After a tumultuous affair at Goa which saw Shillong Lajong FC blank the mighty Dempo by three goals, the Reds will play host to Pune FC, in what will be a 2nd Round match of the I-League, at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on Sunday at 15.30 IST.

The match will certainly be a top draw encounter, more so with both teams riding high on confidence after their first round wins against their opponents. The Lizards came out unscathed against new entrants Mohammedan Sporting by 3-1 at Kolkata.

The battle between arguably two of India’s most professional sides will certainly be a true test of guile, wits and ability , with the Reds looking to bank on their  strike force upfront, with Cornell Glen leading the attack, and linking up with his Brazilian partner Uilliams Bomfin Silva. Pune on the other hand, will be missing their striker Raul Fabiani who will have to sit out due to suspension. However, James Meyer, Thongkhosiem Haokip and Arata Izumi will all be a handful for the Lajong defenders as stressed by Pune FC Coach Mike Snoei, at a press conference which was held on Friday at the city. Snoei said that although missing Fabiani will be a big blow to the team, but is confident other players are available to do the job.

Snoei’s counterpart, coach Thangboi Singto, after a happy return from Goa, spoke at length of the importance of the crowd support, which on their part have always stood by the team, no matter what. Singto also called on the home supporters to rally behind the Reds on Sunday and said: “We are really hungry to play in front of our beloved Lajong Faithfuls and we promise we will give them a great football match.”

Indeed a great football match awaits the beautiful city of Shillong and come Sunday at 15.30 IST, all roads lead to the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, where the fight for I-League supremacy continues between Shillong Lajong and Pune FC.