Bengaluru FC Faces Hyderabad FC in ISL Showdown at Sree Kanteerava Stadium

Bengaluru FC hosts Hyderabad FC at Sree Kanteerava Stadium for the second matchweek of the ISL 2024-25 season. The Blues aim for consecutive wins against Hyderabad FC, while Hyderabad seeks to regain form after starting previous seasons with losses. Key players include BFC's Vinith Venkatesh and Hyderabad's Abdul Rabeeh.

Bengaluru FC will host Hyderabad FC at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium to kick off the second matchweek of the Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 season on Thursday at 7:30 pm IST. The Blues have won just twice in their last ten ISL meetings against Hyderabad FC and are chasing their first-ever consecutive victories against the team. Conversely, Hyderabad FC will seek early rhythm after having lost their opening games in each of the previous three ISL seasons.

"He (Vinith) had a good first half, but he's too young. He has quality, but he needs to improve a lot of things with his body, his movements, and tactically understand the game. We will work with him to make him even better. He was nervous; it was his first match at Kanteerava, playing with people like Sunil Chhetri, Rahul (Bheke), and players like this. He was nervous after the ball... then it came to one injury, and we hope it's not too much. And soon he will be ready to play again," praised Bengaluru FC head coach Gerard Zaragoza ahead of the match, as quoted by ISL. Hyderabad FC head coach Thangboi Singto kept focused on the broader picture, hoping the team strikes the right chords within a few games and begins making progressive strides.

"We want to progress from last season. We do not want to set targets already. We want to build things now, and the coming two-three matches will be crucial, since a few overseas players are yet to join the team. Once they join us, understand us, and we understand them, we will have a clearer picture of where we want to reach," said Singto. Players to watch in this clash would be Vinith Venkatesh of Bengaluru FC and Hyderabad's Abdul Rabeeh.

Bengaluru FC's Vinith Venkatesh, at 19 years and 45 days old, is the youngest goal scorer for the team in the ISL and the fourth youngest scorer overall. He is also the youngest player to score on his debut in the ISL. The Blues will hope that their academy graduate continues to deliver consistently upfront this season. Bengaluru FC's Nikhil Poojary is on the verge of making his 100th ISL appearance. For Hyderabad FC, 23-year-old forward Abdul Rabeeh will be an important player, having completed 53 long progressive carries (carries with upfield movement of 10+ meters) in the ISL since the start of 2024, the third highest among all Indian players in this span (Manvir Singh - 85, Jay Gupta - 62).

(With inputs from agencies.)