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Aridane Santana converted a penalty to give Hyderabad FC their first win of the 2020/21 Indian Super League season over Odisha FC. While this win carries a lot of significance for the club, Hyderabad FC goalkeeper Subrata Pal claimed headlines after managing to keep the club's first-ever clean sheet.
Despite the presence of Odisha FC's defensive stalwart Steven Taylor, Stuart Baxter's men found it rather difficult to keep the likes of Aridane Santana, Halicharan Nazary, and Joao Victor quiet. The opening ten minutes witnessed Hyderabad FC win three corners with captain Santana coming close in the fourth minute of play.
The breakthrough eventually came when the ball struck Steven Taylor's arm inside the box and the referee awarded a penalty. Santana sent the ball down the middle as Arshdeep Singh guessed wrong. This would be the only goal of the match.
Odisha made a few futile attempts, all of which were thwarted by a resolute and reinforced HFC defensive unit.
Odisha FC v Hyderabad FC - What we learned
#1 Hyderabad FC look new and improved
After having won just two games and finished at the bottom of the table, Hyderabad FC has a point to prove this season. The 1-0 win over Odisha FC witnessed several players from the previous season such as Nikhil Poojari and Ashish Rai step up to the plate. Perhaps, the win is a sign of things to come.
#2 Defensive woes for Stuart Baxter and Odisha FC
Odisha FC was lucky not to concede a goal in the first ten minutes of the game. Although the defensive line was reinforced by the presence of stalwart Steven Taylor, the likes of Hendry Antonay and Shubham Sarangi were no match for the HFC attacking unit.
Three corners were awarded to Manolo Marquez's men within the first ten minutes, with Aridane Santana running the show for the most part. There was also a lot of space for the likes of Joao Victor to run into. The final stats saw HFC with 18 shots in total, 4 of which were on target. The game also ended with each of the back four on yellow cards.
#3 Aridane Santana looks rejuvenated
The match-up between Odisha and Hyderabad was an interesting one on paper since the forwards from the previous season were swapped. While Aridane Santana was a hero with nine goals for Odisha FC last season, Marcelinho managed 7 from his 17 appearances for Hyderabad FC. Both strikers had a point to prove to their previous clubs.
However, it was Santana who had the last laugh as he got on the scoresheet. Marcelinho on the other hand had a torrid outing before being substituted early in the second half for Samuel Lalmuanpuia.
#4 Pre-season and early signings pay off for Manolo Marquez
Hyderabad FC was among the first few clubs in the ISL to begin their pre-season preparations in early June. The appointment of Manolo Marquez at the helm was an important one as the Spaniard came with 32 years of coaching experience, and quickly identified the players he wanted to work with for the season.
The full impact of the Covid restrictions of travel was seemingly not felt by Hyderabad FC, who had most of their players make their way to the country well in time for the pre-season friendlies. It would seem presumptuous, but the club could be a contender for a playoffs spot this season.
