Hyderabad was all over Odisha territory in the opening minutes of the game, forcing opponents to play deep. They won a series of corners in the first 10 minutes and almost capitalized on a goal.
Their persistence paid off after the half hour mark when Odisha captain Steven Taylor manipulated the ball inside the box in an attempt to block Halicharan Narzary’s shot. Santana kept her composure and got on the scoreboard in the 35th minute.
It was only in the 40th minute of the match that Hyderabad goalkeeper Subrata Paul made his first save, frustrating Odisha striker Manuel Onwu. Hyderabad had a chance to extend their lead, but standout Arshdeep Singh made a couple of good saves just before the half-time whistle sounded.
Minutes after the restart, Odisha had his best chance to restore parity. But Nandhakumar Sekar’s poor first touch allowed Mishra to make a crucial tackle to save the goal.
Hyderabad nearly doubled the lead on a set piece, but Joao Victor’s goal was rightly ruled offside. Liston Colaco, who constantly haunted Odisha’s defense, nearly produced a magical moment in the 67th minute, when he dribbled from the middle of the way into the area but couldn’t find the shot. In the end, however, the failures did not matter, as Hyderabad stood firm for victory.
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