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The Bengaluru FC drew with NorthEast United FC 1-1 in their 12th game of the ISL 2023-24 season in Bengaluru today (December 24). It was the Highlanders' 11th game of the season.
NorthEast United FC came into the game placed eighth in the points table, with 10 points from 10 games. They lost their previous game 1-3 against Mohun Bagan Super Giants.
The Blues from Bangalore came into the game being placed ninth in the points table with 10 points from 11 games. Bengaluru FC won their previous game 1-0 against Jamshedpur FC.
A win today for either side would have taken them to sixth in the points table. With that in mind, both teams came into the contest with their eyes set on a clear win.
The match started as a cagey affair as both teams didn't want to concede an early goal. A lot of tackles were made in the early minutes and Jessel Caranio was booked in the 10th minute.
Bengaluru FC suffered a big setback in the 12th minute when Aleksandar Jovanovic got injured and had to be substituted. Shankar Sampingraj replaced him in the centre-back position.
Suresh Singh Wangjam got booked in the 21st minute. Mohammed Bemammer was shown the yellow card in the 23rd minute. The game kept getting heated while neither team managed to create clear-cut openings.
Nestor failed to trouble Gurpreet Singh Sandhu as NorthEast United weren't able to create too many chances. Ryan Williams saw his attempt being saved by Mirshad in the 38th minute. The scoreboard at halftime read 0-0.
The second half started with Bengaluru FC creating an early chance in the 46th minute but Sunil Chhetri failed to utilize. NorthEast United FC had their share of early chances in the second half but Mohammed Bemammer's header went wide.
The Highlanders introduced their local star Parthib Gogoi in the 59th minute, replacing Jithin MS. They also bought Ghani Nigam in place of Macarton in the 66th minute.
Parthib Gogoi was guilty of missing two good chances for NorthEast United FC. First, his header from the center of the box was poor and went wide in the 74th minute. He was all free and should have done better.
The second was probably the best chance of the game. Parthib was one-on-one with an on-rushing Gurpreet but he chipped the ball wide.
NorthEast United finally had the goal they were waiting for, in the 86th minute. Parthib Gogoi was tripped by Naorem Roshan Singh inside the box in the 84th minute, and the referee didn't hesitate to award NorthEast United FC a penalty. Nestor Albiach didn't fail to score from 12 yards out.
When it looked like NorthEast United would secure a historic victory against Bengaluru FC in Bangalore, the Blues had a final trick up their sleeve. Sivasakthi Narayanan scored from a header, off Jessel's cross, in added time to secure a point for his side.
The match ended 1-1, with both teams sharing points. With this result, the two sides remained in the same position they were in at kick-off.
Bengaluru FC continue to disappoint
Bengaluru FC have had a poor start to the season and were the first team to sack their coach midway. Simon Grayson was sacked after a shambolic performance against Mumbai City FC. Gerard Zaragoza replaced Grayson and will take time to get his ideas in place.
Today though, the Blues weren't very effective and scored very late to secure a point. Fans of Bengaluru FC will hope their team gets their act together soon as they have already played 12 games but have managed just 11 points.
Currently, making the top six for Bengaluru FC looks like a tough job but it is something they can achieve.
NorthEast United FC drop points again
NorthEast United FC have taken the lead quite a few times this season but then have failed to hold onto them. Today also, we witnessed something similar happen.
The Highlanders had ample chances to kill the game but they missed them. And then, lack of composure in the end hurt them as Bengaluru FC scored in added time.
Juan Pedro Benali will need to address this issue of his side if they are to harbor any hopes of making the playoffs. Also, a dip in the form of crucial players like Parthib Gogoi, Romain, and Nestor has hurt NorthEast United FC.
NorthEast United are also in search of their perfect playing XI, something that is a big issue and needs to be addressed if they want to secure results.
