ISL 2024-25: Hyderabad FC eyes extending unbeaten streak to four games as it visits NorthEast United FC
ISL 2024-25: Hyderabad FC eyes extending unbeaten streak to four games as it visits NorthEast United FC
NorthEast United FC will host Hyderabad FC in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 on January 29, Wednesday, at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium, Guwahati.
Hyderabad FC is entering the match on the back of a 3-2 victory over Jamshedpur FC, furthering its unbeaten stretch to three games (W1 D2).
The team will be looking to bag back-to-back wins for the first time since their five-game winning sequence in the 2022-23 season. The side’s recent scoring form, netting in each of its last three matches, reflects positivity, especially after it was unable to find the back of the net in nine of their first 14 games this season.
Hyderabad FC interim head coach Shameel Chembakath said that his team has taken significant confidence from their win in the last match.
“The victory was a big positive for us, especially at home. However, the confidence boost that it has given us is even more important,” he said.
NorthEast United is currently sixth in the points table, with 25 points from 17 matches, having won six games and drawn seven. The Nizams, on the other hand, are placed at the penultimate spot with 13 points from 17 matches, with three wins and four draws.
The Highlanders are facing stiff competition from Odisha FC (24), Kerala Blasters FC (21), and Punjab FC (20), which follow them respectively in the standings.
NorthEast United FC head coach Juan Pedro Benali asserted the magnitude of this match for his team. “It’s a final for us and we need to work hard and get the points. It’s a final for them too, because they’re a good team and they don’t want to be down,” he said.
The two teams have faced each other 11 times in the ISL, with Hyderabad FC winning six games, and NorthEast United FC emerging victorious twice. Three encounters have produced draws.
The Highlanders would look to register consecutive wins over Hyderabad FC for the first time in ISL history, having beaten its 5-2 in the reverse fixture earlier this season.
