After the win over Kerala, Manolo Marquez speaks about the result, his side’s performance, injury updates and more…

On the result against Kerala…

If we look at the first half, it was an even game. Both teams wanted the three points so scoring the first goal was really important. Because we are fighting for a place in the top-4, we did not want to wait till the end to find that goal and I am really happy that we managed to win the game in the end.

On the second half performance…

We were not at our best in the first half. We did not find spaces and were out of positions on many occasions, that meant that Kerala played better football than us, but without creating chances. But we were always calm, even during the break and of course, the confidence my players have, helped us break the deadlock and win the game.

On scoring four past Kerala…

When you prepare for a game, you always think about the best version of your opponent. You prepare to win games, and not score a certain amount of goals. This is the third time we scored four goals and I am happy and proud of my team.

This win was really important for the fans, the players and the city of Hyderabad. Hyderabad FC needs a season like this, where we are fighting for top-4 and hopefully we can go all the way.

On making changes to his system in the second half…

When you are winning 2-0, it is always easier to manage the game. Kerala are a really good side and I really like their style of play. But our position in the league table and our performance on the night allowed us to dictate the game.

Injury update on Asish Rai…

It is too soon to say anything about the injury. It was his knee and it does not look too good at the moment. We have to see if it is a kick or a twist but at the moment I can only hope that he can come back soon.