India edged past Pakistan in their fifth league stage match of the Asian Champions Trophy 2024 to keep their eight-year-long unbeaten run against the Green Shirts intact. Captain Harmanpreet Singh scored twice to take India home 2-1 against the Ammad Butt-led side. With this win, India end the league stage of the tournament with wins in all of their five games.
India have not lost to Pakistan since the 2016 South Asian Games final with this being their 15th win over the Green Shirts in 17 outings since then. The rest two have been drawn games.
The Men in Blue were not at their best despite this win. The attacks were not that fierce and they were not pressing the best they do. However, the Indians managed to keep the lead which Harmanpreet gave them in the second quarter.
Ahmad Nadeem put Pakistan ahead with a goal in the 8th minute. A brilliant run by Hannan Shahid into the Indian D and then a perfect ball to Nadeem in front of the goal took the Green Shirts 1-0 up. India responded soon after getting a penalty corner as captain Harmanpreet Singh scored to bring India back to level in the 13th minute.
India made another circle entry and got a penalty corner with captain and champion drag-flicker Harmanpreet standing tall again. His strike fired in between the goalkeeper Muneeb Ur Rehman and defender Abu Mahmood as India took a 2-1 lead in the 19th minute.
The Men in Blue won all five games of the league stage. The Green Shirts won two of their five while playing two draws. Both teams have already confirmed their places in the semifinals but their opponents will be decided after the last league match between Japan and hosts China. While Japan are out of reckoning as they have only one point from four matches, China are still in the hunt to qualify. The hosts have three points from four games and a win will take them to six, propelling them to fourth or even third from fifth.
