Welcome to Sportstar's ISL 2020-21 live blog/highlights of the SC East Bengal vs Hyderabad FC match being played at the Tilak Maidan on Friday.
That's all we have for the night. We will be back tomorrow for the Chennayin FC vs FC Goa clash tomorrow ( PREVIEW ). Until then, it's good night!
MATCH REPORT|
SCEB manager Tony Grant: Two points taken away from us tonight. It is going to be tough to make it to the playoffs. We set the team up at the exact same formation as the game as JFC, it was the first time we had the opportunity to do that.
HFC manager Manuel Marquez: I am happy. I try to be objective. In first half we had more chances. In second half they scored. Great goal from Bright. After that it is a clear penalty in my watch. I think most of the draws, we had to have the game finished, like the game against Odisha. A lot of draws we had the control, but I am very happy because it not easy. Three games to play and we are in the fight for the top four. We are satisfied and proud of the players.
Before the managers give their views on the game, just an update on the table: HFC moves to third place with 24 points while SCEB moves to ninth place with 17 points. The result also means that ATKMB makes the playoffs cut.
Stay tuned for the post-match reactions.
What a chaotic end to a game of two halves. After minimal chances for both teams in the first half, the game came alive in the second 45 minutes. Bright gave SCEB a deserved lead in the 59th minute with a lovely ball in from Pilkington.
For a long time it looked like SCEB would take home the three points, but a stoppage-time equaliser from Aridane helped HFC draw level.
The drama, though, was not over there as moments later, Mohammed Yasir saw red for a dangerous challenge on Wahengbam Luwang that meant HFC ended the game with 10 men.
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90+8' The referee blows the final whistle and the match ends as a 1-1 stalemate for both teams. What a contest this was! HFC extends its unbeaten run to nine games.
The ball strikes into the HFC wall and rolls outside of the pitch.
90+6' FREE KICK FOR SCEB in the dying moments of this game! Maghoma takes it but can't get it above th wall.
90+5' RED CARD FOR MOHAMMED YASIR for a vicious challenge on Luwang. HFC down to 10 men. It is chaos at Tilak Maidan.
90+4' Two minutes of stoppage time left on the clock. What an enthralling second half we have had.
90+1' GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL. HFC get the equaliser. Aridane scores the equaliser for his side. Lovely play from HFC, Sandaza put it the assist from the right and the forward seems to have salvaged a point for his side.
90' Six minutes of added time. Is there one last twist left in this game?
87' CORNER FOR HFC. Nazary takes it, but none of the players in the blue and yellow outfit create anything significant out of it. Time ticking away for HFC here.
Angou takes his place. SCEB lead 1-0 with just under 5 minutes of regulation time left.
Sourav Das seems to have injured his hamstring and is receiving treatment. Play has stopped for the moment.
81 ' WHAT HAPPENED THERE. Bright was challenged inside the box by the goalkeeper Kattimani but the referee decides not to award the penalty. Robbie Fowler cannot believe it.
75' We head into the last quarter of play. Can SC East Bengal hold on to its lead or will Hyderabad FC make a comeback an extend its eight-game unbeaten run?
73' Sandazaaaaaaaaaaaaa! Offside. The substitute pokes the ball into the net but is ruled offside.
70' Penalty denied! The ball strikes Gaikwad straight in the arm, well inside the box, but the referee awards Hyderabad a corner.
69' Another change for Hyderabad as Fran Sandaza replaces Sastre.
66' Double change for Hyderabad FC - Mohammas Yasir and Nikhil Poojary come on for Chianese and Asish.
62' Mishra lets one rip from distance....but Subrata has it covered.
61' What a moment of fortune for SC East Bengal. The Red and Gold brigade has been the second half with great vigour and that goal will serve as a much-needed boost.
