Bambolim (Goa), Jan 16 (IANS): With just two points from their last three games, Hyderabad FC will look to log three points when they host Owen Coyles Jamshedpur FC in a crunch clash Indian Super League 2021-22 on Monday night.
Manolo Marquez's men had missed an opportunity to register three points in the last match and stand in third place in the league table with 17 points after 11 games. Jamshedpur are in second place, with 19 points from their 11 games. Both teams have a chance to push for a lead at the top of the table.
Coyle's side goes into this game with back-to-back wins over NorthEast United and SC East Bengal and will be a tough side to face, believes HFC Head Coach Manolo Marquez.
"Jamshedpur is a very tough and physical team, a typical English team and like the games in the past, this will be a difficult one as well for both teams. They have strong characters like Peter Hartley, Eli Sabia and more but we will try to make it a tough game for them as well," said Manolo.
The Men of Steel have the likes of Greg Stewart, Ricky Lallawmawma and Alexandre Lima in fine form. They are also strong in set-pieces, which will be a big threat for Manolo's side in this game.
But Hyderabad have a settled backline and have the likes of Javi Siverio, Aniket Jadhav and Edu Garcia consistently performing well in attack. They will also have top-scorer Bartholomew Ogbeche back in the squad after the Nigerian striker served his suspension in the previous game.
The last three meetings between the two sides have seen three draws, including the 1-1 draw in the league earlier in the season and Manolo Marquez says that this could be another closely contested game at Bambolim on Monday.
"The three draws don't really mean much at the moment. Both teams have strong squads and anything can happen in this game. At the moment, we are very close, even in the league table but every game is different and it is impossible to know what can happen in gam"s like these," the Spaniard added.
After three away games in a row, Hyderabad are back playing a home game in Bambolim for the first time in 2022, in what will be their fourth in the last 12 days. With a lot at stake in what is a crucial period in the ISL, both teams will come out strong and could play out yet another fiercely contested game.