AIFF Media Team

NEW DELHI: A big change at the top of the leaderboard marked the last round of fixtures in the I-League 2024-25.

Churchill Brothers were displaced from a spot they’ve held for over a month, and quite rightly the most in-form team in the league took control of the league table. Another week brings a new set of challenges though and with the gap at the top narrow, and the games turning fast and furiously, room to slip up remains marginal.

It will be tough to find a group of people enjoying the turn of the new year more than those currently wearing the colours of Namdhari FC. The Punjab side are unbeaten in their last seven and have won each of their games this year. From struggling at the bottom end of the table in December, they have soared to the dizzying heights of the top, a point above their nearest rivals. Their next opponents Sreenidi Deccan (January 28 at 13:00) have had a sharply contrasting season, abysmally poor by any standards. 

Having put together a three match unbeaten run, Sreenidi somehow managed to lose to the bottom placed team SC Bengaluru in their last encounter. While it would be tempting to say that there is not much they have to play for now, Namdhari has displayed that a good run of results and consistency is all that’s needed in the I-League.

For the bottom placed SC Bengaluru, this will mean translating performances into results. The Golden Tigers have only registered two wins this season, and have only put together a run of two games when they haven’t lost one. It has been a tough debut ride, and it won’t get easier as they travel to Kozhikode to play a Gokulam Kerala side on the rise (January 29 at 19:00). The Malabarians have got their first home win of the season, with a sound thrashing of Inter Kashi and will hope to keep the wheels turning, especially seeing as they aren’t too far off the top anymore.

Inter Kashi meanwhile have no opportunity to sit and lick their wounds, and will immediately be thrown into action against Rajasthan United FC (January 28 at 15:30). The Desert Warriors have been among the more unpredictable teams this season, losing seemingly competitive match-ups only to triumph against the big dogs. Gerard Artigas’ penchant for scoring late winners struck once again to bring down Churchill last time round, and Inter Kashi will be cautious to not underestimate their opponents.

Having put together a stunning run of results to close out the year, Churchill Brothers are suddenly blowing hot and cold, losing close games where they look flat, only to suddenly channel all the rage in the world to thrash their opponents in the next one. It is tough to see the latter scenario playing out in their next game against Real Kashmir FC though (January 30 at 15:30). The Snow Leopards are a pragmatic workmanlike team who have kept the ship steady without ever threatening to fall too low or rise too high.

Delhi FC and Aizawl FC face a week of reckoning up ahead, with both dangerously close to the drop zone, and neither able to string together results of any meaning. The latter have conceded the most goals in the league now, and despite having got their first win against the former last time out, look incredibly vulnerable at the back. Shillong Lajong, their next opponents (January 30 at 19:00) will hope to bounce back to the win column and exploit that in the North East derby this week.

Delhi meanwhile travel to Dempo SC (January 29 at 15:30), a team on a slide unlike any other. It has been over a month since Samir Naik’s side won a game and in that period they have only taken one point from 15 available. Their form is only marginally worse than Delhi’s and in a straight shootout, someone will blink. To avoid slipping into the danger zone the Golden Eagles will hope to ensure it’s not them.