The Nawabs eye back-to-back wins for the first time this season
Hyderabad: Shameel Chembakath’s Hyderabad FC are back in action this Friday.
The Yellow and Black travel to Bhubaneswar to take on Odisha FC in an exciting Indian Super League affair at the Kalinga Stadium on February 14.
Sergio Lobera’s men handed HFC a stern defeat in the reverse fixture in Hyderabad.
The experienced names like Diego Mauricio, Ahmed Jahouh (who is back from a suspension) Mourtada Fall, Hugo Boumous, Isak Vanlalruatfela and Jerry Mawihmingthanga will all once again be crucial for their plans in this game.
However, Lobera’s side have not been in the best of form recently.
They have registered just one win in their last eight league games and will be eager to get the three points in this tie.
They will be a tough team to face for Hyderabad, but his side are ready for the challenges says HFC Interim Coach Shameel Chembakath.
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“Odisha are a strong and balanced team, with an experienced set of foreigners. But they have struggled to find consistency this season,” he said talking about his opponents.
“But regardless of recent results, our boys are focused on this game and want to get a better result than the last time we faced them in Hyderabad,” he added.
Odisha’s Diego Mauricio has five goals and four assists in eight games but he will be up against a confident backline in this game.
The likes of Stefan Sapic, Alex Saji, Manoj Mohammad and Mohammed Rafi have looked solid in recent games.
Arshdeep Singh on goal has been Hyderabad’s most consistent performer in recent games and will not be easy to beat.
Abdul Rabeeh will hope to join Ramhlunchhunga, Allan Paulista and Joseph Sunny in troubling the scorers in this game.
Andrei Alba and Isaac Vanmalsawma will have their work cut out against a dangerous Odisha midfield on the night.
Cy Goddard will hope to make a mark against his former side while Hyderabad will also have Edmilson Correia to call upon in Odisha.
The Guinean attacker missed the last game nursing an injury but will be keen to make up for the lost opportunity in this tie.
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Hyderabad’s young guns are ready to put in a strong fight against a tough side, said coach Shameel.
“The boys are showing resilience and are confident at the moment. It is important that we build on recent form and gather some consistency with a good result in this game,”
“We are all working hard in every training session and are ready to give our best in this game,” he added.
The Nawabs have failed to beat Odisha in any of their last five attempts but are in a run of decent form.
They have lost two and won two of their six league games since the turn of the year as this game promises to be a close contest with three crucial points up for grabs.
The game kicks-off at 7:30 pm IST on Friday, February 14. It will also be telecasted live on Star Sports 3 with streaming on JioHotstar.
