FC Goa secured a comfortable 2-0 win against Hyderabad FC at the G.M.C Balayogi Athletic Stadium in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 here on Wednesday to give a fitting tribute to their head coach Manolo Marquez in his 100th game in the competition.
First-half strikes by Udanta Singh and Iker Guarrotxena propelled the Gaurs to their fourth straight victory in the competition as they cruised through the proceedings with sublime control over the flow of the game. The visitors were assertive in possession as they discovered newer ways to breach past the Hyderabad FC defence. The Gaurs operated in tandem, marching seamlessly through the flanks to keep pushing at the opposition’s backline and reaped rewards when Udanta and Guarrotxena demonstrated clinical finishing touches in the 33rd and 44th minute of the game respectively.
Udanta’s goal was a making of his teammate Mohammad Yasir’s eye for a decisive pass. As the Gaurs tried to build up attack from the back, Yasir dropped down the field, received the ball and started sprinting ahead past the Hyderabad FC midfield and defensive lines on the right flank. As he cut through inwards from the wing, he spotted Udanta coming at a promising goal-scoring position at the centre of the 18-yard box. Yasir delivered a deft pass, which Udanta received and placed immediately to the bottom left corner to open the scoring for the night.
Eleven minutes later, Yasir was again instrumental in creating the play that led to a goal by the Gaurs. He steamrolled with the ball and burst at the edge of the box from the right flank, before making a pass to Armando Sadiku who was beside him. Sadiku demonstrated tremendous awareness by back-heeling the ball in Guarrotxena’s path, and the latter did the rest by smashing a strike into the bottom left corner to double the team’s lead, which proved sufficient for them to bag the three points tonight.
Hyderabad FC’s occasional efforts in the second half of the game fell short of yielding the required outcomes to them. Soyal Joshy attempted an ambitious effort from the outside of the box in the 50th minute that was saved by FC Goa custodian Hrithik Tiwari.
Three minutes later, Cy Goddard and Andrei Alba teamed up to test the Gaurs’ backline, but that effort wasn’t precise enough either as Alba’s shot didn’t land on target. Their incoming substitutes Allan Paulista and Isaac Vanmalsawma, too, tried to muster up quick chances towards the end but a disciplined FC Goa defence followed their job perfectly to round off with a clean sheet.
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