Aridane Santana’s spot-kick earned Hyderabad FC a 1-0 victory over Odisha FC in its Indian Super League (ISL 2020-21) season-opener at the GMC Stadium in Bambolim on Monday.
Hyderabad, which finished at the bottom of the table last term, was a delight to watch as it played a refreshing brand of attacking football under the stewardship of new coach Manolo Marquez. The club also kept its first-ever cleansheet in 19 matches of the ISL.
Captain Santana, playing against his former club, led from the front as he was in the thick of things. The Spaniard had a host of chances that came his way, however, he missed an open header in the fifth minute and floated another header wide in the 26th minute.
The Odisha defence, led by former Newcastle United player Steven Taylor, struggled to contain Hyderabad’s fluent attacking play. Interestingly, all five of Odisha's defenders picked up yellow cards.
The turning point of the game came in the 34th minute when Taylor handled Halicharan Narzary’s shot in the box and gave away a penalty. Santana coolly slotted it home to open his account for the season. The 33-year-old scored nine goals last campaign.
Manuel Onwu had a chance to equalise towards the end of the first half but wasted the opportunity with a meek attempt, while Odisha custodian Arshdeep Singh made two crucial saves to ensure his side didn't fall further behind at the break.
Odisha coach Stuart Baxter made a bold move early in the second half, replacing ace winger Marcelinho with 19-year-old Laishram Premjit Singh. But the substitution failed to create an impact on the game as Odisha continued to struggle for rhythm. The likes of Onwu and Diego Mauricio created chances but were let down by the team's poor finishing.
Hyderabad, the designated away side, seemed to have put the tie to bed when Joao Victor struck a fine header in the 63rd minute, but it was ruled offside. Liston Colaco, who replaced Mohamed Yasir, was a revelation as he had the Odisha defence dancing to his tune. The 22-year-old made many darting runs, attracted fouls and kept the opposition defenders on their toes.
Hyderabad’s season captain Adil Khan made a late appearance as his side picked up all three points. Marquez's side will next face Bengaluru FC, which drew with FC Goa in its opener, while Odisha will take on Jamshedpur FC.
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