Pune FC to take on Sporting Clube in I-League tie

Pune: Pune FC, vying for a top-three finish in their inaugural I-League football tournament, will take on a relegation-threatened Sporting Clube De Goa in a round 25 match at the Balewadi Complex.

The hosts are currently in the fourth place, having accumulated 35 points from 23 matches with the help of eight wins and 11 draws. A top-three finish would be a credible finish for a team in its debut season. The local outfit has been unbeaten since the 17th round when they lost 0-1 to Shillong Lajong and have registered three victories and four draws since then.Meanwhile, with the battle to avoid the relegation zone heating up and only three points separating the bottom five teams, a win is of utmost importance for the Goan club. Sporting, who are fifth from bottom - having scored 27 points from 25 matches - would like to end their campaign on a winning note as despite them being placed above four teams, other clubs have a match in hand.The visitors, who had a disastrous start to their campaign this season, have done well in the recent past, defeating title contenders Mahindra United 3-2, Churchill Brothers 2-1 and JCT 1-0 in their last five matches. The earlier round match between both the teams had ended in a 2-2 draw. PTI