59' BRIGHT MAKES IT 1-0 to SC EAST BENGAL! It's a goal that comes completely against the run of play! Aridane's shot bounces off the post and SC East Bengal goes on to score at the other end. Pilkington nods it in the path of Bright, who makes a dazzling run before putting it past Kattimani.
58' Wasted chance. Sastre overcooks the free-kick and it sails out of play.
56' Gaikwad is shown a yellow card for hacking down Liston. Free-kick to Hyderabad!
54' Victor's shoulder catches Bright in the face and that's the first yellow card of the game.
51' Just off-target from Bright! Pilkington lays it for him at the edge of the box and Bright has a crack at goal but it whizzes past the crossbar.
46' KICK OFF! And the second half gets underway
Time for the second half. Both teams will want to be more precise in the final third. The first goal for either team could be crucial here.
Two minutes of added time.
The phase post the drinks break has seen SCEB make a greater impact on proceedings.
42' CHANCE. Now SCEB is looking more threatening and it is Pilkington, who runs his way down the right flank and fires in a shot with his left foot that is saved by Kattimani.
40' CHANCE. Ankit Mukherjee sprints his way on the right flank, shoots the ball in but Kattimani blocks it with his left foot. A difficult angle for the ball to go in, from there.
38' CORNER FOR HFC. The ball comes in. Joaa Victor smashes the volley far, far away from goal. HFC looking better by the minute in this game.
HFC has looked promising on the right flank, but lacking precision in the final bit.
33' Lovely play from HFC. Sastre crosses the ball into the ball into the opposite flank, where Chianese and Nazary manage to control possession. However, a shot that was taken was once again off target.
Time for a drinks break.
HFC has eased their way into the game and are now looking the more dangerous of the two sides. Still no shot on target for SCEB.
We're mid-way into the opening half and the scoreline remains unchanged at 0-0.
That effort from Paul, however, has caused him an injury. After receiving treatment, he is back on his feet and play has resumed.
20' Another CHANCE. Chianese gets the ball and finds space and time to put his side ahead, but Subrata Paul puts in a fine save.
18' CHANCE. Akash Mishra sprints his way past the SCEB players, fires in a shot of his left foot, but ball strikes the side netting.
17' Foul by Narayan Das gives HFC another free kick.
16' Neither team can conclusively say they have dominated possession so far. SCEB have tried to move swiftly into the HFC half but have failed to make an mpact. HFC have tried to put in a couple of crosses, but have got nothing of note out of it.
14' Post that free kick for HFC, there have been no clear cut chances for both teams
7' SCEB finding it difficult to penetrate its way through the HFC defence. The latter is staying composed at the back.
4' FREE KICK FOR HFC. Colaco takes it but the shot is well off-target
3' Both teams exchanging possession in the starting few minutes of this match.
1' We are off at the Tilak Maidan in Goa with Hyderabad kicking off proceedings
7:25pm: Players from both teams have walked out to the middle. SCEB in their red and gold kit and Hyderabad in their blue and yellow kit.
7:15pm: Three players from tonight's match make it to Sportstar's team of the fortnight. Does your favourite player feature in our XI? Find out below:
ISL Team of the Fortnight: Enobakhare shining bright
7pm: Hyderabad FC, who is aiming to go third on the points table with a win tonight, has made two changes to their XI, that drew 0-0 against NorthEast United FC in their last game. In come, Joel Chianese and Liston Colaco for Mohammad Yasir and Fran Sandaza. Also, Nikhul Poojary has regained full fitness and is part of the substitutes.
They are undefeated in their last eight games, having won three and drawn five. Can they extend that run to nine matches tonight? Time will tell.
6:45pm: SC East Bengal have put their faith in the same personnel that defeated Jamshedpur FC 2-1 in their last game, making no changes to their starting XI. Tonight's three points are of crucial importance for them and they will hope their players rise to the occasion and deliver. Matti Steinmann and Anthony Pilkington scored the two goals on that day and will hold the key this evening, as well.
