AIFF Media Team

NEW DELHI: After two rounds of matches in the I-League 2024-25, Inter Kashi, the only team with a perfect record of six points, have taken the early lead in the standings. There’s little time to sit back as Round 3 begins on Tuesday. Five teams are without a victory so far, while five are also unbeaten. They will hope to set or keep their records straight as the league starts to heat up.

SHILLONG LAJONG FC vs INTER KASHI

After a 1-0 win over newly-promoted SC Bengaluru which left Inter Kashi wanting for more, they made an early statement to be title contenders with a 5-1 thrashing of Delhi FC on Sunday. Antonio López Habas’ side will be on the road for the first time as they travel to Meghalaya to face Shillong Lajong FC on Thursday, December 5, at 19:00 IST at the SSA Stadium.

Inter Kashi will feel it’s a good time to face Lajong, who are yet to find their feet at their home this season. José Hevia’s side made a spirited comeback to recover a point from Churchill Brothers after going behind by two goals, but then failed to continue in the same vein when the other Goan side Dempo SC came to town and ran out 2-0 victors. This meeting of Spanish coaches is poised to be a battle of Inter Kashi’s attacking firepower and Lajong’s backline as the duo of Kynsailang Khongsit and Daniel Gonçalves look to keep league top-scorer Domi Berlanga and assist leader Joni Kauko at bay.

NAMDHARI FC vs DEMPO SC

Round 3 will get underway with Namdhari FC hosting Dempo SC at the Namdhari Stadium on Tuesday, December 3, at 14:00 IST. Both sides come into this one on the back of contrasting results last week. Newly-promoted Dempo showed their class in a 2-0 win away to Shillong Lajong as Pruthvesh Pednekar scored the Golden Eagles’ first I-League goal in nine years. On the other hand, Namdhari went down 1-3 to Rajasthan United at home after a second-half collapse. The hosts will miss the services of forward Manvir Singh, who scored four goals last season, as he was sent off against Rajasthan. Dempo have kept two clean sheets in a row, and also seemed to find their rhythm in attack mainly thanks to the duo of Matija Babović and Damián Pérez.

GOKULAM KERALA FC vs AIZAWL FC

The all-Indian Aizawl FC are the only other side yet to concede a goal so far. After seeing off SC Bengaluru 2-0, they have travelled to Kozhikode to face two-time champions Gokulam Kerala FC at the EMS Stadium on Tuesday, December 3, at 19:00 IST. The Malabarians, on the other hand, have found the net in both matches through four different scorers, meaning this could shape up to be another attack versus defence bout. Gokulam Kerala will be keen to put on a show in front of the Battalia in their first home game of the season, while Aizawl will hope to get a win in Kozhikode for the first time since 2019.

REAL KASHMIR FC vs DELHI FC

Hoping to continue their unbeaten run with strong backing from their home fans, Real Kashmir FC will welcome Delhi FC at the TRC Turf Ground on Wednesday, December 4, at 14:00 IST. The Snow Leopards must have felt they missed a great chance to make it back-to-back wins when they couldn’t build on their lead and let Gokulam Kerala steal a second-half equaliser. They will look to be more lethal in finishing as they take on a bruised Delhi FC, who will have an exact opposite agenda – to tighten their leaky defence. Yan Law would’ve been far from pleased with his side’s second-half performance against Inter Kashi where they conceded four goals in an 11-minute spell. A trip to Srinagar isn’t exactly the most comfortable way to recover from a setback like that, but Delhi FC will need to pull their socks up if they don’t want to find themselves in the wrong end of the table early in the season.

SC BENGALURU vs CHURCHILL BROTHERS

Later on Wednesday, the city of Bengaluru will witness its first I-League match since 2017 as Sporting Club Bengaluru take on Churchill Brothers in their first home match of the campaign at the Bangalore Football Stadium at 15:30 IST. The newcomers have had a rough start to life in the I-League and are sitting at the bottom of the table with no goal and points so far. The Golden Tigers will hope a return to familiar surroundings in the Garden City of India will bear fruit.

Churchill Brothers have one point in their kitty but would’ve had more if not for their lack of defensive organisation against Aizawl and Sreenidi Deccan. The Red Machines have shown they can be dangerous in attack but their late charge in the 1-2 defeat to Sreenidi on Sunday came a little too late, with Lamgoulen Hangshing’s stunning volley only enough for a consolation. Churchill have a forgettable record in their last two visits to the city, losing to Bengaluru FC 0-3 each in 2014 and 2017, but they will certainly be confident on setting that record straight on Wednesday.

SREENIDI DECCAN FC vs RAJASTHAN UNITED FC

Another team wishing to mend their record will be Rajasthan United FC away to Sreenidi Deccan FC on Thursday, December 5, at 16:30 IST. The Desert Warriors suffered a 1-6 drubbing at the Deccan Arena last season, but have shown that they can be a more competitive unit this season after their 3-1 comeback win over Namdhari on Saturday. Meanwhile, Sreenidi Deccan recovered from their opening day loss to Gokulam Kerala with a good performance in a 2-1 win over Churchill Brothers. However, Portuguese coach Rui Amorim will want his side to be more focussed in the latter stages of the game as three of the four goals they have conceded so far have come in the final 10 minutes.