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Manolo Marquez’s men ready for first test of 2022
Goa: After seeing off 2021 with a resounding 6-1 victory over Odisha FC, Hyderabad FC are back in action in the Indian Super League for the first time in the new year when they take on ATK Mohun Bagan in an away game at Fatorda on Wednesday.
Currently 2nd in the league table, HFC have 15 points from eight games while ATKMB have 14 points from their eight games and stand in the 4th position, making this game a crucial one for either side as three points takes the winner to the summit.
After a strong start to the campaign, ATKMB had a tough run of results. A change in leadership followed when they roped in Juan Ferrando from Goa after their clash against Hyderabad. The Spaniard is into this third game as the coach of the Kolkata-based side and HFC Head Coach Manolo Marquez believes that he will take time to implement his system at ATKMB.
“Juan Ferrando is a very good coach, but he has just arrived at the club. He has had more time to work with the team now and he will try to change something but at the moment, they are similar to their time under the previous coach,” said Manolo.
“Ferrando will try to change the style but this takes time. ATKMB are a big team and for sure, they will fight for the title,” he added.
The Mariners have the likes of Liston Colaco, Hugo Boumous, Roy Krishna and Manvir Singh in fine form in front of goal. Pritam Kotal, Tiri and Carl McHugh add balance to the side and will be tough team to face on Wednesday.
“When you play against strong teams, every detail is important. Liston, Roy Krishna, Manvir, Williams are all dangerous players in open play and set-pieces,” said Manolo.
“But we have to control the game and try to stick to our style of play. We cannot go to the game and try to defend these players and wait for that one chance. We have to stick to our style and play at our best,” he added.
The HFC Head Coach also revealed that Halicharan Narzary remains the only player sidelined for this game with injury. ATK Mohun Bagan have no new injury issues to worry about either, ahead of this clash.
Speaking about the game, Manolo Marquez further added, “ATKMB are a strong side but we cannot change our style for this game. Both teams will have chances to win and we will give our best.”
The hosts are fresh from back-to-back wins over FC Goa and NorthEast United, and will be high on confidence going into this game. Meanwhile, Hyderabad FC are also in good form, and are unbeaten in their last seven league games, while they also have the best defense in the league at this stage.
Bartholomew Ogbeche will look to add to his goals to take back the lead in the ISL Golden Boot race while former HFC player Liston Colaco will want to keep up his form and continue to lead the charts for Indian goal scorers this season.
The game kicks off at 7:30 pm IST on Wednesday and will be telecasted live on the Star Sports Network with live streaming on Disney+ Hotstar and JioTV.
