Mumbai City beat Hyderabad FC 1-0 in the 57th match of the Indian Super League at the Mumbai Football Arena on Saturday, November 30. The hosts got on the scoresheet thanks to Mehtab Singh‘s header off a Lallianzuala Chhangte ball from the corner in the 29th minute.
The Nawabs, playing in their maroon away strip, bore the relentless pressure the Islanders put upon them in the first half and tried to come back in the second, but failed to do so. Mumbai head coach Petr Kratky will be pleased with his wards’ performance, coming as it did after a limpid 0-3 defeat to Punjab FC at home.
Hyderabad, who lost 0-6 against Odisha in their previous game, were kept in check by the hosts all game and hardly looked like causing them trouble, except for individual pockets of play late on in the second half. The Islanders go up to the sixth position of the ISL table with 13 points after this game while Hyderabad keep languishing in the 11th spot with 7 points inside their kitty.
Here are three key takeaways from this match:
#1 Petr Kratky’s aggressive tactics
Mumbai City, who are known for their aggressive game play, seemed a tad lackluster in their previous game against Punjab, which they lost 0-3. However, in this game against Hyderabad, head coach Kratky ensured that his wards started the game on the front foot and did not waste any time in keeping the ball.
Their sole aim was to pass the ball quickly to more attack-minded players and allow them opportunities to get behind the Hyderabad backline and create chances. Kratky made it very clear that Mumbai were not to waste time on the ball and were to focus solely on creating chances.
One saw a lot of short passes, swift touches and attempts to breach the Hyderabad backline through the wings. Kratky was animated on the sidelines at all times demanding his players to push and bring the best out of their potential. His objective was to catch the Nawabs unawares on the ball and not allow them the time and space to carry out their plans.
To this extent, he took Jon Toral off in the 30th minute to bring Brandon Fernandes on. Although the Spaniard had taken a knock, he declared himself fit to carry on. Kratky, however, was having none of it and decided that he needed a fully fit player to fulfill his ambition of carrying an all-out offensive against Hyderabad.
#2 Hyderabad’s ability to soak pressure
Hyderabad could count themselves immensely fortunate given that they conceded just one goal in the first half despite seeing numerous chances being created by their opponents. The Islanders took fourteen shots in the first half, and all but one of them were thwarted by the visitors’ defenders.
Alex Saji and Stefan Sapic, who took a lot of flak for their ordinary showing against Odisha at home in their previous game, stood up to be counted in the first half and displayed immense grit in the centre of the park.
Coach Singto saw his fullbacks Mohammed Rafi and Parag Shrivas get booked for challenges early on in the game and took them both off in the 41st minute and brought Leander D’Cunha and Sourav K on. The idea was to protect his team’s shape against Mumbai’s rampaging wingers Lallianzuala Chhangte and Vikram Partap Singh and not risk his players getting sent off.
#3 Valpuia’s standalone show
Mumbai right-back Valpuia was at his imperious best in this game and showcased yet again why his is one of the biggest rising stocks in Indian football. The 24-year-old had a passing accuracy of 86 percent which made him an important cog of the Islanders’ wheel while going forward. He also won all the tackles and aerial duels he went into and excelled in one-on-one situations.
Valpuia was up against his fellow Mizo Ramhlunchhunga in this game, and although the latter did not do himself any discredit, at one stage he had to pull away and play in the central attacking midfielder’s position to free himself from the former’s clutches. The former Punjab FC man was equally efficient while going forward or tracking back.
Admittedly, Valpuia had the cushion of Mehtab Singh and Tiri beside him in defence, but his technical manoeuvres were applauded by Kratky even when he was at his most critical self. The young player, who recently earned an India cap against Malaysia, needs to keep working hard on his game and ensure that he keeps improving with every match he plays.
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