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Hyderabad FC went down 0-3 to Odisha FC in the 75th match of the Indian Super League at the Maidaan in Gachibowli on Monday, February 5.
The Nawabs, devoid of most of their senior players except captain Joao Victor, played flawlessly for the first 25 minutes but couldn't keep up that level of performance as the Juggernauts converted all the chances that came their way.
Diego Mauricio was served the ball on a platter after Victor erred in passing it back to goalkeeper Gurmeet Singh. Mauricio chipped it past the latter to give Odisha the lead in the 27th minute.
Roy Krishna, Isak Ralte, and Mauricio ran circles around Hyderabad full-back Sajad Parray, sending him to one side and then attempting a shot from the other. The link-up play helped as Odisha went two goals ahead in stoppage time in the first half thanks to Krishna's effort.
The result was sealed in the 75th minute when Mauricio beat Parray and Victor consecutively and then fired the ball past Gurmeet.
Hyderabad frustrated Odisha with their passing game but ended up on the losing side
Hyderabad played a fluid brand of football and passed the ball around with supreme confidence. However, they were unable to convert the possession into meaningful chances, registering only three shots on target in the encounter.
Makan Chothe and Lalchhanhima Sailo were the standout performers for the Nawabs, with the latter bossing the midfield and taking everyone in the Odisha camp by surprise with his awareness and distribution.
Abdul Rabeeh and Ramhlunchhunga, as always, excelled on the wings, but they had no one to pass the ball to who could put it in the back of the net.
Regular striker Aaren D'Silva, out with a knock he sustained in the previous game against FC Goa, was replaced by young Joseph Sunny in the starting lineup. Although the latter tried his best, he could not quite latch onto the balls or hold-up play effectively.
The Yellow and Black's head coach Thangboi Singto, however, will be extremely pleased with the way his team bravely stood up to the challenge put up by Odisha.
Hyderabad continue to languish at the bottom of the table with just four points to their name. They travel to Kolkata to take on Mohun Bagan Super Giant at the Salt Lake Stadium on Saturday, February 10.
Odisha, having now moved to the top of the standings with 30 points to their name, will host title contenders Goa on Friday.
