ISL: FC Pune City vs Delhi Dynamos FC - What we can expect - Preview and Prediction

FC Pune City host Delhi Dynamos in their final home game.

There are football games, and there are football games that have everything at stake. The story of match no. 51 between FC Pune City and Delhi Dynamos FC is something similar. With all to gain and a lot more to lose, the stakes for a spot in the top four is what dominates the proceedings for the game between the two.

Pune come into the game riding high on confidence with a two-match unbeaten streak while Delhi come in with a similar run themselves. Pune had run riot through Mumbai's ranks and defences in their previous game while Delhi had to rather fight a hard draw against Kolkata.

The only difference being, Pune currently is in the fourth position in the league, while Delhi is in the sixth. Theoretically other than Mumbai (which has a very faint chance), all the other seven teams can make it to the playoffs. And given that the points table is so closely linked it could lead to many more heartbreaks as the league enters into its last lap.

Prior to this, the two teams had met early on in the opening week of the tourney at the JLN Stadium in Delhi, where Pune managed to hold a resilient Delhi to a draw. Ever since then both the teams have had mixed luck and successes in the tournament.

The mathematics of the current scenario dictate the following: If Pune win the game, they will have virtually sealed their qualification, with only a draw needed of the last Game against Kerala. On the other hand, a Delhi win might hot up the race for the elusive fourth spot for them. A draw will not alter the scenario much in favour of Delhi, while for Pune it would result in a must win game against Kerala on their home ground.

Venue

The last of the home games for Pune, the match will be played to a packed crowd at the Shri Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex in Balewadi. Pune will be looking to add the extra bit of muscle through its fans to power them through to the next round.

Kick-Off

December 6, 7:00 pm IST

Probable Line-ups:

FC Pune City (4-2-3-1): Coming into the match with the home team advantage, Pune still represents the quintessential underdog, with a penchant for surprising one and all. And it is not wrong to make that supposition either. They began on a bad note, then rose to the very top of the league, fell to the bottom and now are back in the top. The team has had a mixed bag of acmes and nadirs in the Indian Super League.

But all said and done, Pune has used the advantage of the home ground to its fullest. It has till date lost just one game against Kerala. And even that game was dominated thoroughly by them save for the two goals which they conceded. Coming into the last home game of the tournament for them, Pune will be looking to cement their qualification in the final four of the ISL.

The fact that Dudu has found his scoring touch, along with the dangerous Kristian Vadocz in the mid-field, and the ever omnipresent Kostas Katsouranis, Pune have a definite shot for the semi-final berth if they get their tactics right today. What is even more important is Pune's defence has come of age and has become more solid as the tournament has progressed. The biggest find arguably has to be goalkeeper Arindam Bhattacharya, who has been a regular feature for the team.

Team: Arindam, Pritam, Ravanan, Cirillo, Wadoo, Kostas, Lenny, Vadocz, Pennant, Park, Dudu

With the explosive running strides of Park and Pennant, and the darting runs made by Kostas and Lenny in the central mid-field, Pune has the ability to continuously launch attacks as well as fall back quickly and attack on the counter. It makes for a dangerous threat for Delhi. Wadoo who has shone for the home team possesses the ability to run forward as well as defend very well and he will play an important role in the game today should he feature in the starting line-up. David Trezeguet who has had a mixed tournament might feature in the game later on, although that appears doubtful.

The flip side will be the absence of coach Franco Colomba who received a touchline suspension for running on the field one times too many. How Pune will cope up with his absence is something that will have to be seen.

FC Pune City vs Delhi Dynamos FC

Delhi Dynamos FC (4-3-3): It might sound unprecedented, but Delhi will look to retain the three-man strike force up front to concentrate attacks on the Pune goal from all the three sides. With Mulder, Junker and Francis, Arindam and company will have a busy time ahead defending Pune's goal line and keeping a clean sheet.

The reason why Delhi will look to retain the same formation is because it has brought them success in the immediate past. With two wins and a draw in the last three games, they will be looking to up the tempo of attack against Pune and not only draw first blood but also batter the Pune back line. Delhi also have a solid defence in the back with Shouvik, Houben, Anwar and Adil providing plenty of cover to custodian Hout's goal.

Team: Junker, Francis, Mulder, Santos, Dini, Souvik, Adil, Anwar, Houben, Shouvik, Hout

Delhi's attack and midfield has come to the party just at the right time, towards the ending stages of the game. This is something that makes then both dangerous and unpredictable. Also with Junker scoring regularly for them, they become an opposition which is vastly unpredictable and capable of dismantling Pune or any other opposition for that matter.

Key battles:

Alessandro Del Piero thanks the crowd after the final whistle in Delhi’s previous draw against Pune City.

Dudu vs Hout: It will be the Pune striker against the Delhi custodian. In the previous match against Mumbai, Dudu scored twice, beating Subrata Paul by sheer power once and by deftness and guile the second time around. While Hout has had a good tournament so far, it will be important to see him counter the threat that Dudu possesses.

Kostas vs Santos: Who will reign supreme in the mid-field? Now that is a question that only the game will answer but with the answer that whoever does gain tactical control and upper hand in the mid-field will eventually pave the way for their respective team to win the game. Both Kostas and Santos have had very good tournaments up until now and it will be important to see them play out the tactical battle in the mid-field.

Arindam vs Junker: The Delhi forward has been in blistering form in the recent past and that can be a cause to worry for Pune. Arindam however has made some startling saves, including a few on the goal line to deny oppositions any chances of winning. Will the Delhi juggernaut steam roll Pune, or will Arindam stop them cold in their tracks? The duel between these two will be an interesting one to watch.

Del Piero vs Trezeguet: A duel that virtually all the fans are looking forward to. If the two do make it off the substitute bench it will be a delight for fans of both the teams. Skill and speed against guile and deft ability will be the duel between these two marquee players for their respective teams.

Prediction:

We prediction Pune will prevail over Delhi, despite the odds being in favour of Delhi's unpredictable attacks. The final scoreline will be 2-0 with Pune scoring once in both the halves to seal the game.