Pune City face huge odds at Bengaluru FC

When FC Pune City walk out on to the Kanteerava stadium here to face Bengaluru FC, it will be a homecoming of sorts for interim head coach Pradyum Reddy.

Having been an integral part of the coaching staff when Bengaluru FC was established back in 2013, Reddy was instrumental in putting together a competitive Indian contingent. The team would go on to enjoy success in the three years he spent there before joining Pune City as an assistant coach back in 2017.

Despite the familiarity and popularity he enjoys in Bengaluru, Reddy will have his task cut out on Friday as he aims to stop Carles Cuadrat’s team who are still unbeaten in the ongoing Indian Super League (ISL).

With just one win in their kitty from nine games, Pune City have no option but to arrest their slide by taking down the table-toppers. They seemed to have turned a corner after their 2-1 win over Jamshedpur FC but a defeat against NorthEast United deflated the optimism about them.

Pune need to sort out their defence which has the worst record so far (19 goals conceded).

“The defence has been an issue over the course of the season but you look at the last match, defensively throughout the 90 minutes, we were pretty well organized. We conceded from a set-piece which has been an Achilles heel this season,” Reddy said.

To keep out Sunil Chhetri and company will be a tough ask but they will be relieved that the injured Miku is unavailable until January, having flown out to Spain for treatment. But Chhetri loves playing Pune City and has scored six in as many fixtures against them in earlier seasons.

BANGALORE:

I-LEAGUE

Gokulam Kerala FC host Churchill Brothers in an I-League match in Kozhikode on Friday.