NorthEast United FC will be out to snap its five-match winless streak when it locks horns with Hyderabad FC in the Indian Super League (ISL 2020-21) at the Tilak Maidan Stadium in Vasco on Friday.
Gerard Nus' side began the season in fine fashion and was uneaten in its six opening games but has fallen off the radar since. The side hasn't managed to score in three of its last five games and finds itself in the seventh spot.
FOLLOW LIVE | NorthEast United vs Hyderabad LIVE Score updates
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In sharp contrast, Hyderabad FC comes into the tie on the back of its biggest win this season. The Nizams, placed sixth, thrashed Chennaiyin FC 4-1 last week to return to winning ways after losing three games on the trot.
Speaking on the eve of the game, Hyderabad coach Manolo Marquez said, "They have a good organisation. They are not in the best moment in terms of results but they have (taken points) against big opponents. They have good players and good coach. They have young players with a lot of future. I like their style. They play with order and are fast on the wings. They are a dangerous team."
The 52-year-old will hope his team can put up a better defensive display against the Highlanders, for it has conceded nine goals in the last five games.
Aridane Santana, Hyderabad's leading goal-scorer, was also a talking point ahead of the game. Marquez was mildly irked by the fact that the focus after the last game was not on Hyderabad's win but on Santana's goal-less performance.
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Nus, on the other hand, said he was wary of the Spanish striker. "We know they are good with the ball and that they score goals in many ways. They score a lot from set-pieces and Aridane is always a threat. He's got a great goal-scoring record from last season as well and this year, he has scored five. He is a big guy but they have so many other players in attack. We have to be at our best to know how to manage them and create chances and put the ball in the net," he said.
He added that Halicharan Narzary, who struck a brace last time around, and Mohammed Yasir were the other players to watch out for.
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While Hyderabad has defensive worries, NorthEast has its share of attacking woes as the side has struggled to find the back of the net of late. And the injury to star striker Kwesi Appiah has only made matters worse.
A win for either side would see it displace Jamshedpur FC and claim the fourth spot.
- SQUADS -
NorthEast United FC
Gurmeet, Nikhil Deka, Sanjiban Ghosh, Subhasish Roy, Ashutosh Mehta, Benjamin Lambot, Dylan Fox, Gurjinder Kumar, Mashoor Shereef, Nabin Rabha, Nim Dorjee, Provat Lakra, Rakesh Pradhan, Wayne Vaz, Federico Gallego, Imran Khan, Khassa Camara, Lalengmawia, Lalrempuia Fanai, Pragyan Gogoi, Rochharzela, Britto PM, Idrissa Sylla, Ninthoinganba Meetei, Kwesi Appiah, Lalkhawpuimawia, Luis Machado, Suhair Vadakkepeedika
Hyderabad FC
Lalbiakhlua Jongte, Laxmikant Kattimani, Manas Dubey, Subrata Paul, Akash Mishra, Asish Rai, Chinglensana Singh, Dimple Bhagat, Kynsailang Khongsit, Nikhil Prabhu, Odei Onaindia, Sahil Panwar, Abhishek Halder, Adil Khan, Sahil Tavora, Halicharan Narzary, Hitesh Sharma, Joao Victor, Laldanmawia Ralte, Lluis Sastre, Mark Zothanpuia, Mohammed Yasir, Nikhil Poojary, Souvik Chakrabarti, Sweden Fernandes, Roland Alberg, Aridane Santana, Fran Sandaza, Ishan Dey, Joel Chianese, Lalawmpuia, Liston Colaco, Rohit Danu.
MATCH FACTS
Date: January 8, 2021
Venue: Tilak Maidan Stadium, Vasco
Time: 7:30 PM IST
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