ISL 2022-23: Borja Herrera goal helps Hyderabad FC pip Kerala Blasters

Shibu Preman/Focus Sports/ISL

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Kerala Blasters failed to finish the league phase with the best home record after losing 1-0 to Hyderabad FC at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on Sunday in the last ISL game before the playoffs. Borja Herrera scored the only goal of the match in the 29th minute as the defending champions handed the Blasters their third consecutive loss.

In the opening ten minutes of the game, Marko Leskovic was quick to block Javier Siverio's goal-bound shot from close range. However, the rebound fell to Joel Chianese who took an extra touch before volleying it onto the crossbar.

Three minutes later, the hosts came close to drawing first blood when Adrian Luna spotted Vibin Mohanan lurking near the edge of the box. The Uruguayan squared it from the left flank straight into Vibin's path, and he tried to curl it into the top right corner but saw his effort fly wide.

In the 29th minute, Borja Herrera put the visitors in front. The move started with Sahil Tavora's excellent run in the middle third, where he cut into the midfield from the right before finding Halicharan Narzary on the left. The winger pulled it back into the box where Herrera managed to nestle the ball into the far post with a first-time shot.

In the opening ten minutes of the second half, the Blasters tried to string a few passes together and cause problems for the Hyderabad defence. However, the attackers fluffed their lines in the final third as a few chances went missing and others were dealt with by the visitors' defence.

A promising opportunity presented itself to the Blasters when substitute Joao Victor brought Luna down near the edge of the box four minutes past the hour-mark. The Uruguayan took it himself and launched it over the bar as Victor and his teammates heaved a huge sigh of relief.

Four minutes from time, two Hyderabad substitutes combined well but could not put the game to bed. Abdul Rabeeh whipped a good-looking ball into the box and found an unmarked Aaren D'Silva right in front of goal. The attacker failed to keep his header on target but Hyderabad held on to clinch all three points and finished their league season with a tenth clean sheet.

After finishing in second place, Hyderabad will directly feature in the two-legged semi-final against either ATK Mohun Bagan or Odisha FC. Meanwhile, the Blasters will play Bengaluru FC in the first playoff game on Friday.