Hyderabad FC open their points tally with a late equalizer against 10-man Mumbai City FC | ISL 2023-24
Mumbai City FC and Hyderabad FC battled to a 1-1 draw at the Mumbai Football Arena on Saturday. The Islanders were down to 10-man early in the game, and even though they managed to score in the second half, Hyderabad FC snatched the victory away with a stoppage-time equalizer.
Coming into the game, the Nizmas were in dire need of securing their first points in the ISL after suffering three consecutive defeats. Thangboi Singto opted to stick with the same lineup following their loss against Chennaiyin FC.
On the other hand, the Islanders were coming off a crushing 6-0 loss to Al-Hilal SFC in the AFC Champions League. They were certainly determined to make a strong comeback, and Des Buckingham picked an attacking lineup, which included Nasser El Khayati making his first start for the club.
Vikram Pratap Singh also made his first start in the league and immediately showed why Buckingham picked him. He was lively early and had a huge chance inside the fifth minute. However, his finishing let him down, as he missed the target with just the goalkeeper to beat.
The game took an unexpected turn when Phurba Lachenpa received a red card in the seventh minute. The Mumbai City goalkeeper rushed off his line to clear the ball, but Joe Knowles reached it first, prompting Lachenpa to cynically foul the striker. Buckingham had no choice but to make a substitution, with goalkeeper Mohammad Nawaz coming on for Vikram Pratap.
With the hosts down to 10 men, Hyderabad FC began dominating possession and controlled the tempo of the game. However, Mumbai City looked dangerous on the counter-attack using Lallianzuala Chhangte and Bipin Singh’s pace.
Hyderabad FC came within inches of breaking the deadlock just before half-time. Nikhil Poojary’s inch-perfect cross found an unmarked Aaren De Silva, but he sent his header wide from a close range.
As the halftime whistle blew, Mumbai City managed to maintain a 0-0 scoreline, despite increasing pressure from Hyderabad FC.
Hyderabad FC score late to secure their first point of the ISL 2023-24 season
Hyderabad FC clearly held the upper hand against the Islanders, but their struggles in the attacking third persisted. Thangboi Singto’s team has managed to score only one goal in their first four matches, and a significant factor contributing to their difficulties is the absence of a clinical finisher and their subpar decision-making when it counts.
Mumbai City, on the other hand, continued to push for the goal, while also defending resolutely. After a period of end-to-end football, Mumbai City found another gear and opened the scoring in the 71st minute despite being a man down.
The pivotal moment came when Greg Stewart’s exceptional through ball found Bipin Singh, who cleverly made a run past Poojary. He then attempted to glide the ball past the goalkeeper, but it took a deflection off Hyderabad FC’s Manoj Mohammed, ultimately nestling in the back of the net.
Late goals have been a recurring theme during this match week, and it was Hyderabad FC’s turn to stun the crowd in Mumbai.
In the fifth minute of stoppage time, Joe Knowles picked the ball on the right flank, intending to deliver a cross. This time, the ball ricocheted off Tiri and found its way into the back of the net, marking the second own goal of the match.
With the result, the Islanders remain fifth in the table with eight points to their name, while Hyderabad FC, despite securing their first points on the board, remain bottom.