Matchday 103 will see two teams with different targets to achieve go up against each other as ATK Mohun Bagan and Hyderabad lock horns.
Blast from the past:
ATK Mohun Bagan held the Nizams to a 1-1 draw earlier in the season.
Hyderabad FC:
The Nizams are on a 10 match unbeaten run and come into this crucial fixture following a 4-0 victory against Kerala Blasters. They find themselves at the 4th spot and are tied on points with Northeast United. Manuel Marquez’s men have been on the top of their game in the seventh edition of the Hero ISL and what they bring to the table is not unknown to anyone. What makes this fixture even kore important is that the Nizams will play their final fixture of the season against FC Goa, a game that will determine their position in the league table.
“Winning gives confidence to the players. We know that every game is different. We are in a very good moment but we are playing against a stronger team in the league. ATK Mohun Bagan are finding their best moment in the league. They have a very compact team. They have very good players for the style that Antonio Lopez Habas wants to play. The team has a very good balance. We are in the last two games of the season. From now, all the games will be crucial,” Marquez said ahead of the match.
ATK Mohun Bagan:
The new League leaders haven’t looked back ever since their defeat to Northeast United and have gone to win 5 matches. The Mariners will possibly play the most important fixture of their campaign so far. As Mumbai City FC dropped points against Jamshedpur, the Mariners have a chance to become the second team from India to book a spot in the lucrative AFC Champions League. Antonio Lopez Habas’s team come into this fixture following a 3-1 victory in the Kolkata derby.
“We have to respect Hyderabad FC. They are a good team with good players. They have had a good season. We will not be overconfident. In professional football, it is never good for the team. They have a good balance in defence and attack. They are complete in transition,” said Habas ahead of the game.
Players to watch out for:
Arindane Santana (Hyderabad FC)
The Spaniard is Hyderabad’s all time leading goalscorer and has found the back of net nine times. He’s exception in the air and loves scoring from headers. Aridane scored a brace and assisted the fourth goal for Hyderabad in their previous outing against Kerala Blasters.
Roy Krishna (ATK Mohun Bagan)
The Fijian is one of the favourites to win the Golden ball for the seventh edition of the Hero Indian Super League. He is also leading the Golden boot charts with 14 strikes to his name. Krishna scored the opener and assisted twice to get his side off the line in the Kolkata Derby.
Probable Starting XI:
Hyderabad FC: Kaattimani Poojary, Onaindia, Chinglensena, Mishra Chianese, Victor, Sharma, Narzary Santana, Sandaza.
ATK Mohun Bagan: Arindam Kotal, Tiri, Jhingan Manvir, Rodrigues, McHugh, Bose Marcelinho, Williams, Krishna.