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Defending champions Hyderabad FC beat East Bengal 2-0 in matchweek 10 of the ISL 2022-23 season at the GMC Balayogi Athletic Stadium on Friday, December 9.
Although both teams were cautious in the opening exchanges, the Nizams opened the scoring through Mohammad Yasir's thunderous volley in the 38th minute.
At the other end of the pitch, the Red and Gold Brigade had a glorious opportunity to restore parity in the dying moments of the first half, but Cleiton Silva squandered the chance.
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Coming out after the break, even with a goal down, East Bengal reverted to their respectful approach. The Kolkata Giants just looked lackluster in the attack even as they tried to up the ante.
Hyderabad FC, meanwhile, missed a couple of opportunities before Javier Siverio finally doubled their lead in the 85th minute.
On that note, let's take a look at three talking points from the intense encounter:
#1 Bartholomew Ogbeche's poor form in front of goal continues
Bartholomew Ogbeche has so far scored just two goals in nine matches, with the Nigerian forward now going seven games without finding the back of the net. Extremely poor returns from last season's Golden Boot winner.
The goal drought has seemingly affected Ogbeche's usual composure and calmness in front of goal.
The talismanic forward failed to register even a single attempt on target against East Bengal. He was also poor in possession and completed just 40 percent of his passes.
#2 Hyderabad FC make defending look easy with their discipline
The defending champions haven't looked as prolific as they were last season. But they're still a lean, mean defensive machine.
The centre-back pairing of Chinglensana Singh and Odei Onaindia has brought a sense of calm amidst the storm. Full-backs Nikhil Poojary and Akash Mishra have also added a lot of panache down the flanks.
However, it's their discipline in the defensive phase that makes Hyderabad FC truly impenetrable. East Bengal registered just two shots on target on Friday night.
#3 East Bengal massively lack creativity in the central area
Against Jamshedpur FC, the Red and Gold Brigade looked lethal in transition, especially down the left channel. The creativity was being provided by a relentless Naorem Mahesh Singh. However, Manolo Marquez and Hyderabad FC did their homework.
The Nizams utilized their full-backs to pin back the East Bengal wingers and cut down their productivity. The visitors were forced to play down the middle.
However, neither Jordan O'Doherty nor Alex Lima could provide the necessary creativity from the middle. The Kolkata giants continued to lack a clinical provider in the final third throughout the 90 minutes.
