Goa: After a hard-fought draw in their last matches Bengaluru FC and Hyderabad FC would face each other on Thursday at the Tilak Maidan in Vasco. With three draws in their last three games, Hyderabad, who are at fourth would be aiming to rise above in the table.
Both sides played out a goalless draw when they met at the Fatorda Stadium earlier in the season. And with just four points separating the two sides going into this clash, the three points on offer on the night could prove to be crucial, come the end of the campaign.
“I think tomorrow is another difficult game for my side. Bengaluru are a very strong team and I can only speak good about them. They have been unlucky with a few results recently but are one of the many teams in the hunt for top-4. So, we need to be at our best, going into this game,” said HFC’s head coach Manolo Marquez, ahead of this crunch clash.
The Blues parted ways with Carles Cuadrat a week into the new year but are yet to register a victory in the league since. Naushad Moosa, who is currently in charge of the club, has seen his side pick just two points from their last four games, but has a quality squad to choose from ahead of this tie.
Attacker Cleiton Silva has been in fine goalscoring form in recent games, while the likes of Sunil Chhetri, Erik Partaalu, and Juanan have all been decent in patches. Dimas Delgado, who left the country for personal reasons and Deshorn Brown, who joined the Highlanders, will also be missed by the Blues.
Most of these players have the quality to win the game on their own and Manolo believes that they have been playing well in the last few games. “I sincerely believe that (Naushad) Moosa is doing a great job at BFC. They are starting to find their previous style of play and have been unlucky with injuries,” he said.
“They are a really good football team and we need to try and avoid situations where, we don’t have our defenders ready, when Bengaluru are in dangerous positions,” the head coach added.
Joel Chianese and Halicharan Narzary are in fine form in front of goal while the likes of Aridane Santana, Mohammad Yasir and Liston Colaco are all capable of making an impact in the final third.
The backline of Asish Rai, Odei Onaindia, Chinglensana Singha and Akash Mishra, supported by Laxmikant Kattimani have now kept two clean sheets in the last three games and will hope to put in a similar performance in this game as well.
But Manolo revealed that Nikhil Poojary and Lluis Sastre are both unavailable for Thursday. The duo, along with midfielder Souvik Chakrabarti are expected to miss this game. “We will try to score goals, however we can and will do our best to win this game,” said Manolo, speaking about his side’s approach to this tie.
“I don’t have particular plans for this game and will prepare exactly how we did for previous games. But we will do all we can and fight till the end for all three points,” he added.
Bengaluru on the other hand has been the shadow of the Bengaluru side we have seen since their first season. They have been finding it very difficult to cope up with other clubs hence they are sitting in the seventh position with seven points.
“Hyderabad are playing well right now, have a strong press when they lose the ball and also move possession between the lines to good effect. We have been working on not just stopping them but also to make use of the space that they leave behind. They are a good team and the way the table stands right now, it is important for us to go all out and get the three points. We can’t sit back and wait, we have to play with an attacking mindset.”
Bengaluru’s last win was against Odisha FC in mid-December and the Blues have failed to win a game under Moosa so far, something the coach and the players are eager to change. “As a coach, I would definitely love to have three points from every game. At the same time, I also need to understand the dynamics of the players because they are the ones performing on the pitch. They are more desperate than me to get a win. They are fighting hard and giving their best till the final whistle in every game.”
Moosa’s time in charge has seen several youngsters introduced to the playing squad, something Moosa believes bodes well for the future. “We are trying to find a balance between experience and youth, that’s all. We haven’t given up on the playoffs. We are trying to give the youngsters more time, preparing for next year. But we also need to make sure we have a balanced side on the pitch and do well this season. They need to get an understanding of the level of the League.”
Goals have been a premium for the Blues this season, despite the side not lacking in chances and Moosa acknowledged the issue. “Finishing has been a concern throughout the season and we have been focusing on that in training. We are doing a lot more finishing drills every day. We are staying positive and hopefully, by the next game we should be able to find the back of the net.”
While Xisco Hernandez remains in mandatory quarantine till February 2, Harmanjot Khabra is back in training having missed the last two games with a hamstring injury. “Khabra had light sessions the last two days, nothing too intense. We will take a call on him after the final training. He is fit but we will take a cautious approach with him, we do not want to rush him back and then lose him in the long term. He’s an important player for us.”
