AFC Cup Preview: Kitchee SC vs Pune FC

Venue: Mong Kok Stadium, Hong Kong

Kickoff: Wednesday, March 12 2014, 17:30 IST (LIVE on Star Sports 4)

Favourites

Kitchee lived up to their favourites tag in emphatic fashion on matchday one as they registered a thumping 5-0 victory away at Singapore champions Tampines Rovers. They are expected to comfortably top this group now but the target will be to better last year’s performance when they reached the quarter-finals. After failing to complete a hattrick of domestic league titles last season, Kitchee parted ways with Josep Gombau to end a highly-successful four-year spell. His replacement, Alex Gomez, only lasted for a few months with the pairing of Chu Chi-kwong and Ricky Cheng Siu-chung taking charge but that instability hasn’t stopped them from dominating the league.

‘Hong Kong’s Barca’, as they are referred to due to the presence of several Spanish players in their squad, are the runaway leaders of the Hong Kong first division with 13 wins and two draws from their first 15 games. Kitchee are scoring for fun with a goal average of three per game and have plenty of strength in depth to challenge both for domestic and continental honours. It seems complacency will be their only hurdle in this clash because on paper they are overwhelming favourites to win convincingly and take another step towards an early qualification for the knockouts.

Historic Fixture

Photo Credit: Pune FC

After playing the first two continental matches of their seven-year history in the last two months, Pune FC are now set for their very first fixture outside Indian soil. Everyone at the club has worked extremely hard since its formation in 2007 and now have this special match to look forward to. Dutch coach Mike Snoei however would have liked to go into this fixture with better form as his side have won only two of their last 15 matches in all competitions. The Red Lizards produced a good performance on their AFC Cup debut two weeks ago but a couple of mistakes saw them only earn a point against Myanmar’s Nay Pyi Taw FC.

Pune are still very much in the I-League title race despite the recent struggles but playing in the AFC Cup is a matter of huge pride for everybody associated with the club so one can expect complete focus from the players and coaching staff throughout the group stage. The Indian club would look to make the most of the fact that they are complete underdogs as nobody expects them to get a result in Hong Kong. Thus the young squad must relish the occasion but surely Snoei will have a gameplan to contain their highly-fancied opponents. A defeat won’t necessarily end their hopes of reaching the next round but any positive result could give them momentum for the rest of the season.

Form Guide

Kitchee SC: WWDWW

Kitchee have been a winning machine in the domestic league and also have happy memories of beating Churchill Brothers home and away last season. The unbeaten Hong Kong first division leaders have won nine and drawn one of their last ten fixtures in all competitions.

Pune FC: DWDDD

Pune are the seventh Indian club to feature in the AFC Cup and in the past only three of them have won their first-ever away fixture. Their form outside Pune also hasn’t been great this season with just three victories in eleven games in all competitions.

Team News

Kitchee SC

Kitchee’s top scorer Juan Belencoso is doubtful after suffering an injury in the 4-1 win over Rangers at the weekend. Otherwise they should be at full strength with Spaniard Fernando Recio and South Korean Kyung-Jin Jang expected to be in central defence.

Possible XI: Wang Zhenpeng; Tsang Kam To, Fernando Recio, Kyung-Jin Jang, Cheung Kin Fung; Gao Wen, Huang Yang, Lam Ka Wai; Lo Kwan Yee, Jordi Tarres, Juan Belencoso

Pune FC

Pune coach Snoei could welcome back skipper Anas Edathodika and India internationals Gurjinder Kumar and Arata Izumi into the starting lineup. Australian Mirjan Pavlovic is set for his AFC Cup debut but it remains to be seen how the midfield lines up.

Possible XI: Amrinder Singh; Srikantha Ramu, Anas Edathodika, Calum Angus, Gurjinder Kumar; Gabriel Fernandes, Dhanpal Ganesh, Arata Izumi, Douhou Pierre; Riga Mustapha; Mirjan Pavlovic

Key Men

Kitchee SC – Jordi Tarres

The Spaniard scored 12 goals in last year’s AFC Cup including three against Churchill Brothers over two games. With Belencoso not being fully fit, Tarres might have to take extra responsibility and inspire the Hong Kong outfit again.

Pune FC – Mirjan Pavlovic

Pavlovic (No.10)Photo Credit: Pune FC

The Australian enjoyed a dream debut in Indian football at the weekend as he netted the crucial stoppage time equaliser. Pune badly missed an experienced centre-forward against Nyi Paw Taw so Pavlovic would be looking to make a big impact in his maiden AFC Cup appearance.