After an unlucky start to their Indian Super League campaign, Hyderabad FC were back to winning ways at Fatorda.
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After an unlucky start to their Indian Super League campaign, Hyderabad FC were back to winning ways at Fatorda on Saturday. In what was the first 9:30pm kickoff in the league’s history, Hyderabad FC put on an impressive display to take all three points and move up to 5th in the league table, two games into the season.
Manolo Marquez’s men did not have the best start to the game, as Ahmed Jahouh found the back of the net at the end of a smart dribble, in just the 6th minute of the game. However, it was all Hyderabad since then, as they dominated possession, created chances and were the better side on the night.
Joao Victor levelled the score in the 13th minute, coolly slotting in from the spot, after Joel Chianese was brought down with a clumsy challenge at the edge of the box. Inspite of a couple more chances falling to the hosts, it was all square at the break between the two sides.
Hyderabad managed to keep the likes of Igor Angulo quiet at the other end but it was their constant creativity in attack that posed several problems for Mumbai City.
And it was Bart Ogbeche who gave the lead to HFC in the 53rd minute making no mistake from a superb Aniket Jadhav cross from the right. This came at the end of a superb passing move, giving Manolo’s men a lead against Mumbai for the first time in their history.
Hyderabad FC not only managed to keep the lead but also doubled it after Rohit Danu popped up with his first ISL goal. The youngster was lively after coming on in the second half and took his chance after he got to a loose ball in the box and thumped it home from close range to turn into Hyderabad FC’s youngest goal scorer!
The Islanders did have a couple of dangerous attacks at the end but Laxmikant Kattimani, Chinglensana Singh and Juanan were all solid at the back and managed to see out the two-goal lead.
The likes of Hitesh Sharma, Mohammad Yasir, Asish Rai, Akash Mishra and Edu Garcia (who came off the bench) were all instrumental in keeping the defending champions from playing their natural game.
This win gave Hyderabad their first points of the season and they now climb upto 5th place in the league table. It was also Hyderabad FC’s first win with Joao Victor as the captain of the side, who was also chosen as the ‘Hero of the Match’.
Hyderabad are back in action on Thursday, when they take on Jamshedpur FC in an away game at Bambolim on 2nd December!
Hyderabad FC kicked off their 2021-22 Indian Super League campaign with a 0-1 defeat to Chennaiyin FC here in Bambolim on Tuesday. Manolo Marquez gave starts to overseas trio Edu Garcia, Bart Ogbeche and Juanan, as Hyderabad put in a decent performance but failed to find a goal.
It started with an early change for Hyderabad, who had to get Halicharan Narzary off the field just 10 minutes into the game with a knock. Nikhil Poojary replaced him on the wing and Manolo’s men looked settled for most of the first half.
Chennaiyin were happy to sit back and frustrate the opponents. But it was a story of missed chances for Hyderabad as the likes of Mohammad Yasir, Edu Garcia, Asish Rai and Bart Ogbeche were constantly involved in chances that could have been converted on another day.
But both teams failed to test the goalkeepers as they went into half-time as they started. Chennaiyin started off the second half brightly, but it was a clumsy tackle from Hitesh Sharma that gave them a chance to get into the game.
Even as Hyderabad posed plenty of threat to Vishal Kaith’s goal at the other end Hitesh’s challange on Anirudh Thapa in his own box gave the visitors a penalty which was calmly converted by Vlagyimir Koman in the 66th minute giving Chennaiyin a precious lead.
Hyderabad pushed hard for the equalizer, as Manolo made four changes in the second half but his side failed to find the back of the net inspite of registering 11 shots, three of them on target.
Laxmikant Kattimani pulled off a brilliant save to deny Chennaiyin a goal with their only other shot on target as they managed to hold on tight at the back till the final whistle.
