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Football

Durand Cup Semi Final preview: Bengaluru FC vs Hyderabad FC

Manolo Marquez’s Hyderabad FC are ready to play fellow-Indian Super League club Bengaluru FC in a much-anticipated Semifinal battle at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan here in Kolkata on Thursday, after knocking Rajasthan United out of the Durand Cup in the Quarterfinal.

Hyderabad upset the I-League side 3-1 in the previous round, while Bengaluru FC downed Odisha FC 2-1 after extra time in another tight quarterfinal to set up this intriguing match.

Bengaluru FC, one of the competition’s most reliable teams, is one of just two teams yet to lose in the Durand Cup this year. Simon Grayson’s team has put in some strong and remarkable performances this season, making them a major danger in the tournament.

HFC Head Coach Manolo Marquez feels that the likes of Roy Krishna, Sunil Chhetri, and N. Sivasakthi have been unstoppable in front of goal and would be the danger men for Hyderabad in this encounter.

“BFC are playing different sorts of systems, but they have recruited some pretty talented attackers,” the Spaniard stated of their next opponents. “Krishna and Javi Hernandez are joined by some very good young prospects such as Naorem Roshan Singh, Sivasakthi, and others to form an exciting squad,” he remarked.

“As we saw in both ISL games last season, they are a tough and physical club, so we must attempt to keep to our style of play.” They have dangerous attacking players, and we must prepare for a difficult game,” Coach Manolo continued.

Nigerian striker Bartholomew Ogbeche has also been on a roll this season, netting five goals, including the first of three against Rajasthan United in the most recent encounter. Javi Siverio and Akash Mishra had their first taste of scoring in the Durand Cup, and they will be confident coming into this game. Manolo Marquez noted that HFC had employed 24 players in the Durand Cup this season and suggested that additional changes to the Starting XI might be made for this Semifinal meeting.

“We know we’re in pre-season, and we now have one more round following a strong performance against Rajasthan. It’s normal to have ups and downs throughout preseason, especially when it’s long,” Manolo said.

“We are pleased with the minutes that each player has received, but we want to win every game, and we will do our best on Thursday,” he continued.

We may expect some sparks at Salt Lake Stadium with both sides looking for trophies and a morale-boosting pre-season.

Kajal S

Kajal S

kajal

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