FIH Pro League 2023-24: Indian men's hockey team go down to Germany, suffer consecutive defeats in London leg

India did fightback from two goals down but couldn’t find the net for the third time.

Indian men’s hockey team on Saturday went down 2-3 against Germany in their third match of the London leg of Men’s FIH Pro League 2023-24 at the Lee Valley Hockey Stadium. For India, Harmanpreet Singh (19’) and Sukhjeet Singh (48’) scored the goals, while for Germany, Gonzalo Peillat (2’, 33’) and Christopher Ruhr (10’) were on target.

Germany were quick to get off the blocks on an attacking mode and put India on the backfoot. The reigning world Champions earned a PC early in the first quarter. Gonzalo Peillat (2’) converted the penalty corner successfully to put Germany in the lead. India then started pressing deep inside Germany’s circle with Hardik Singh and Gurjant Singh, combining to put pressure on the opposition’s defense.

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However, it was Germany that doubled their lead as Christopher Ruhr (10’) found the back of the net. The first quarter ended with Germany leading India by 2-0.

India started the second quarter well, matching toe to toe in the early exchanges. India earned a penalty corner within the first four minutes of the quarter. Indian captain Harmanpreet Singh (19’) found the back of the net to bring India back in the game.

Despite repeated attacks and putting constant pressure on the German defenders, India were unable to cover the deficit going into half-time.

High on confidence, India started the game aggressively after halftime, but the German defense continued to hold down the fort. The third quarter saw plenty of action on both ends, but it was Germany, which extended its lead as Gonzalo Peillat was once again on the scoresheet (33’) after he successfully converted the penalty corner. At the end of the third quarter, Germany led India by 3-1.

With 15 minutes left on the clock, India started showcasing urgency. India pulled one more back as Sukhjeet Singh (48’) put the ball in the net from a close range. India made threatening runs inside the circle, but the German defenders held their nerves till the final whistle. The match ended with Germany winning 3-2.

The Indian men’s hockey team will next take on hosts Great Britain at 1900hrs IST on 9th June.

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