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Hyderabad FC played out an enthralling 2-2 draw against ATK Mohun Bagan to reach the top spot in the Indian Super League (ISL) on Wednesday. The Nizams stole a point right at the death when Javier Siverio headed home the equalizer in the 91st minute.
The game was billed as a heavyweight clash, with both ISL teams having the opportunity to go on top. And it definitely lived up to the expectation.
ATK Mohun Bagan went ahead after just 12 seconds in the first half through David Williams as he combined well with Hugo Boumous from kick-off. The Australian forward launched a vicious shot towards goalkeeper Laxmikant Kattimani, who failed to keep the ball out of the net.
Hyderabad FC were left stunned but slowly regained control of the game. In the 18th minute, the Nizams drew parity when ATKMB shot-stopper Amrinder Singh failed to catch a regulation ball. It fell kindly for Bartholomew Ogbeche, who tapped home an easy goal.
Both teams went into second-half level pegging but ATK Mohun Bagan came out with a clear intent to bag the lead. In the 64th minute, the Mariners finally had the lead. Young HFC full-back Asish Rai deflected a Joni Kauko header into his own net.
With the lead, ATK Mohun Bagan looked in prime position to come away with three points but Hyderabad FC had other plans. In the 91st minute, Akash Mishra delivered a pinging ball in the ATK Mohun Bagan box. Siverio did well to hold off the defender and head it in the equalizer for Hyderabad FC.
On that note, let's take a look at the four major talking points of the match:
View today's ISL match result here.
David Williams shines in his first start of the season for ATK Mohun Bagan
Albeit Javier Siverio's 91st minute equalizer will grab the headlines, but David Williams had a field day in his first start of the season. The Australian forward had featured only from the bench so far this season.
But tonight David Williams got on the scoresheet for ATK Mohun Bagan in just 12 seconds. He played a crucial role in the Mariners' second goal too. The 33-year-old made a darting run into the Hyderabad FC box. He skipped past challenges from two defenders and played a looping cut-back for Joni Kauko.
Before being subbed out in the 72nd minute, Williams had one final role to play. He threaded a brilliant through ball for Liston Colaco in the Hyderabad FC box. But Colaco failed to curl the ball around the keeper and hit it wide of goal.
After tonight's performance, it will be hard to justify David Williams' exclusion from the starting lineup.
Joao Victor turning into a metronome in the Hyderabad FC midfield
Joao Victor has steadily become the pivotal player in the Hyderabad FC midfield who has been gluing the entire team together. The centre-midfielder had an 88% pass completion tonight. Whenever Joao Victor enjoyed possession of the ball, Hyderabad FC looked in control of the game.
The former Mallorca midfielder is also one of the few players in the ISL who seem to have a lot of time whenever they are on the ball. He created one chance going forward. In defense, he stepped up with four clearances, three interceptions and a tackle.
ATK Mohun Bagan's defense regaining lost stability
Although ATK Mohun Bagan conceded two goals, their defense looked largely in control of matters. At the fag end of former manager Antonio Lopez Habas' tenure, ATKMB looked vulnerable in defensive transitions.
But under Juan Ferrando, the team looks much more solid as a defensive unit. Against Hyderabad FC, Tiri and Pritam Kotal complemented each other well in the centre-back spot. If rumours are to be believed, Sandesh Jhingan will also join the ATKMB camp in a few days. His addition will only tighten the defense.
Poor goalkeeping becoming a trend in the Indian Super League
The 2021-22 ISL season has witnessed one of the highest number of goals. However, much of the attacking firepower has been massively aided by poor goalkeeping levels. The phenomenon is being displayed in most teams.
Tonight, Hyderabad FC's first goal came from an awful error from Amrinder Singh. The Indian shot-stopper failed to claim a regulation lofted cross. Meanwhile, Laxmikant Kattimani also shared the blame for David Williams' goal when he failed to keep it out of his net.
All the teams have now played nine games and yet no team has kept over three clean sheets. This proves a general trend of poor goalkeeping across the board.