6:30pm: Here are the line-ups for the two teams for today's match:
SC East Bengal (4-4-2): Subrata Paul; Raju Gaikwad, Ankit Mukherjee, Daniel Fox, Narayan Das, Sarthak Golui; Anthony Pilkington, Matti Steinmann, Jacques Maghoma, Sourav Das; Bright Enobakhare.
Hyderabad FC (4-3-3): Laxmikant Kattimani; Ashish Rai, Onai Onaindia, Chinglensana Singh, Akash Mishra; Joao Victor, Lluis Sastre, Halicharan Nazary; Joel Chianese, Aridane Santana, Liston Colaco.
Hyderabad FC: Laxmikant Kattimani; Ashish Rai, Onai Onaindia, Chinglensana Singh, Akash Mishra; Mohammed Yasir, Joao Victor, Lluis Sastre, Halicharan Nazary; Aridane Santana, Fran Sandaza.
6:20pm : Podcast - The latest episode of 'The Full Time Show' features the Robbie Fowler interview with our reporters Shyam Vasudevan and Amitabha Das Sharma. We also take a deep dive into his controversy-courting maiden ISL coaching sojourn and his season with SC East Bengal.
6pm: Here's how we think the two sides will line-up today -
SC East Bengal predicted XI (3-4-3)
Subrata Paul; Daniel Fox, Sarthak Golui, Raju Gaikwad; Ankit Mukherjee, Matti Steinmann, Sourav Das, Narayan Das; Anthony Pilkington, Jacques Maghoma, Bright Enobakhare.
Hyderabad FC predicted XI (4-4-2)
Laxmikant Kattimani; Chinglensana Singh, Odei Onaindia, Akash Mishra, Asish Rai; Halicharan Narzary, Mohammed Yasir, Joao Victor, Lluis Sastre; Aridane Santana, Fran Sandaza.
MATCH PREVIEW:
It's all or nothing for SC East Bengal. After a poor start to its maiden Indian Super League (ISL 2020-21) campaign, the Kolkata club has an outside chance of qualifying for the playoffs but it needs to win all of its remaining matches to be in contention. It's next challenge is against an in-form Hyderabad FC, which is unbeaten in eight games.
The Nizams have enjoyed a terrific season that sees them placed fourth on the table, level on points with third-placed FC Goa and fifth-placed NorthEast United FC.
SC East Bengal has a gargantuan task ahead. After Firday's game, it will take on ATK Mohun Bagan, NorthEast and Odisha FC in its last three games.
However, assistant coach Tony Grant feels the clash against Hyderabad may be the toughest one yet. “I rate them really highly, more highly than I rate most of the clubs. They have recruited over the last two years really well and they have developed some really good, young players. It’s going to be a tough game,” he said.
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He added, “When the first time we played, we gave them a helping hand, they scored two goals in seconds. It wasn’t great play by them, it was more poor play by us why they scored. But they are going to give us a good challenge. They have got a lot of young players and they are a few points ahead of us, so they have got more to hold on to.”
Hyderabad FC coach Manolo Marquez, who recently signed a two-year contract extension , is eager to seal the win and enhance his side's chances of remaining in the top-four.
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“It's a very tough game because you know that they started the season late because they were the last team to join the ISL. I remember after five or six games, they had only one or two points. They changed a lot of players and now they have very good foreigners. They have signed one of the best players in this league, Bright (Enobakhare),” he said.
“(If) we win all the games, we will be in the top four. The end is close. We need to take it game by game and win points,” he added.
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Follow Sportstar's full coverage (Latest news, Interviews, Features, Points table, Quiz, Videos) of ISL 2020-21 .
The seventh edition of the Indian Super League got underway inside a bio-bubble in Goa on November 20.
The tournament, spanning over four months, will see 11 teams play each other in a league and playoff format across three venues. Following the inclusion of SC East Bengal, this season will feature 115 games, up from 95 last season.
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