After a gritty and spirited come-from-behind win against Kerala Blasters FC last time around, Hyderabad FC will be looking to register successive home wins when they welcome NorthEast United FC at the G.M.C. Balayogi Athletic Stadium on Wednesday. Phil Brown’s men were in dire need of a win after consecutive losses in their opening two games of the Hero Indian Super League (Hero ISL) 2019-20 season, and his players produced a determined display with their back against the walls against Kerala to deliver.

NorthEast United FC, meanwhile, will be eager to forget about their last match having conceded an injury-time equaliser against a 10-man FC Goa outfit. The Highlanders will feel that they should have emerged victorious from their previous game and will be keen to set the record straight against Hyderabad in what will be their second away game of the season. 

Hyderabad FC

The Hero ISL newcomers received a much-needed confidence boost following their win over Kerala. They have struggled to cope with injuries to key personnel in their squad and had lost their previous two games prior to the win over the Blasters. Brown will now be hoping that his players can build on their victory in front of a passionate home crowd. Their talisman Marcelo Pereira will once again be their biggest threat and the Brazilian will be in a confident frame of mind having netted the late winner last time around.

That said, he’ll need domestic talents like Nikhil Poojary, Rohit Kumar and Robin Singh to also make their presence felt in the final third. Relying too much on the likes of Pereira and Marko Stankovic is a trap Brown will be keen to steer clear off, and judging by the team spirit shown by the squad in their last game, it’s safe to assume that we’ll see more difference-makers emerging from Hyderabad as the season develops. Over in defence, Gurtej Singh, Matthew Kilgallon and Mohammed Yasir will want to make things tighter at the back with Hyderabad still seeking their first clean sheet of the campaign.

NorthEast United FC

The Highlanders will be raring to return to the pitch and move on from their disappointing draw in the last game. Unbeaten this season, NorthEast will fancy their chances of coming away with something from Hyderabad having already bagged a point in their previous away clash against defending champions Bengaluru FC. Star striker Asamoah Gyan and Redeem Tlang have been their most influential players so far having found the back of the net in both their last two games.

Gyan’s strike partner Martin Chaves will also want to have more of a say in the contest, while their midfield trio of Panagiotis Triadis, Jose Leudo and Milan Singh have looked sharp so far, and are capable of changing the game at any juncture of matches. However, NorthEast’s head coach Robert Jarni will be demanding more from his defence after a lapse in concentration cost them two points against Goa. Reagan Singh, Heerings Kai, Mislav Komorski and Rakesh Pradhan make for a formidable backline on paper and if they can keep their focus for the entire 90 minutes, they aren’t likely to concede much.

Probable line-ups:

Hyderabad FC: Kamaljit Singh (GK), Asish Rai, Matthew Kilgallon, Gurtej Singh, Mohammed Yasir, Nikhil Poojary, Marko Stankovic, Abhishek Halder, Rohit Kumar, Marcelo Pereira, Robin Singh

NorthEast United FC: Subhasish Roy (GK), Mislav Komorski, Kai Heerings, Rakesh Pradhan, Reagan Singh, Jose Leudo, Nikhil Kadam, Redeem Tlang, Martin Chaves, Milan Singh, Asamoah Gyan

DID YOU KNOW?

  • Phil Brown’s sides are yet to keep a clean sheet in the Hero ISL.
  • NorthEast United kept six clean sheets from nine away matches last season.
  • Redeem Tlang is the highest-scoring Indian this season.

Fan Speak:

Will NorthEast keep up their unbeaten run or will Hyderabad make it two wins in two?

Have your say in the comments section below.

Live broadcast schedule:

Hero ISL 2019-20 Match 16: Hyderabad FC vs NorthEast United FC

Time: 7:30 PM onwards, November 6th

Channels: Star Sports Network

Streaming: Hotstar and Jio TV