Hyderabad has only lost two games at home, accumulating 17 points in the process. Marquez anticipates a raucous crowd to fuel his team’s performance against an in-form opponent.
The last time Hyderabad FC hosted ATK Mohun Bagan, Bartholomew Ogbeche’s late winner sealed the deal.
Manolo Marquez, is the head coach of Hyderabad FC. Expects a tough challenge when his team hosts ATK Mohun Bagan. In the first leg of the Indian Super League (ISL) semifinal on Thursday at the GMC Balayogi Stadium.
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“Every team that has reached the semifinal will try to reach the final, and we play the semifinal like we did last season.”Let’s see if we can qualify for the ISL final like last season,” Marquez said ahead of the first leg.
The reigning ISL champion, Hyderabad, advanced to the semi-finals. After finishing second in the Hero ISL points table with 42 points from 20 games, its highest point total in league history.
Hyderabad will be looking to repeat its semifinal performance from last year, when Marquez’s team defeated ATKMB.
“Last season, we had a very good campaign and were in contention for the Shield. We had some bad luck, but we went on to win the ISL championship. We were clinical back then, and we’ll try to replicate that this season if we want to make the final. In the knockout rounds, anything can happen. ATK Mohun Bagan have a better momentum than when they played us in Hyderabad, but we are also a very good team and a difficult team to beat,” the Spaniard said.
Hyderabad FC and ATK Mohun Bagan
Hyderabad FC and ATK Mohun Bagan are two of the league’s best defensive teams. They conceding only 16 and 17 goals this season, respectively.
Their defensive process was highlighted in their league matches this season,. When both games were decided by a 1-0 margin, with both teams winning one game.
“Theoretically it seems like that (low scoring match), even if you see the knockout games in the last few days, it was a tight game and we and ATKMB are the teams who conceded very few goals in the league stage. But football is (unpredictable), so it could be a four or five-goal game. However, there should not be too many goals in the game, according to Marquez.
Hyderabad has only lost two games at home, accumulating 17 points in the process. Marquez anticipates a packed stadium on Thursday. He has expressed gratitude to the fans who have supported him throughout the season.
“I want the stadium to be packed. I know it’s difficult because people who know the game say that after Covid, there are fewer people in the stadiums. But in this type of (semifinal) game, it has to be nearly full, and I always say that we are grateful to the fans who come to the stadium. If we want football to grow in this city, Hyderabad FC must continue on this path, striving to reach the top level and compete for titles,” he concluded.
