Hyderabad FC eye top-4 finish with win over Kerala

Hyderabad: Hyderabad Football Club, who are on a roll recording four victories in their last five matches, are hoping to seal the top 4 place with a win when they take on a desperate Kerala Blasters, in the crunch ISL match on Wednesday. Hyderabad are at the top of the table with 32 points from […]

Hyderabad: Hyderabad Football Club, who are on a roll recording four victories in their last five matches, are hoping to seal the top 4 place with a win when they take on a desperate Kerala Blasters, in the crunch ISL match on Wednesday.

Hyderabad are at the top of the table with 32 points from 17 games. A win here will ensure them a place in the top 4 while a loss can prove costly given that Jamshedpur FC and ATK Mohun Bugan are breathing down their neck.

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HFC coach Manolo Marquez is aware of the importance of the game and he is confident of another good performance from the team. “We know we will mathematically seal a top 4 place if we win this game. But we also know that this match is going to be very tough for both teams. Kerala have some very good players and they are having the best season. They are very consistent on the pitch, especially the mid fielders. It will be a tough game like in the first leg. We hope we can win this match,” said the 53-year-old Spaniard.

Hyderabad”s Bartholomew Ogbeche, the current top scorer in the league with 16 goals, has recorded his 50th goal in the last match against FC Goa and the Nigerian is eager to add more goals and break the record for the most goals in a season. The goals also coming from the likes of Javi Siverio, Nikhil Poojary and Joel Chianese is a big boost to the team”s cause.

Marquez is happy that his team reacted well and bounced back to record victories whenever they suffered losses. “When we lost games earlier in the season, the team reacted really well so it is not all over if we don’t win tomorrow. However, we are only thinking about giving our best in this game. We know it will be a tough game. But it will be a tough game for Kerala as well,” he added.

Despite topping the tables, Marquez said there are always areas to improve. “We are always looking for improvement. The perfect team doesn’t exist. I am happy with the scores against Goa but a lot of teams would not defend well. We are very happy that the season has been fantastic. But the table is not real. The competition is very tough.”

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