ISL 2020-21 Talking Points: From Pandita's golden first touch to Angulo's heroics

ISL 2020: From Igor Angulo's last-gasp strike to Ishan Pandita's first goal of the season, here are the key talking points from the Hyderabad FC vs FC Goa clash.

Published : Dec 31, 2020 09:40 IST

FC Goa's Igor Angulo scores the winner against Hyderabad FC in the Indian Super League (ISL 2020-21) on Wednesday.
FC Goa's Igor Angulo scores the winner against Hyderabad FC in the Indian Super League (ISL 2020-21) on Wednesday.
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FC Goa's Igor Angulo scores the winner against Hyderabad FC in the Indian Super League (ISL 2020-21) on Wednesday.

Igor Angulo's ninth goal of the season saw FC Goa beat Hyderabad FC 2-1 in a thrilling Indian Super League (ISL 2020-21) at the Tilak Maidan Stadium in Vasco on Wednesday.

The win saw FC Goa climb to the third spot on the table, while Hyderabad slipped to its third successive loss.

MATCH REPORT |

Aridane Santana put Hyderabad ahead around the hour mark but Juan Ferrando's side made a fine comeback to bag two goals in three minutes. Ishan Pandita scored the equaliser in the 87th minute and Angulo bagged the winner soon after.

Here are the key talking points from the Hyderabad FC vs FC Goa clash:

Angulo the saviour, yet again

Angulo had a fairly subdued game but rose to the occasion when it mattered the most. The Spaniard had only one shot on target and that strike was enough to lead FC Goa to a remarkable comeback win.

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The 36-year-old, who is the leading goal-scorer in ISL 2020-21 with nine goals, had also struck a stoppage-time winner against Jamshedpur FC last week.

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Igor Angulo celebrates scoring the winner for FC Goa against Hyderabad FC in the ISL.
 

Coming in as a replacement for the ISL's all-time top-scorer Ferran Corominas, Angulo has proven time and again that he is more than capable of filling the void left by his compatriot. FC Goa has not lost a single game in which Angulo has scored this season.

Pandita makes an impact in style

Ishan Pandita was one of the most talked about players ahead of ISL 2020-21. The youngster, who joined the youth setup at CD Leganes in 2016 to become the first Indian player to sign a professional contract with a La Liga club, was touted as the next big thing.

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However, he has got barely any game time so far at FC Goa. He made his debut in the 1-1 draw with NorthEast United, where he played two minutes.


But the 22-year-old made the most of the opportunity he got on Wednesday as he scored off his first touch. He was introduced in the 87th minute and scored a fine backward header, within 30 seconds of coming on, to equalise for his side. His goal was the fastest scored by a substitute this season. He had played a total of six minutes now, across two games, and has a goal to his name.

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FC Goa's Ishan Pandita celebrates after scoring his first ISL goal. - ISL/Sportzpics
 

Here's what he said post the match, "It's been 7-8 games and I haven't participated as much as I have liked to. The coach has a plan and it worked well today. There is a lot of competition for places. I am here to help the team. I am pushing Igor (Angulo) and he is pushing me as well."

Hyderabad uses full quota of foreigners

For the first time this season, Hyderabad was able to play all six of its foreigners. The side has been plagued by injuries to its overseas players from the beginning of the campaign.

Four of them, Aridane Santana, Joao Victor, Joel Chianese and Odei Onaindia, made the starting XI while Luis Sastre and Fran Sandaza came on on the second half.

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Joel Chianese (R) returned to the Hyderabad starting XI after having suffered an ankle injury on November 28 against Bengaluru FC.
 

Santana had a good game as he scored the opener and continued to test the Goa goalkeeper, while Victor also had a few cracks at goal.

While the result did not work in its favour, Hyderabad will be glad to have its entire foreign roster available for selection. The side had excelled time and again with only three foreigners and will now be bolstered by their return as it aims to snap a three-match loss streak.

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