Hyderabad FC registered its first win of the ISL season thanks to goals from Marcelinho and Marko Stankovic, who helped his team recover from K.P. Rahul's 34th-minute goal that had put Kerala Blasters ahead. The result lifted Hyderabad, which had lost its first two matches, off the bottom of the table.
Sportstar looks at the major talking points from an action-packed match at the Gachibowli Stadium.
Marcelinho, Stankovic bring calm and class to Hyderabad
Stankovic and Marcelinho pounced on the defensive mistakes from Kerala Blasters to drag Hyderabad FC over the line and secure the first win of the season. The duo's involvement had been minimal until Stankovic stepped up to take the penalty won by Mohammed Yasir. Pressure was evident on the Austrian's face as the referee instructed Kerala Blasters goalkeeper T.P. Rehenesh to stay on the line, but he kept his cool, sent the goalkeeper the wrong way and slotted the ball home.
The second decisive moment in the match came on the 80-minute mark. Stankovic and Marcelinho stood over the deadball, and on this occasion, it was the left-footed Marcelinho, who took responsibility and sumptuously curled the free-kick into the top corner.
These were two huge moments in the match that Hyderabad capitalised on, thanks to their influential foreigners.
K.P. Rahul stands out for Kerala Blasters
Playing on the left of an attacking three, Rahul was irrepressible in the first half and his link-up play with Sahal Abdul Samad rewarded him with the goal. He applied a deft finish to find the back of the net and it put the visiting Kerala ahead just after the half-hour mark. The goal came after Rahul had had a couple of attempts which were saved by Kamaljit Singh.
Rahul's explosive display is a positive for Kerala, which relinquished a winning position.
Bartholomew Ogbeche off target
An uncharacteristic display from Ogbeche played a part in Kerala Blasters not building on its one-goal lead and potentially putting the match beyond Hyderabad's reach. Ogbeche attempted five shots but failed to test Kamaljit in the Hyderabad goal even once. Kerala relies quite heavily on Ogbeche for the goals and his goal-scoring form remains one of the keys to team's success.
Mouhamadou Moustapha pays price for individual errors
The Senegalese midfielder conceded the penalty that Stankovic converted before he tripped Nikhil Poojary in a dangerous area to concede the free-kick that Marcelinho scored from. As a defensive midfielder, Moustapha is bound to mistime a few tackles and concede free-kicks, but his defensive errors today proved decisive for Kerala Blasters. He's a new signing for Kerala and perhaps needs some time to adapt to the new league and his role as a defensive midfielder.
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