 margin.
This fixture will be the first real test for both sides in the Durand Cup. Moreover, as only one team from each group gets a confirmed place in the knockouts, both teams will look to give their best and earn the most crucial three points of the group stage phase.
The tie between these two teams will turn out to be a very exciting one for the fans, as the winner of this match will most likely top the group.
Kerala Blasters FC traveled to Thailand for a long pre-season camp in July. They started their Durand Cup campaign with a resounding victory against Mumbai City in the opening match. Their big win in the first game will surely give them a lot of confidence before the crucial tie against Punjab FC at the iconic Salt Lake Stadium.
It will be interesting to see how Punjab FC perform under their new head coach Panagiotis Dilmperis against a formidable Kerala Blasters side. The Shers finished eighth in the points table with 24 points in their debut ISL season. This year, they will look to better that position, and a good performance in the Durand Cup will help them achieve that. With some of their key players gone, the onus will now be on the new signings like Ninthoi, Vinit Rai, and Filip Mrjljak to help the team get the better of Kerala Blasters on Sunday.
Luka Majcen started his Durand Cup campaign with a bang by scoring a brace in the match against CISF Protectors on 30 July.
All focus will be on Noah Sadaoui in the match against Punjab FC after he scored an impressive hattrick in the previous fixture, where his side thrashed Mumbai City 8-0.
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