The stakes are high in Thimphu City’s midweek clash against Gelephu FC. An opportunity for the reds to grab the front seat has been laid as the league leaders were held to a goalless draw on Saturday. Ngawang Dhendup’s side slipped to second place at the end of first round when they drew against Ugyen Academy.
Although, victory would mean that City lead the table only on their vastly superior goal difference. With eight more games still to be played, their 51 goals scored so far has already surpassed last season’s total. Attack has indeed been the best form of defence for the Bhutanese champions. The boys in red are in a 24-games goal scoring streak in a domestic league that began since last season’s opening day win against Paro United in August 2020.
The opponents, on the other hand, have had an entirely different narrative to tell.
Opponent’s Form
It has been a dismal maiden season for the Sarpang champions as the team’s primary focus now shifts to breaking their duck. Their finest performance thus far came in the first half of a game against Transport United in June, when they led 2-1 at halftime. On the plus side, the team’s goalless run has come to an end, with one goal scored in each of the last three games, regardless of the outcome. In fact, former reds Ngawang Tamang has helped Gelephu take early leads in the last two games and only needed a little better coordination at the back to force the result in their favour. With 47 goals, only Rinpung has conceded more than the first and only team from south-central Bhutan. Thimphu City are responsible for 10 of those goals.
The match is scheduled to kick off on August 10 at 4PM at Changlimithang.
