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Manolo Marquez’s Hyderabad FC put in a clinical performance in the first leg of the Indian Super League semifinal as they beat Juan Ferrando’s ATK Mohun Bagan 3-1 at Bambolim on Saturday.
The Mariners opened the scoring with Roy Krishna but goals from Bartholomew Ogbeche, Javi Siverio and Mohammad Yasir gave Hyderabad a two-goal lead going into the crucial second-leg of the semi-final on Wednesday at Bambolim.
Speaking about his team’s performance on Saturday, Manolo said, “It was a tough game. They probably were the better side for the first 30 minutes. But after the drinks break our team showed the quality that we have shown throughout the season.”
“We did well in the second half scoring two goals but it was not easy to control ATKMB’s attacks. Every substitute improved their team but the two-goal advantage is really good in games like these,” he added.
Liston Colaco, who assisted the goal for Roy Krishna, was the danger man for ATK Mohun Bagan on the night. But the likes of Hugo Boumous and Manvir Singh, both of who came off the bench, along with Joni Kauko, David Williams and Tiri were all at their best on the night.
However, Hyderabad FC saw their leading goals scorer in Ogbeche find the equalizer while Siverio and Yasir gave the team a crucial advantage. The midfield of Joao Victor and Souvik Chakrabarti were equally impressive while the backline looked settled, even with Nim Dorjee Tamang covering for the absence of Asish Rai.
The Hyderabad FC Head Coach believes that the job is not done yet. “I think we have to be brave. We have players with experience but some who are really young. It is true they had a lot of attacks and were very dangerous in the first leg,” he said.
“But we have to try and play our normal game, not only to score goals. We want to win the game because we know that if we go into the field trying to defend, it will be very difficult for us,” Manolo added.
Incidentally, this is the fifth time this season that Manolo Marquez and Hyderabad FC will face a Juan Ferrando side, with both coaches registering a win each. The first leg win was Hyderabad FC’s first-ever victory over the Mariners and they will look to continue this form and go all the way to the final for the first time in their history.
Speaking about his side’s approach to the game, Manolo said, “We are not thinking about the final. We are 100% focused on the game tomorrow. If we qualify, we will party for a day and start preparing for the final. If we cannot, it will be disappointing but I think the season is a historical one for Hyderabad FC.”
“We believe we can qualify for the final and we know that all the pressure is on ATK Mohun Bagan at the moment,” he added.
The game kicks off at 7:30pm on Wednesday and will be telecasted live on the Star Sports Network with live streaming on Disney+ Hotstar and JioTV.
