Manolo Marquez feels Hyderabad deserved at least a point from the game

The coach spoke after his team fell to a third defeat of the season.

Last season’s runners-up ATK Mohun Bagan handed a third defeat of the season to Hyderabad FC, after a 2-1 loss in the Indian Super League. The contest saw three goals in the second half, courtesy of Liston Colaco and Manvir Singh scoring for the Mariners, while Joel Chianese scored one for the Nizams. The Hyderabad FC boss Manolo Marquez saw his side giving everything to find a late equalizer, but Juan Ferrando’s men held on to their lead.

The result will be a major reality check for Hyderabad FC, who are still sitting at the top of the league table. Their quest for the first-ever playoffs finish is still intact, but conceding defeat at this stage, against a team that is a direct contender will be a tough one to take. 

Manolo Marquez spoke to the media during the post-match press conference. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idWW_P0vTWM

Deserved a draw

Manolo Marquez feels his team were unlucky to come away empty-handed. He is of the opinion that his team deserved a draw because of their attacking push in the latter stages of the match. In this regard, he said, “In the first half, ATK Mohun Bagan played better than us.

"In the second half, it was totally the opposite, especially after the two goals. We reacted really well. I think they deserved to win the first half, but we attacked a lot in the second half. We deserved at least a draw from the game.”

Unhappy with first half performance

The tactician made two changes at half-time break and used all five substitutes available in the game. Speaking on why he needed to make half-time changes, Manolo Marquez responded, saying “I was not happy because we did not play well in the first half.

"It was not about their pressing, in some moments we were losing the ball (with no pressure). Finally, we lost today, but we have five games and must think about the next game against Bengaluru FC.”

Failed to take advantage

ATK Mohun Bagan were forced into making two early changes and the boss feels that his team could not use that situation to their advantage. In this context, he said, “You don’t plan on losing two players in one half. But, the players who entered were very good players. We had to take advantage of this situation, but we did not play well, especially in the first half.”

ATKMB have good players

Speaking in the context of whether ATKMB are strong contenders for the top four places, the tactician said, “Of course, it is a very big team. They have very good players. They are a big team in India, runners-up from last season, lost the regular season title when they had a five-point advantage over Mumbai.

"We are talking about the best team in India. So, for sure they are one of the favourites to win the ISL and finish in the top four. All the teams are very equal.”

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