NorthEast United vs Hyderabad: Preview and Prediction
Opposite poles will collide in ‘Match 77’ of the 2021-22 Indian Super League season, where high-flying Hyderabad will clash with the struggling NorthEast United at the Fatorda Stadium on Monday.
The decision of sticking with head coach Manuel Marquez has paid dividends for Hyderabad, as at the time of writing, they are occupying pole position in the standings. The Nizams have accumulated 23 points from 13 matches.
On the other hand, last season’s semi-finalists NorthEast United have been appalling this time around. The Highlanders have gathered only 10 points from their 14 matches and are placed in the tenth position.
Current Form
There will be no dearth of confidence in the Hyderabad camp and they are unbeaten in their last three matches – winning two of them and drawing the other one. In their previous encounter, they eked out a 3-2 win against Odisha.
It was an impressive victory, given that the Nizams had only two days of rest after their emphatic 4-0 triumph against East Bengal. Before these two wins, Marquez’s men played out a 1-1 draw against Chennaiyin.
NorthEast United are among the only two teams who have not won any of their last five matches. From their previous three encounters, Khalid Jamil’s men have picked up a solitary point.
That point came in their last match against Mumbai City, which produced a 1-1 stalemate. Before facing the Islanders, the Highlanders suffered consecutive defeats, a 2-1 loss against Chennaiyin, and a 2-0 loss against Odisha.
Head to Head Record
Hyderabad has the upper hand when it comes to head-to-head records, as they have won three of the five meetings against NorthEast United. The Highlanders have had the last laugh on only one occasion, while another match ended in a draw.
Jamil’s men will not be willing to reminisce about the first meeting of this season, where they were handed a 5-1 drubbing by the Nizams. A Bartholomew Ogbeche brace and goals from Chinglensana Singh, Javi Siverio, and Aniket Jadhav comprised Hyderabad’s five goals, while Laldanmawia Ralte was on strike for NorthEast United.
Team News
Patrick Flottmann is expected to return in NorthEast United’s defense
Jamil has been dealt with a massive blow even before the kickoff, as his reliable midfield general Hernan Santana needs to serve a one-game suspension after picking up four yellow cards.
He is likely to be replaced by last match’s goalscorer Mohamed Irshad, while it will allow the I-League winning tactician to field an extra foreigner in Patrick Flottmann. The Aussie could be paired in central defense alongside Zakaria Diallo, dropping Mashoor Shereef to the bench.
Despite the result going in their favor, the Nizams were not particularly sleek in their last match against Odisha. Hence, Marquez is expected to make a few tweaks to his starting XI. Chinglensana, who scored in the previous match against the Highlanders, could make a comeback in Nim Dorjee Tamang’s place.
Sahil Tavora can replace Sauvik Chakrabarti in the middle of the park, while Mohammad Yasir is expected to get the nod ahead of Nikhil Poojary for the right winger’s role, following the latter’s subpar show against the Kalinga Warriors.
Predicted Starting Lineups
NorthEast United (4-2-3-1): Subhasish Roy; Provat Lakra, Patrick Flottmann, Zakaria Diallo, Gurjinder Kumar; Sehnaj Singh, Mohamed Irshad; VP Suhair, Marco Sahanek, Imran Khan; Marcelinho.
Hyderabad (4-2-3-1): Laxmikant Kattimani; Asish Rai, Chinglensana Singh, Juanan, Akash Mishra; Sahil Tavora, Joao Victor; Mohammad Yasir, Joel Chianese, Aniket Jadhav; Bartholomew Ogbeche.
Prediction
Be it head-to-head statistics, overall performance, or current form, Hyderabad is ahead of NorthEast United in every single aspect. Hence, we have predicted a 2-0 win in the Nizams’ favor.