ISL 2021: The scoreline should have been 3-0 at half-time – Manuel Marquez after 1-1 draw against Odisha FC

Hyderabad FC were held to 1-1 draw by Odisha FC in the 64th match of the Hero Indian Super League at the Fatorda Stadium on Tuesday. Hyderabad scored in the 13th minute of the game when Halicharan Nazray scored his fourth goal of the season for the franchise. However, Hyderabad couldn’t grab their other chances in the first half.

Consequently, Odisha FC were always in the game and they equalized when their skipper Cole Alexander scored for them in the 51st minute. Hyderabad FC head coach Manuel Marquez was disappointed with the performance of his team and believes the scoreline should have been 3-0 after the first 45 minutes of the game.

However, Marquez also admitted that Odisha FC even had chances to win the game in the second half.

“It was two points dropped in the first half and one point deserved in the second half. At halftime, the score should have been 3-0 [for Hyderabad]. But in the second half, they [Odisha] had very clear chances to win the game. Usually, when you have so many chances, you think that maybe the game should have been finished in the first half,” he said while speaking at the post-match presentation.

Marquez added his team was not up to the mark after the injury blow to goalscorer Halicharan Narzray in the 55th minute of the game. The Spanish head coach also feels his team might have been tired in the second half.

“During halftime, we spoke about scoring the second goal because then the game would be over. The injury of Halicharan also may have affected the team. I think the problem in the second half is that we were very tired. For me, the important thing is that we arrived here with 16 points and now we have 17,” Marquez said after the game. 

On the other hand, Odisha FC head coach Stuart Baxter was delighted with the performances of his team, especially in the second half when they created chances.

Hyderabad FC will next face Jamshedpur FC at the Tilak Maidan Stadium on 24th January whereas Odisha FC will take on Bengaluru FC at the Fatorda Stadium on the same date.