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After a nail-biting finish at Fatorda on Wednesday that saw Hyderabad FC register a point late in the game, Manolo Marquez’s men are back in action when they visit Tilak Maidan in Vasco for the first time this season to take on an in-form Kerala Blasters side on Sunday.
Currently separated by just two points and three league positions, both teams are each on an eight-match unbeaten streak going into this game. Furthermore, both Hyderabad FC and Kerala Blasters also have a shot at leading the league table at the halfway mark in the Indian Super League with a win in this game.
With two wins and three draws in their last five league games, Hyderabad FC and Kerala Blasters both come into the game carrying similar form. Hyderabad FC Head Coach Manolo Marquez believes that the two teams have a lot in common and this could make for an entertaining clash, even for the neutral.
“I like the coach and the players at Kerala Blasters. I like the style of their game. They play good football and have found a balance in their side that makes them dangerous,” said Manolo, speaking about the opponents.
“They keep calm even when things don’t go their way and I think it will be a very difficult game for both teams,” he added.
Ivan Vukomanovic has an in-form attack with the likes of Sahal Abdul Samad, Alvaro Vasquez and Adrian Luna proving to be a constant threat in front of goal. Jeakson Singh, Marko Leskovic and Ruivah Hormipam have also stuck to their task well and will surely prove to be a tough test for Hyderabad FC in this game.
But Hyderabad FC have Bart Ogbeche leading the Golden Boot race in the ISL this season, scoring in almost every game. Nikhil Poojary, Aniket Jadhav, Edu Garcia, Javi Siverio and Joel Chianese have all been effective in attack while the back five supported by Joao Victor and Hitesh Sharma still stands as the best in the league so far this season.
With both teams working on a similar style of play, this clash could be a treat to watch, believes Manolo Marquez.
“I think both teams will want to play with their style. The normal thing is that neither of us change the style. I think that both teams will have chances to win the game and the team who plays better will win,” the Spaniard added.
With this being the last game of the first leg of fixtures in the ISL, a positive result and a place at the top of the table adds extra incentive to go for a win, for both sides. But with the teams evenly matched, it is a clash that won’t be easy to call.
The game kicks off at 7:30pm IST on Sunday and will be telecasted live on the Star Sports Network with live streaming on Disney+ Hotstar and JioTV.
