Punjab FC head coach Panagiotis Dilmperis was in full praise for forward Luka Majcen, who netted a brace to help the Shers beat Chennaiyin FC in a five-goal thriller in the Indian Super League (ISL) at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi on Thursday.

Owen Coyle’s men broke the deadlock in the first half courtesy of Wilmar Jordan Gil’s goal. However, Punjab FC came back strong in the second half with captain Majcen, who scored twice within three minutes after the second half began. Super-sub Asmir Suljić netted the third goal, sealing the fourth victory for Dilmperis’ team.

Despite the hosts creating a couple of attacking moves with Majcen and Pulga Vida, a lack of communication in the final third prevented them from getting the equaliser in the first half.

When questioned about the reasons for the missed opportunities in the first half, the Punjab FC head coach answered, “The main thoughts that I had were that I couldn't really understand why my players (were missing chances) during the first half; they were following the structure and the plan, defending and attacking, but the final pass and the final decision most of the time were wrong or they were trying to do risky things.”

“We should have scored earlier because we brought the ball a lot of times outside the opponent’s box in the first half. This is football. It could stay like this. Hopefully, in the second half, we just managed to pass the ball to the feet, and then we scored two goals. The opponent went up. We surprised them a little bit with this performance and then the third goal. Of course, I'm a little bit sad about the final goal (in injury time), but the win matters,” he continued shedding light on their second-half turnaround.

The match marked Luka Majcen’s first start in the ISL since sustaining an injury against Kerala Blasters FC in September. On his return from jaw surgery, the Slovenian forward found himself back straight on the scoresheet as he played a pivotal role in Punjab FC’s comeback on their home turf.

“That’s why he is here. That’s his job. Luka (Majcen) is a valuable player in the locker room and on the pitch. It’s a good start (for him). After what he passed through, he deserves it,” Dilmperis said.

“It was a huge surgery; he stayed outside, he tried a lot, and he did a great job most of the time. Most of the time, players with these injuries cannot eat. He was struggling but was working every day. He's here; he's ready,” he added.

Players like Suljić, Mushaga Bakenga, and Leon Augustine made a huge impact coming off the bench on the game in the final half. Not only did Suljic and Bakenga combine each other for the third goal, but also Augustine, who made an all-round impact in the whole game with his agile moves and quick runs.

Speaking in context, Dilmperis stated,

“Today, all the time we have a lot of help from the bench. It's amazing what is happening in this team. There's a great team spirit. When you see a team that scores and the whole bench is inside the field and celebrates, it means that we are all together.”

“First of all, (Mushaga) Bakenga was sick the previous week. He trained for a few days. I think it's a good comeback with an assist. Now we're waiting for his goals,” he further added.

“Asmir (Suljić) is a very quality player. He will be a very useful player for us. Also, I have to say many congratulations to Leon (Augustine). He came in the first (of the second) half, tried a lot, and in the end, he was playing right back. I think he was doing great,” Dilmperis signed off, commending his players’ second-half performance.

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Chennaiyin FCPunjab FC2024-2025 Luka Majcen