The stakes were high in the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium In Guwahati as Ivan Vukomanovic‘s Kerala Blasters FC and Juan Benali‘s Northeast United FC locked horns in a much-awaited clash in the ISL 2023-24 season. Northeast United stomped over KBFC with ease through a 2-0 victory thereby also strengthening their hopes for the all-important playoff spot in front of the 4000+ fans who gathered in the stadium which sure does pave the way for their huge increase in their confidence in the upcoming matches.
While Northeast United appeared with the slightest chance of securing their playoff ticket by altering their whole squad, KBFC, who already had booked their position in the playoffs, lined up to make ten changes from their previous lineup
Both teams took advantage of the vulnerabilities in the other’s defense to get the match off in an advantageous manner. In the game’s opening minute, Buan Samte was the first to create an instant opportunity for NEUFC through the left flank. Although his shot was on target, he crossed the ball expecting someone to make a connection. Redeem Tlang also came through the center, attempting a shot but fortunately, the Yellow Army’s defense had it all under control.
The visitors’ first huge opportunity appeared in the tenth minute when Mohammed Aimen stunned the entire defense by dribbling past two players and attempting a shot that was inches away from a stunning goal, setting up an intensely competitive game. But the host’s custodian Gurmeet Singh denied it by a remarkable save.
Both teams made numerous errors during the game that kept the score still for a very long time. As a result, it became difficult to determine who was the strongest of the two since both sides played the game with immense energy. On one side, the slightest chance of a playoff spot, and on the other, it was all about setting up the pace and building enough confidence for their progress in this league.
Redeem Tlang scored the first goal of the match. It was a result of an opportunity created by Jithin M.S. in the 23rd minute, but the guests were rescued this time by the referee’s wise call on the offside. Since Kerala Blasters FC had been incredibly inconsistent in their previous five games, their debutant goalkeeper, Lara Sharma, also looked quite promising throughout the game.
The first half also witnessed a hard foul on Ishan Pandita while dribbling which was deserving of a card, but the referee surprisingly didn’t take any decision on it. A monotonous half eventually came to an end on a 0-0 scoreline with many chances but still an empty scoreboard.
The second half emerged with the great performance of Nestor Albiach, who was very lethal from the first half itself, but he became more dangerous on the field after the arrival of his French teammate Romain Philippoteaux.
In the second half of the game, Daisuke Sakai also began to contribute a lot more for KBFC with many key passes and on-target freekicks, yet he was still unable to etch his name onto the scoreboard. The crowd erupted once again in the 83rd minute when Northeast United scored the crucial goal by Nestor Albiach in front of their supporters, causing the stadium to burst into celebratory cheers.
The Highlanders struck again in the dying moments through Jithin M.S. who has successfully managed to score his 2nd goal of the season which led to the conclusion of an unpredictable game.
The incredible win over the Blasters has given all new hopes for Northeast United FC as they climbed up the points table from 11th to the 7th position and hopefully, a dream run in this edition of the Hero ISL.
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