ISL 2021-22: Mumbai keen to maintain momentum, Hyderabad eyes redemption

The
ISL
champions
began
title
their
title
defende
in
style
with
a
resounding
3-0
win
over
FC
Goa
while
Hyderabad
started
on
the
backfoot,
suffering
a
0-1
reversal
against
Chennaiyin
FC.

And
on
Saturday
(November
27)
at
the
Jawaharlal
Nehru
Stadium
in
Fatorda,
they
will
be
hoping
to
continue
the
winning
streak.

ISL
Fixtures
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Points
Table

The
match,
the
first
of
the
double
headers
in
ISL
2021-22
season,
kicks
off
at
9.30pm
IST
and
will
be
shown
live
on
Star
Sports
2
SD/HD
channels.

However,
Hyderabad
FC
coach
Manuel
Marquez
is
optimistic
of
a
turnaound
of
fortunes
for
him
team
about
his
side’s
chances
and
urged
them
to
play
their
brand
of
football
as
they
face
the
reigning
ISL
champions.

“This
encounter
is
the
second
game
of
the
season,
we
lost
the
first
one
and
obviously
we
want
to
win
this
game
and
we
know
it’s
a
difficult
game.
The
team
is
preparing
like
they
always
do
but
unfortunately
because
of
COVID-19,
you
play
too
many
games,
there
are
few
days
for
rest
and
to
prepare
for
the
next
game.
We
are
optimistic
after
our
first
game
despite
the
defeat,”
said
Marquez.

For
Mumbai
Igor
Angulo
(33′ P,
36′)
scored
twice
under
three
minutes
in
the
first
half
before
Brazilian
Ygor
Catatau
(76′)
celebrated
his
ISL
debut
within
minutes
of
stepping
onto
the
pitch,
closing
the
match
for
the
City
Football
Group-owned
club
in
their
season
opener.

While
wary
of
the
threat
posed
by
tehe
deadly
duo,
Marquez
urged
his
team
to
raise
their
game.

“It’s
always
better
to
start
the
season
with
a
victory,
like
last
season
where
we
won
our
first
game
against
Odisha
but
sometimes
football
is
like
this.
More
or
less,
all
of
us
agree
that
we
didn’t
deserve
to
lose
the
first
game,
but
this
is
football
and
now
we’re
playing
a
very
strong
team.
Mumbai
were
excellent
against
FC
Goa;
they
played
a
good
game.

“As
I
said
before,
all
20
games
are
going
to
be
difficult,
we
have
chances
to
win,
and
we
also
have
chances
of
being
last
in
the
table.
Obviously,
it’s
one
game
and
we
want
to
win
it
but
even
if
we
lose
the
second
game,
there
are
18
more
games
to
be
played,
but
we
are
prepared
to
win
this
one,”
he
added.

The
Spaniard
told
his
team
to
forget
the
game
agaist
Chennaiyin
FC
in
which
his
wards
created
several
chances,
but
failed
to
score.

“We
had
more
chances
than
Chennai,
we
had
more
possession
of
the
ball,
but
we
need
to
arrive
with
more
players
in
the
box
and
to
be
more
clinical
in
the
action
that
we
have
because
sometimes
only
Bartholomew
Ogbeche
and
one
of
the
wingers
arrived
in
the
box.

“We’re
doing
very
well,
but
we
need
to
improve
in
this
area.
We
wanted
to
play
good
football,
but
to
play
good
football
is
not
to
take
the
ball,
pass
it
and
have
65
per
cent
of
the
possession,”
added
Marquez
who
praised
Mumbai
City
FC’s
head
coach,
Des
Buckingham’s
style
of
play
and
admired
his
tactical
gameplan.