ISL 2020-21: An important start for hopeful Hyderabad

Moving away from the trend of registering very few shots on target, the 2020-21 Indian Super League (ISL) match between Odisha and Hyderabad on Monday had seven attempts that the goalkeepers were forced to stop. 

Hyderabad had four shots on goal and Odisha tried their luck with three. However, interestingly. Hyderabad's goalkeeper Subrata Paul had an easy night in between the sticks. Overall, it was a good night for Manuel Marquez and there were a lot of positives to note down. 

Santana leads the way 

It was important for a team like Hyderabad, who had a disastrous debut campaign last season, to start on a winning note. By winning their season opener, Hyderabad have already won half the number of games they won last season. The Nizams have also registered their first-ever clean sheet in ISL. 

There was a lot to like about how Aridane Santana led the line for his team against his former employers. Santana's move may have slipped under the radar on social media considering the number of big-name arrivals at other teams but the Spanish striker had nine goals and two assists to his name from 14 matches last season - an impressive tally whichever way you look at it. 

An unfortunate injury had cut his season short but he's now back in yellow instead of blue and looked hungry to get off the mark. There have been debates about what constitutes a handball in various leagues around the world but as Steven Taylor slid inside the box to block Halicharan Narzary's shot after the half-hour mark, the ball struck the defender's arm which was away from the body.

The player's intention did not matter in this scenario as the referee Tejas Nagvenkar pointed to the spot right away. Santana confidently dispatched the spot-kick to put his team in the lead and the advantage was rarely threatened for the rest of the game. 

Impressive Indian duo 

There were two Indian players who impressed with their performances for Hyderabad. Left-back Akash Mishra was solid throughout the game and his display earned praise from Manuel Marquez. The coach said that the 18-year-old defender can become the best left-back in India - that's a good way to start the season!

Liston Colaco, who came on in the 62nd minute in place of Mohammed Yasir, was a delight to watch when he got on the ball. Granted, he was given time on the ball by his opponents but there were a few sumptuous touches in the centre by the former FC Goa forward that will have caught the eye of his coaching staff.

Odisha didn't look ready

Like a lot of the teams who have played their opening games this season, Stuart Baxter's Odisha also lacked a punch in all areas of the pitch. This could be attributed due to the improper pre-season that they were forced into due to the Coronavirus pandemic but the teams who can overcome that challenge early on in the season will be favourites to get into the playoffs. 

Baxter chose to go with Diego Mauricio upfront and pushed last season's star striker Manuel Onwu out onto the left flank. There may be reasons for a head coach to do that but Onwu's effect in the game was reduced by him being played out of position. Experiments will be forgiven by the fans at the start of the season but they will hope the Juggernauts can bounce back in the next game - against Jamshedpur on Sunday.