Hyderabad look to make most of Goa’s woes in defence (Preview Match 43)

Vasco (Goa), Dec 29 : It has been a mixed campaign for Hyderabad FC so far in the Indian Super League (ISL). Manuel Marquez’s team was unbeaten after five games but now back-to-back defeats have seen them slip to eighth on the table.
Another stern test in FC Goa awaits them at the Tilak Maidan Stadium on Thursday but Goa’s defence woes will provide Hyderabad the hope to get back on track.
Sixth-placed Goa have been among the most fearsome attacking teams this season, having scored 10 goals so far. However, in defence, they have found it hard to keep things tight, conceding nine goals while recording just one clean sheet. Seven of them have come through set-pieces — the most by a team this season.
Marquez is aware of Goa’s defensive struggles and knows his team will have their chances to win. Hyderabad, who have often been guilty of missing chances this season, will need to ensure they need to be clinical in front of goal.
“These kinds of things (conceding goals) are normal in football. If you are an offensive team, you can have problems in defence and vice-versa,” Marquez said on FC Goa.
“Goa have an offensive style because they arrive with a lot of players when they attack. They have very good players, everybody knows that. It’s not only about Igor Angulo but also their midfielders and forwards. But for their defence sometimes, when the other team is in counter-attack, there are less defenders than attackers and it becomes very difficult to defend.”