Indian Super League: Hyderabad FC take two-goal advantage into second leg against ATK Mohun Bagan

Manolo Marquez’s Hyderabad FC produced an impressive performance to beat Juan Ferrando’s ATK Mohun Bagan 3-1 in the Indian Super League semi-final first leg at Bambolim on Saturday. The Mariners opened the scoring through Roy Krishna but goals from Bartholomew Ogbeche, Javi Severio and Mohammad Yasir gave Hyderabad a two-goal lead going into the crucial second leg of the semi-finals at Bambolim on Wednesday.

Talking about his team’s performance on Saturday, Manolo said, “It was a tough game. They were probably the better side for the first 30 minutes. But after the drinks break, our team showed the quality that we have seen throughout the season.” has appeared.

“We did well in the second half scoring two goals but it was not easy to control ATKMB’s attacks. Every substitute improved his team but a two-goal advantage is really good in games like this,” he added.

Liston Colaco, who assisted the goal for Roy Krishna, was the danger man for Hyderabad on the night. But Hugo Boumous and Manvir Singh, who came off the bench along with Jhonny Koukou, David Williams and Tiri, produced their best performances of the night.

Hyderabad saw their leading goal scorer in Ogbeche score an equalizing effort, while Siverio and Yasir gave the team a vital advantage. The midfield of Joao Victor and Souvik Chakraborty was equally impressive while the backline looked settled, even with Nim Dorjee Tamang covering Ashish Rai’s absence.

Read More – ‘We need to try to find a solution,’ says ATKMB boss Juan Ferrando.

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I think we have to be brave: Manolo Marquez

The HFC head coach believes that the job is not done yet. “I think we should be brave. We have experienced players but some youngsters. It is true that they attacked a lot and were very dangerous in the first leg.”

“But we have to try to play our normal game, not just score goals. We want to win games because we know that if we go out on the field trying to defend, it will be very difficult for us,” Manolo said.

Incidentally, this is the fifth time this season that Manolo Marquez and HFC will face off against Juan Ferrando’s side, with both coaches registering one win each. The first leg win was Hyderabad’s first win over Mariners and they will look to continue this form and reach 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 tomorrow’s game. If we qualify, we will play in the one-day tournament.” Will party and start preparing for the final. If we don’t do that, it will be disappointing but I think this season is historic for Hyderabad.

“We are confident that we can qualify for the final and we know that at the moment all the pressure is on ATK Mohun Bagan,” he added.