NorthEast United defeated FC Goa 1-1 in a close Indian Super League (ISL) match on Tuesday.
Mohammad Yasir gave FC Goa the lead in the 65th minute, but Jithin MS scored for Northeastern in the 76th minute. In the end, each side gets one point.
This is the 11th time the two teams have tied, and it is also the most frequent stalemate between the two teams in the history of ISL.
Also Read | I-League 2024-25 Summary: Shillong Lajong beat Bengaluru SC; Namdali moves to second spot with Inter Kashi win
Guillermo Fernandez and Alaaeddine Ajaraie impressed early on for the Highlanders, keeping the FC Goa defense on their toes.
The first real chance of the game came to the Gaurs, though, as Dejan Dragic’s cross into the box found Armando Sadiku. However, the Albanian’s header was easily blocked by goalkeeper Gurmeet Singh.
Ajaraie had a chance to score a few minutes later when Buanthanglun Samte sent in a long pass. The Moroccan scored but his subsequent shot was hit against the crossbar by Hritik Tiwari.
Northeastern started the second half with just as much enthusiasm as they did in the first. However, they lacked the edge to break through Goa’s resolute backline in the final third.
FC Goa’s Mohammed Yasir scores the goal | Photo: ISL MEDIA
FC Goa’s Mohammed Yasir scores the goal | Photo: ISL MEDIA
Assistant coach Naushad Moosa made a change in the 59th minute, replacing Guillermo and Muthu Mayakkannan with Nestor Albiach and Ninthoinganba Meetei.
Nestor made an almost immediate impact after linking up with Ajaraei for a pass, and Hrithik lost the ball in the crowd to create space for the Spaniard. But Odaiyi Onandia kept the dangerous ball out of the goal.
In the 65th minute of the game, FC Goa broke the deadlock with Jay Gupta making a long pass into the penalty area. Yasir then hit the ball toward Brisson. The youngster passed the ball to Yasser, who struck the ball into the bottom right corner to give the Gaurs an important lead.
After a sustained long pass, the Highlanders decided to counterattack FC Goa. Ajaraie controlled the ball brilliantly and then played a brilliant through ball for Jithin. The winger eventually passed the ball past Hrithik in the 76th minute.
