Hyderabad striker Bartholomew Ogbeche became the outright top scorer in Indian Super League history when he netted his second goal – one of five his team scored on the night – against a struggling NorthEast United.
As such, Hyderabad stretched their lead at the top of the Indian Super League table. Manolo Marquez’s men scored five at the Fatorda on Monday night – two of which were scored by Ogbeche, who became the outright top scorer in Indian Super League history with 49 goals, one better than Sunil Chhetri and Ferran Corominas.
Three minutes into the match, Hyderabad took the lead. A well-worked corner routine created an opportunity for Juanan at the back post, but the defender’s header across the box bounced off the post. The loose ball rebounded into the path of a lurking Ogbeche, and the 37-year-old smashed in a volley from close range for his 13th goal of the season.
Set-pieces proved to be NorthEast United’s Achilles Heel throughout the night; the Highlanders conceded another just before the end of the first half. Joel Chianese delivered a teasing cross into the six-yard box from a corner, where a springy Akash Mishra was waiting to flick it past the goalkeeper for 2-0.
Hyderabad’s third goal was the result of a dead ball too. As the clock showed 60 minutes played, Chianese delivered an out-swinging cross from the right that was punched away by Subhasish Chowdhury, but only as far as Souvik Chakrabarty on the edge of the box.
The midfielder sent the ball back towards the back-post, where Chianese, unselfishly, cushioned it into the path of Ogbeche, who bundled it over the line for his second – and a historic 49th – goal.
VP Suhair had the ball in the back of the net at the other end in the 71st minute, but his goal was ruled out for offside. Later still, Nikhil Poojary’s low shot across the goalkeeper nestled into the back of the net, putting Hyderabad four goals to the good.
But the Nizams weren’t done yet. Two minutes from time, Javier Siverio beat Patrick Flottmann to the loose ball, stood up his marker on the edge of the box, and played in a perfectly-weighted reverse pass to Edu Garcia, who finished with a first-time shot across the box from the left, punctuating a memorable night for Marquez’s side.
2021/22 Indian Super League Top 4
| # | Team | Matches played | Goal difference | Points |
| 1 | Hyderabad | 14 | +20 | 26 |
| 2 | Jamshedpur | 12 | +20 | 22 |
| 3 | Kerala Blasters | 12 | +7 | 20 |
| 4 | Bengaluru | 14 | +7 | 20 |
