Indian Men's Hockey Team Gears Up to Face Germany, Eyes Winning Run in FIH Pro League 2024-25

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Following a mixed start to their FIH Pro League 2024-25 campaign, the Indian Men's Hockey Team, under the leadership of Captain Harmanpreet Singh, is set to face Germany in their next fixtures at the Kalinga Hockey Stadium.

After suffering a 3-1 defeat to Spain in their opening match, India made a strong comeback with a 2-0 victory in their second encounter. Now, they are eager to carry forward this winning momentum against the German side.

Currently positioned eighth in the standings with three points from two matches, India will be striving to climb up the rankings.

A key area for improvement is their penalty corner conversion rate. Despite earning seven penalty corners across both games against Spain, India failed to capitalize on these opportunities. Enhancing their efficiency in set-pieces will be a major focus as they prepare for the upcoming challenge.

The likes of Dilpreet Singh, Mandeep Singh, and Sukhjeet Singh, who have each found the net once in the tournament so far, will be keen to add to their goal tally against Germany.

Germany, meanwhile, will be playing their first match of the India leg and currently sit seventh in the standings with four points from four games. With only one victory in the tournament so far, they will be looking to turn their campaign around. Their attack is led by Raphael Hartkopf, Gonzalo Peillat, and Thies Prinz, each of whom has scored twice. The German squad will be aiming to secure crucial points in what promises to be a closely contested fixture.

The two teams last faced off in a two-match Test series in New Delhi in October 2024. Germany claimed a 2-0 victory in the opening game, but India bounced back with a thrilling 5-3 win in the second match. However, Germany ultimately secured the series via a shootout victory, setting the stage for another intense battle in the Pro League.

Looking ahead to the matches, India Captain Harmanpreet Singh shared his thoughts: "We are looking forward to our games against Germany. They are a quality team, and we know we need to bring our best performance to the field."

"After the positive result against Spain, our confidence is high, but we know there's still work to be done. One of our main focuses is improving our penalty corner conversion, as it's crucial to make the most of those opportunities in tight matches. The team is motivated and ready to build on the momentum from our last game. We've learned from both the win and the loss, and we're determined to bring our best performance to the field. Playing at home is always special, and we want to deliver for our fans," he added.

India will clash with Germany on February 18 at 7:30 PM IST, followed by a second encounter on February 19 at 5:15 PM IST.

Fans can catch all the action from the FIH Pro League 2024-25 live on JioHotstar and Star Sports Select 2.