Hyderabad FC will be looking to strengthen their position in the top four of the 2020-21 Hero Indian Super League (Hero ISL) standings when they face Jamshedpur FC at the Tilak Maidan Stadium in Vasco on Sunday. Manuel Marquez’s men will be keen to pick up a win following draws in their last two outings, while Jamshedpur will be eager for a win themselves after enduring a difficult run of results. Here, we assess a few of the talking points ahead of the second clash between the teams this season.

Battle between clubs on opposite ends of form

Hyderabad will, undoubtedly, be more confident of the two sides heading into the clash against Jamshedpur. Marquez’s men are unbeaten in their last four matches, which has included two wins and a couple of draws against table toppers Mumbai City FC and Odisha FC. They have scored nine times in their last four matches and are an exciting side going forward in attack. Jamshedpur, on the other hand, are on their worse run of results this season having lost their last three games and are in need of some inspiration to snap out of their slump in form. Owen Coyle will be hoping that his players can set things right against Hyderabad and get their season back on track with a win.

Lack of goals-scorers holding Jamshedpur back

Jamshedpur have found it difficult to score goals in the ongoing campaign and have netted 13 times in 12 games so far. Eight of those goals have been scored by their leading goal-scorer Nerijus Valskis and their centre-back pairing of Peter Hartley and Stephen Eze have combined to find the back of the net on four occasions. Aniket Jadhav is fourth one to score for them. Which means Jamshedpur midfielders’ performance needs to change between now and the end of the league stage if they want to finish in the top four. The likes of Aitor Monroy, Alexandre Lima and Mohammad Mobashir have done well to be involved in the final third, but Coyle will want them to add goals to their game.

Halicharan Narzary is Hyderabad’s in-form player

Halicharan Narzary has been a part of the Hero ISL ever since its inception in 2014 but never has he had more impact. The talented Indian winger has been one of Hyderabad’s most potent weapons going forward and is second only to Aridane Santana in the goal-scoring chart for Manuel Marquez’s men. He is the joint-top Indian scorer in the league alongside Sunil Chhetri with four goals so far. However, unlike Chhetri, none of Narzary’s goals have come from the penalty spot and you can rest assured that when he takes the pitch against Jamshedpur, the 26-year-old will be one of Hyderabad’s biggest threats.