New Delhi: Punjab FC defeated Aston Villa FC 2-0 for their second consecutive win to secure the third spot in in Next Generation Cup in Birmingham on Sunday.
They are only the second Indian side after Reliance Foundation Young Champs to beat two English Premier League sides in a single edition of the Next Generation Cup.
Punjab had earlier beaten Everton FC to qualify for Sunday’s third-place game and dominated Aston Villa throughout with the in-form Manglethang Kipgen putting them ahead in the 13th minute.
Omang Dodum then completed the scoreline in the 35th minute, capitalising on an erroneous header with an opportunistic strike.
“Our players have been improving their performances with every passing game. It is a testament to the fact that more exposure trips will further fine-tune their skills and help them develop at both individual and collective levels as a team,” Punjab head coach Sankarlal Chakraborty said after their win.
East Bengal ended their campaign with a 7-1 thrashing at the hands of Crystal Palace, whose entire forward line enjoyed scoring for fun.
Dor Palace, Matteo Dashi notched up a hat-trick, including a penalty in the 42nd minute while Caleb Redhead netted a brace while Sunil Bathala scored an own goal.
Debojit Roy scored a consolation goal in the 43rd minute after concedeing all the seven goals in the first half to finish their campaign in the eighth spot.
Another Indian side, Muthoot FA got thumped 6-1 by Everton to end at the sixth position.
#PunjabDaJosh create history at #PLNextGen Cup 2024 💪@RGPunjabFC reign supreme over #AVFC to record 2️⃣ wins in the tournament, the most by any Indian team, to finish 3️⃣rd ✨@ril_foundation @PLforIndia | #RelianceFoundation #RFSports #LetsPlay #Football #PFC #RGPunjabFC pic.twitter.com/smeLzMTS4b
— RF Youth Sports (@RFYouthSports) August 4, 2024
Punjab FC defeated Everton and Aston Villa to finish third Next Generation Cup Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
