Playoff spot in sight, Hyderabad FC can ill-afford any slip-up when they take on a struggling Kerala Blasters in an Indian Super League match at the Tilak Maidan Stadium on Tuesday.
For the most part of the ISL season, Hyderabad had maintained their place in the top four. But now, with three games to go, they find themselves at the fifth, level on points with fourth-placed FC Goa and two points below NorthEast United.
From here on, Hyderabad can't afford more slip-ups. They have played out six draws in their last seven matches. And when the Nizams face Kerala Blasters on Tuesday, they will know that any more dropped points will hugely dent their play-off ambitions.
On paper, Hyderabad face one of the most vulnerable sides in the league, who are playing for pride. Kerala Blasters have conceded 29 goals, which is the second-worst tally. Their defence has been so fragile that Kibu Vicuna's side has now dropped 18 points after scoring the first goal. But for Hyderabad coach Manuel Marquez, that doesn't mean Kerala are to be taken lightly.
“All the other teams, from Kerala who are second from the bottom, till the top positions, can climb positions in the table,” he said. “We will play with Kerala with our style. We are nine games unbeaten but six of them are draws. We have to continue in the same vein and try to win the game because our season has been fantastic. We want to be in the top four.”
Plenty of drama can be expected from these two sides right until the final whistle. Fourteen of Kerala's 22 goals have come in the second half while Hyderadad have scored 16 goals after the break—the second-most by a side this season.
The defences of both sides have also not handled pressure well during this period. Kerala have conceded 18 goals in the second half, most by a team this season. Meanwhile, Hyderabad have conceded 11 of their 17 goals in the second period. However, one big area Kerala coach Kibu Vicuna wants his side to improve on is their ability to convert chances.
“We have a lack of balance between attack and defence. Most of our games, we have been creating more chances than the opponents but we are not getting the points,” Vicuna said. “We have to improve this aspect. We are working and analysing our mistakes. We are trying to have a more positive percentage in the relation between creating chances and scoring goals.”
