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Hyderabad FC took on Bengaluru FC on Match number 22 of the Indian Super League (ISL) at the Athletic Stadium in Bambolim. The Nizams from Hyderabad emerged as eventual winners of this fixture.
Both sides saw the encounter as a means to straighten themselves and get back into the race. Hyderabad FC started their campaign with a loss against Chennaiyin FC followed by a win against defending champions Mumbai City FC. Their game against Jamshedpur FC ended in a 1-1 draw.
Meanwhile, Marco Pezzaiuoli's Bengaluru FC won their season-opener against the Highlanders and managed a draw against Kerala Blasters FC. All of their other outings have ended in defeat.
The tie kicked off with Hyderabad FC dictating the game and scoring their first and only goal of the game in the 7th minute. Full-back Akash Mishra found Bartholomew Ogbeche in acres of space and the forward made no mistake in capitalizing on the opportunity.
Let's take a look at the four things we learned from this cagey encounter:
#4 Hyderabad FC's utilization of wing-play
Hyderabad FC have amongst themselves players who have the ability to use the flanks to their advantage in stretching opposition defenses. The two wingers, Rohit Danu and Nikhil Poojary, used the flanks appropriately to attack the final third and create chances for forwards Bartholomew Ogbeche and Javier Siverio.
Akash Mishra and Ashish Rai were lethal in their offensive duties and got back in time to serve in their defensive roles. Ashish Rai's marking of Sunil Chhetri was a treat for the eyes.
#3 Hyderabad FC's inability to use the central spaces
Hyderabad FC, in a bid to utilize their flanks efficiently, have exposed a drawback to their system. Very little of their build-up play progressed throughout the central region. This was witnessed in their game against Chennaiyin FC as well.
A team deploying a mid/low block can effectively nullify Hyderabad FC attacks. Joao Victor and Souvik Chakrabarti were mostly silent in their game against Bengaluru FC and were only progressing the ball to the wings to create an attack.
Check out the updated ISL point table here.
#2 Bengaluru FC's build-up game
Marco Pezzaiuoli has set his side up in a manner where they only tend to use possession-based maneuvers in the attacking phase. However, the players do not seem to respond well to this idea.
Bengaluru FC were far from decent in their build-up game and found it difficult to progress the ball beyond the half-line. Failure to play penetrative passes forced them to play long, but with the absence of Prince Ibarra, these long passes usually ended up back with the opposition.
#1 Bengaluru FC yet to a find a solution for Sunil Chhetri
Sunil Chettri holds the record for the highest scoring Indian player in the ISL with 47 goals. He is ranked second behind Ferran Corominas, who has 48 goals to his name.
But the way Bengaluru FC have deployed Sunil Chhetri so far in the ongoing season makes it difficult for the 37-year old to find scoring opportunities. Their game against Hyderabad FC saw the forward being pinned onto by Ashish Rai. This restricted Sunil's movement and he was mostly cut-off from the rest of his teammates during the match.
