"We are in the fight," asserts Manolo Marquez after draw with Bengaluru

The Spaniard spoke after seeing his team deliver a stunning comeback draw against the Blues on Thursday.

Hyderabad FC showed a lot of grit as they held Bengaluru FC to a 2-2 draw in the Indian Super League, thanks to two late goals from Aridane Santana and Fran Sandaza. The Blues shot to a two goal advantage thanks to goals from Sunil Chhetri and Leon Augustine, but a late charge from the Nizams split the points. Manolo Marquez seemed happy with the result, but rued the missed chances, which could have ensured the three points for his team.

Praise for performance

Hyderabad crawled back into the game with two late goals and showed a lot of determination. Speaking on the performance of his players, Manolo Marquez said, “I (have been) proud of my players all season, not only today. We did not deserve to lose this game because we failed very clear chances. The second goal of Bengaluru was a gift from our team. We have got a very important point in this moment."

Happy with point & players

The Spaniard also reflected on the several scoring opportunities that his team missed. He expressed that it was a case of two points lost rather than a point gained. The tactician further added, “I think it's one point more, only six games left to finish the competition and we are in the fight. I am very very proud of these young talented Indian players and foreigners too.

“I'm very happy because people from the bench like Sandaza, Sahil Tavora or Roland (Alberg) were very important when we were losing,” he continued.

Conceding despite dominating possession

Hyderabad were clearly better on the ball, had more passes and share of the possession. Despite that, the team went down by two goals. Speaking on the reasons why this happened, Manolo Marquez explained, “There was a statistic that said we are a team who concedes more goals in transitions. I think the style of the team is this style (possession-based play). Sometimes, we can play very good, but when you make a mistake, practically it’s a very clear chance for the opponent.”

Importance of strikers in race for top four

Aridane ended his goal drough, after having failed to do so in the last six outings. Fran Sandaza also scored the vital equalizer in the dying minutes of the game. Manolo Marquez, when asked about the role his strikers will play in the race for the playoffs, said, “If we can count on both players, we have more possibilities. There are very strong teams in the league.

“I cannot say for sure if Fran and Aridane are in good fitness we will be top four because there are very good teams. Fran is a player who plays at the top level, in not only Spain but he played for Glasgow Rangers. He played in Japan, he played in China, he played in a lot of countries. But, he has problems with injuries. Let’s see if we can count on him because he will be a very important player for us,” the 51-year-old concluded.