ISL 2015: Three reasons why NorthEast will defeat Pune tonight
NorthEast United host FC Pune City at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium at Guwahati on Wednesday in a must-win game for both the clubs. Pune's aspirations for a semi-final berth have taken a massive hit following their six-match win-less streak, while NorthEast will look to recover from the heart-breaking 1-2 defeat against Delhi Dynamos in their last game.
Prediction: NorthEast United 2-1 FC Pune City
1. Pune's struggling attack
At the start of the tournament, it seemed like Pune had one of the best attacks in the league with the likes of Tuncay Sanli, Kalu Uche, Adrian Mutu and Yendrick Ruiz in their squad. They were scoring goals for fun, initially. But their attacking prowess has withered away in the second half of the season.
The Stallions have scored only five goals in their last six games and their struggle in front of the goal is likely to continue. While Adrian Mutu has shown significant improvement in form of late, Tuncay Sanli's drop in form has counterbalanced that.
They will face a NorthEast defence who have shown a lot of improvement recently. The Highlanders looked shaky at the back at the start of the tournament, but the arrivals of Andre Bikey and Carlos Lopez have shored by the back four, along with Cedric Hengbart's return to form.
2. Pune's poor away record
Pune have won only one of their last 12 away games – a 3-1 win in Kolkata last year. David Platt's men have failed to improve on their poor record this season as they have dropped points in all their away games. They come into this game on the back of two consecutive away defeats, and have conceded seven goals in these two games. Pune are unlikely to change this trend against NorthEast tonight.
3. NorthEast to outscore Pune
Pune's defence was torn to shreds in the last game against Kolkata with the likes of Iain Hume and Sameehg Doutie breaking their off-side trap numerous times, while the decision to field Manish Maithani as the right back backfired for David Platt. The defence has conceded 11 goals in their last five games, including the 4-1 hammering at the hands of the defending champions last week.
They will struggle to contain a NorthEast attack, which has grown in confidence as the season has progressed. Delhi, who have one of the best defences in the league, were given a run for their money by this attack in their last game. Backed by the vociforous crowd, the home side are sure to come out all cylinders firing against Pune and would expect to outscore their opponents.
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