Pune FC will be up against Sporting Clube de Goa as they look to build on their unbeaten home run while hoping to get back to winning ways in an I-League Round 7 encounter at the Shree Shivchhatrapati Sports Complex in Balewadi on Saturday.

The game promises to be a hard fought battle as the league standings provide enough motivation for both sides to go for all three points.

For second-placed Pune FC (11 pts), a win gives them a chance of reclaiming the top spot in the table depending upon other results, while a win for bottom-placed Sporting (2 pts) will take them away from the relegation zone making this game vital for either side.

Pune FC go into the game after goalless draw against Dempo SC in the previous round. However, having put on a good overall performance despite a few setbacks, Pune FC will aim to build on the positives when they face the Sporting side against whom they are unbeaten at home.

“We defended very well in the game against Dempo last week. We had a number of setbacks just before the game and had to make a few last minute changes. However, we adjusted to the situation well and hope to build on the positives from that game against Sporting,” said Pune FC Head Coach Karim Bencherifa on the sidelines of a training session at the Club’s Training Pitches in Mamurdi.

The game will be the second time both sides face off this season after their clash in the Durand Cup semifinal in Goa in November. Back then, Pune FC logged a 2-1 win over the Goans en route to the final and will hope to get a similar result this time around.

However, there have been a few changes in the Sporting team since the two sides met last time. While the Goans are now managed by Mateus Costa after Spaniard Oscar Bruzon’s departure, Sporting have also signed up a handful of new players which gives them further options.

“Sporting will be a tough opponent with the names they have on their roster. They are bottom of the table, which makes it a must-win game for them and we need to be cautious in our approach,” added Coach Bencherifa speaking about the opponents.

Interestingly the game also sees the faceoff between the highest goalscorers in the league – Pune FC (12 goals) – against the lowest goalscorers – Sporting (1 goal). The Pune FC frontline will be confident of their chances against Sporting and looking to regain their scoring touch having failed to score in the last two games.

On the other hand, the Pune FC backline led by skipper Anas Edathodika and Luciano Sabrosa along with keeper Amrinder Singh will also be looking for their second consecutive clean sheet after a great show against Dempo SC.

On the team news front, Pune FC do have a few minor niggles, with striker Darko Nikac’s injury the only concern. The Montenegrin striker who suffered a foot injury early on in the game against Dempo has been working hard to come back but a decision will be made only on matchday.

Nonetheless, Coach Bencherifa has a number of options ahead of the game. “Our entire squad is fit and ready to play whenever the need arises. It’s definitely one of our strengths and this was proved in the last game,” said Coach Bencherifa while speaking about the team.

Visitors Sporting Goa go into the game on the back of a poor run of results and are one of the only two teams who are yet to log a win. Moreover, the Goans have failed to score in four consecutive games after netting once in the opening round clash against East Bengal.

The Mateus Costa-led side will be banking heavily on the foreign quartet of Boima Karpeh, Kalu Ogba, Anthony Wolfe and Miguel Garcia to lead them on the field. Meanwhile, the likes of Sandesh Jhingan, Pratesh Shirodkar and Victorino Fernandes will add to the options.

Interestingly, the game will also be the first time Mathew Gonsalves takes on his former side at the Balewadi Stadium as a Pune FC player. The seasoned defender spent ten-years at Sporting and will be hoping to make his mark after missing the previous game.

Over the years, both sides have faced off nine times in all competitions with Pune FC boasting a better head-to-head record having logged three wins compared to Sporting’s two. Moreover, in four I-League clashes at the Balewadi Stadium, Pune FC has logged the only win with the other three games ending in draws and they will be keen to extend the streak even further.

The game kicks off at 19.00 IST on Saturday and will be streamed LIVE on PFCTV.