Hyderabad FC won their first-ever Indian Super League (ISL) title on Sunday night, getting the better of Kerala Blasters after a tightly-contested final that had to be decided by a penalty shootout (3-1).
In what was only their third season in the ISL, Manuel Manolo Marquez's men scripted a comeback of sorts to win a richly deserved title.
Hyderabad, after finishing second in the league stage, defeated ATK Mohun Bagan FC in the play-offs. In the final, they were trailing with two minutes remaining in normal time. Just as it looked it might be a night of disappointment, Sahil Tavora helped the Nizams equalise and force the match into extra time and a penalty shootout.
In the shootout, goalkeeper Laxmikant Kattimani was the saviour, stopping three penalties, to help Hyderabad win the title.
A lot of work has gone into changing Hyderabad from newbies to title-winners. Let's take a look at five reasons why the Nizams won the ISL trophy.
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