Haryana Steelers vs U.P. Yoddha, Pro Kabaddi (PKL), Today Match Prediction

hs vs upy Match Prediction & Analysis

Haryana Steelers battle out against UP Yoddhas in the semi final 1 of Pro Kabaddi Season 11 on Friday, 27th December 2024 at 8:00 PM IST. The match is slated to be played at Badminton Hall in Balewadi Sports Complex, Pune. 

Haryana Steelers finished their league stages with a 47-30, 17 point win over U Mumba, on the other hand UP Yoddhas are coming off a dominating 46-18 win over the Jaipur Pink Panthers in the eliminator to advance to the semi-finals. The Steelers finished the league stage at the top of the points table with 84 points in 22 matches (16 wins & 6 losses), while the Yoddhas finished at 3rd place with 79 points in 22 matches (13 wins, 6 losses & 3 ties). 

Head to Head Record - Haryana Steelers and UP Yoddhas clashed off 12 times in PKL, and the rivalry between these teams has been neck to neck where Haryana Steelers have five wins, UP Yoddhas won five and two matches ended in a tie. Most of the games between these two teams tend to be high scoring, but this season when these teams met match 26 and match 117 both were low scoring where the total points was 58 and 55. The average total match points per game in the last two seasons between the Yoddhas and Steelers is 70.25

Haryana Steelers vs U.P. Yoddha Over/Under Predictions

TEAMS PREVIEW

Haryana Steelers Preview

The table toppers and finalists of last season have the best chances to once again finish what they started and look to clinch their maiden PKL title. For that to happen, the Steelers need to get past the inform UP Yoddhas in the semi-finals.

The Steelers have been inconsistent in their last five games, where they lost two and won three. When the defense of the Steelers, who are averaging 12.05 tackle points per game, the second-best this season, and an average of 11.18 successful tackles per game with a tackle efficiency of 45.47%, is on top of their game, they are a force to be reckoned with. Both their right and left corners, Rahul Sethpal (65 tackle points) and Mohammadreza Shadloui (76 tackle points), are amongst the list of top 10 defenders with the most tackle points this season. While one of their cover defenders has also scored over 50 tackle points.

On the offensive end, their raiders have been inconsistent at times, averaging 20.64 raid points per game, the third-best this season, but their raid efficiency is 37.34%. Vinay, with 154 raid points in 22 matches, where he has scored 6.9 raid points per game and has 6 super 10's this season, has been a consistent performer. Shivam Patare, who was the secondary raider for most part of the season, has hit the straps at the right time and has 151 raid points, averaging 6.68 raid points per game.

The strategy for the Steelers in the game against the Yoddhas, who like a fast-paced aggressive approach, will be to limit the scoring of the Yoddhas raiders because that is when their defense more often than not comes good. The momentum of their raiders has a lot to do with how the Yoddhas defense approaches the game. If Shadloui can pin down Bhavani Rajput and Gagan Gowda, then they will have the best chances of clinching a win.

Haryana Steelers Probable Starting 7 - Vinay, Shivam Patare, Rahul Sethpal, Mohammadreza Shadloui, Sanjay, Jaideep Dahiya, Vishal Tate

Haryana Steelers Over/Under Predictions

U.P. Yoddha Preview

UP Yoddhas extend their unbeaten run to 9 matches as they decimate the Jaipur Pink Panthers in the eliminator round, where they outscored the Pink Panthers by 28 points, with the final scoreline being 46-18. Bhavani Rajput, who is having the best season of his entire PKL career, once again stepped up in a crunch game, scoring 11 raid points, all of them being touch points, and one tackle point. Gagan Gowda scored 5 raid points. 

As their raiders got going, their defense upped the ante with Hitesh Kumar being the top defender with 6 tackle points, which is also his 6th High 5 of the season. The Yoddhas captain, Sumit Sangwan, scored 5 tackle points, his 4th High 5 of the season. Both the left and right corners have proven to be true match-winners.

The Yoddhas' raiding has been top-notch, where they have averaged 20.35 raid points per game, led by Bhavani Rajput with 146 raid points and supported by Gagan Gowda with 135 raid points. Bharat Hooda has more often been a utility raider and has 99 raid points to his tally. This trio, by far in recent times, has been the best in terms of raid efficiency at 37.69%, the second-best in the season.

On the defensive end, the result is no different, as they have scored 11.22 tackle points per game, the 5th best, with 10.13 successful tackles per match and a tackle success efficiency rate of 41.68%. Sumit Sangwan with 70 and Hitesh Kumar with 69 tackle points have led their defense, and both of them are amongst the top 10 defenders this season. Their cover defender, Ashu Singh, has 37 tackle points and has been phenomenal in recent games alongside Mahender Singh in the cover position.

The Yoddhas will look to keep their momentum going and outclass the Steelers' defense. When the Steelers' defense struggles, their entire team struggles to function as a unit, and in all the games that they have lost, it was due to their defensive faults. While their raiders will look to keep the flow going and expect Gagan Gowda to score more raid points in this game.

UP Yoddhas Probable Starting 7 - Gagan Gowda, Bhavani Rajput, Bharat Hooda, Ashu Singh, Mahender Singh, Sumit Sangwan, Hitesh Kumar

U.P. Yoddha Spread Predictions

U.P. Yoddha Over/Under Predictions