Punjab FC vs Chennaiyin FC lineups, team news, prediction & preview

Just a point separates the two sides, despite Punjab FC having a game in hand.

Matchweek seven of the 2024-25 edition of the Indian Super League(ISL) takes us to the capital city of Delhi, as Punjab FC take on Chennaiyin FC at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. 

Both teams have had quite a decent start to their season so far, as they are currently in the top half of the table, and can mount places on the points table with a win on Thursday. 

The Stakes

Punjab FC

Punjab FC earned a promotion to the ISL in the 2022-23 season, and have been quite impressive in the top flight ever since. This season, under the tutelage of Greek mastermind Panagiotis Dimperis, Punjab have been in quite amazing form, winning three out of their first four games of the season. 

With a win tomorrow, Punjab FC will be at 12 points in the table, with a game in hand. The Shers can strengthen their place in the top four of the table with a win at home against Owen Coyle’s side, and can even aim to regain the second spot.  

Chennaiyin FC

With eight points from five games, Chennaiyin are currently sixth in the table and are aiming a jump to the top four with a win on Thursday. Owen Coyle’s side seems to have picked pace in the league and have four points in the last two games courtesy of a very impressive win against Chennaiyin at home. 

The fixture against Punjab will be quite crucial for Chennaiyin FC, as the race for the top six is already getting quite heated up, and if the Marina Machans fail to make their move, they might fall behind the likes of Odisha FC and Kerala who are knocking on the door to get into the qualifying spot. 

Head-to-head record

Matches played – 5

Punjab FC wins – 1

Draw – 3

Chennaiyin FC wins – 1

Predicted Lineups

Punjab FC (4-2-3-1) 

Ravi Kumar (GK); Khaiminthang Lhungdim, Suresh Meitei, Ivan Novoselec, Abhishek Singh; Nikhil Prabhu, Filip Mrzjlak, Vinit Rai; Nihal Sudeesh, Ezequiel Vidal; Luka Majcen

Chennaiyin FC (4-4-2)

Samik Mitra; Bikash Yumnam, Ryan Edwards, PC Laldinpuia, Mandar Rao Desai; Connor Shields, Lalrinliana Hnamte, Lukas Brambilla, Farukh Choudhary; Irfan Yadwad, Wilmar Jordan Gil

Team News

Luka Majcen is fit to play, as the Slovenian has now fully recovered from his injury. Laldinliana Renthlei will be back in action for Chennaiyin, after serving his one-match suspension against Goa.

Players to watch

Luka Majcen (Punjab FC)

Punjab FC’s marquee man Luka Majcen will be back in action for the Shers on Thursday after sustaining a serious injury in the first matchday against Kerala. 

The Slovenian plays a pivotal role in Punjab FC, and will significantly help the Shers in becoming more clinical in their attacking endeavors. Apart from this, Majcen also adds a ton of experience to the squad, and his ability to attract defenders and drop deep will be something that the home team can use to their advantage. 

Wilmar Jordan Gil (Chennaiyin FC)

Jordan Gil is in tremendous form at the moment, as the Colombian has scored three goals in his last two games, and has somewhat cemented his place in the starting lineup. 

Gil’s tremendous physicality and attacking instincts make him quite a difficult player to contain, and it will be quite a task for Punjab to stop their former attacker from working his magic.  

Did you know

• Chennaiyin FC have only one clean sheet in the ISL so far this season. 
• Punjab FC won the last fixture between these two teams in Delhi
• Punjab FC have conceded the least goals this season (3) after Bengaluru FC (1).

Telecast Details

The 2024-25 Indian Super League match between Punjab FC and Chennaiyin FC will take place at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on Thursday (31 October).

It will kick off at 7:30 PM IST. The match will be shown live on Sports 18 and be available for streaming on Jio Cinema. International viewers can also watch the match on the OneFootball app.

For more updates, follow Khel Now on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Whatsapp & Telegram.