Division 1 resumes on January 15th after the winter break and we have some exciting matches in store for you. The table is tied at the top with Horizons, Parikrma and Bengal all on 15 points followed by Supernova, Gremio and Flipkart in fourth, fifth and sixth.
The relegation battle currently has four teams fighting it out with Project 7, Mavericks, Rare Dare and Yataghan all involved at the bottom, while Samba and Kougen Kikou are not out of the woods yet.
8:00 AM – FC Kougen Kikou v Project 7
The opening game of the day features Project 7 and Kougen Kikou. Project 7 currently are at the bottom of the table and are yet to pick up a win while Kougen Kikou have had a slight change in fortune over the past few weeks and have picked up a couple of wins.
Project 7 are desperate for a win and anything but that would be devastating for their status in Division 1. We expect this to be an open game with both teams willing to attack.
Players to watch
Project 7: Rahul Dewan
FC Kougen Kikou: Yuichi Hirai
Crystal Ball: FC Kougen Kikou (2) – (2) Project 7
9:30 AM – Samba FC v Yataghan Internazionale
Next up, we have Samba taking on Yataghan in the 930 AM slot. Samba has had a dip in form over the past few weeks and need to get back to winning ways. Yataghan are in dire need of a win too, having only picked up 4 points in 6 games and a loss here could see them drop down into the red zone.
Both teams play very compact football and we don’t expect too many goals but tactical matchups are always interesting games.
Players to watch
Samba FC: Zaheer PA
Yataghan Internazionale: Jay Singadia
Crystal Ball: Samba FC (1) – (1) Yataghan Internazionale
11:00 AM – Flipkart FC v Horizons FC
The third game of the day has Flipkart taking on Horizons in what should be a really interesting match-up. Flipkart are one of the few teams in the league to have beaten Horizons and they will be looking to repeat last season’s performance.
Horizons lost to Bengal in the final week before the break and they can't afford to drop any more points if they are to win the league that has been elusive to them since Season 1.
Players to watch
Flipkart FC: Ravi Kiran
Horizons FC: Philip Babalola
Crystal Ball: Flipkart FC (1) – (2) Horizons FC
12:30 PM – FC Bengal v Mavericks FC
The 12:30 kick off has Bengal taking on Mavericks. Bengal put on a show in the last gameweek when they beat Horizons but that was before the break. Mavericks have had some time to think over their tactics and knowing that they need points, we can expect a strong showing from them.
Bengal are the superior team in this match-up but we expect Mavericks to bring their ‘A’ game. If Mavericks can hold off Bengal in the first half it can be anyone’s game.
Players to watch
FC Bengal: Anto Rushith
Mavericks FC: Danush M
Crystal Ball: FC Bengal (2) – (1) Mavericks FC
2:15 PM – Parikrma FC v Gremio FC
The headliner of the day features two heavyweights in Parikrma and Gremio. Parikrma are tied at the top of the table and will be gunning for the win against Gremio, but their opposition poses a tough challenge as they always show up in the big games.
Although Gremio have faltered this season, they have beaten both Bengal and Supernova and if they beat Parikrma, they would have beaten all the teams that they have played who are above them in the standings. A big match for both teams and we are expecting a cracker of a match!
Players to watch
Parikrma FC: Ravi Babu
Gremio FC: Javi Cabrera
Crystal Ball: Parikrma FC (3) – (2) Gremio FC
3:45 PM – Rare Dare FC v Supernova FC
The final game of the day has Rare Dare FC taking on Supernova in a game of big stakes. A win for Rare Dare could propel them out of the red zone and could be a season changer for them, while a loss could almost doom them to relegation.
A win for Supernova would keep them well and alive in the title race but a loss could mean an end to their title challenge. We expect this game to be of high intensity and with both teams attack minded, the goals should pour in.
Players to watch
Rare Dare FC: Arjun Anson
Supernova FC: James Hadeyemi
Crystal Ball: Rare Dare FC (3) – (3) Supernova FC
