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ATK Mohun Bagan rallied to a 2-1 victory against table-toppers Hyderabad FC in the Indian Super League (ISL) at the Athletic Stadium on Tuesday. Head coach Manolo Marquez slammed his players for a below-par performance in the first half. However, he opined the Nizams deserved to win based on their overall gameplay.
Speaking to the press after the game, the HFC gaffer said:
"In the first half, ATKMB played better than us. The second half was totally opposite, especially after the two goals we reacted very well. ATKMB deserved the first half. But we attacked a lot in the second half, and we played well throughout the game. So, we deserved to win the match."
Marquez opted for wholesale substitutions after the first half. Asked if the gaffer wasn't happy with his initial team selection, Marquez said:
"No, I was not happy. Because we didn't play well in the first half. In some moments, we were totally alone with the ball and we lose the goal. We lost today, but still five games to go and we have to think about the next game that is against Bengaluru FC next Friday."
In the first half itself ATK Mohun Bagan were forced to take Hugo Boumous and Carl McHugh out due to injuries. Marquez was asked if his ISL team failed to take advantage of ATK Mohun Bagan's struggles.
"Yes, because you don’t prepare for one game and think that you will lose two players in the in the first half. But the players who entered in the pitch were very good players. We should have taken the advantage of the situation but we didn't play well especially in the first half," he said.
Click here to view the ISL clean sheets.
"This is the result of quarantine" - Juan Ferrando on injuries suffered by ATK Mohun Bagan against Mumbai City FC
Meanwhile, ATK Mohun Bagan head coach Juan Ferrando also wasn't too happy with his side's performance even though they emerged victorious. The injuries to Hugo Boumous and Carl McHugh had him worried.
The former FC Goa boss said after the game:
"David Williams and Amrinder Singh also got injured so we had 4-5 players injured in the match. It's difficult because you need to change the plan in 35 minutes but this is the result of quarantine. Hard quarantine, soft quarantine and days without training. This is the result. Today we saw it with ATK Mohun Bagan, but in the rest of the clubs it's the same."
Ferrando has always been appreciative of the football Hyderabad FC and Manolo Marquez play. Asked how difficult tonight's game was tactically, the Spaniard said:
"Of course, I'm not happy because normally in build-up we can use No 6 and No 8. But after the injuries I had to change the plan and we used Subhashish and Prabir. But of course, we need to improve in these details. So, I am not happy about the transitions in defence. We have a lot of problems in this case."
Since Ferrando took over, the club has been unbeaten in the Indian Super League. They are currently in fourth spot with 23 points from 13 games. Asked if he is confident of the team winning the league, Ferrando said:
"Now we prepare for the NorthEast United FC match. This is our focus and it's important. I hope all the staff, all the players and our supporters are together as everyone knows about the bio-bubble and how tough it is. We want their support to do best for next Saturday."
