New Delhi, Nov 23 (IANS) NorthEast United FC scored a terrific 2-1 victory against Punjab FC as an early burst by their frontline paved the way for the Highlanders to grab three points from this encounter in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here on Saturday.
Reduced to 10 men due to the sending off of Dinesh Singh in the added time of the first half, NorthEast United FC held their defensive line together to sail through the second essay of the game comfortably. The floodgates for the initial onslaught were laid by the industrious attacking unit of the Highlanders, who made constructive efforts towards stretching the opposition’s backline.
Star striker Alaaeddine Ajaraie took the onus upon him to assume a free-flowing role and took the ball deep on the left flank, surging ahead and delivering a decisive cross inside the 18-yard box. While the ball landed in the overcrowded penalty area, Guillermo Fernandez reached the right spot at the right time to tap the pass in and secure the advantage for the Highlanders in the 15th minute.
This goal flooded the Highlanders’ setup with plenty of confidence and they began exploring their goal-scoring opportunities with greater focus and vigour. Three minutes later, the duo of Buanthanglun Samte and Néstor Albiach joined hands to net the second strike of the evening.
In a somewhat similar template as the first goal, Samte marched ahead on the inside channel of the left flank and lobbed in a perfectly weighted pass for Nestor who was at the centre of the 18-yard box. The attacker met the ball appropriately, volleying the strike into the top left corner to double his side’s lead and get them a considerable few steps ahead in the contest.
The Highlanders’ march was halted with Dinesh receiving his second yellow card of the match just as the first-half whistle was about to be blown. It compelled head coach Juan Pedro Benali to undertake a more strategic approach in the final 45 minutes, and so his side did – narrowing the game, limiting the opposition’s flow of attacks, taking their time in building up play, and not losing possession easily.
Punjab FC could find only late solace through Ivan Novoselec’s right-footed goal from inside the centre of the box in the 88th minute – but it was too little, too late for the team to take any point away from this match.
–IANS
aaa/
Disclaimer
The information contained in this website is for general information purposes only. The information is provided by TodayIndia.news and while we endeavour to keep the information up to date and correct, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the website for any purpose. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk.
In no event will we be liable for any loss or damage including without limitation, indirect or consequential loss or damage, or any loss or damage whatsoever arising from loss of data or profits arising out of, or in connection with, the use of this website.
Through this website you are able to link to other websites which are not under the control of TodayIndia.news We have no control over the nature, content and availability of those sites. The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them.
Every effort is made to keep the website up and running smoothly. However, TodayIndia.news takes no responsibility for, and will not be liable for, the website being temporarily unavailable due to technical issues beyond our control.
For any legal details or query please visit original source link given with news or click on Go to Source.
Our translation service aims to offer the most accurate translation possible and we rarely experience any issues with news post. However, as the translation is carried out by third part tool there is a possibility for error to cause the occasional inaccuracy. We therefore require you to accept this disclaimer before confirming any translation news with us.
If you are not willing to accept this disclaimer then we recommend reading news post in its original language.