ISL 2022-23, NorthEast United vs Bengaluru FC: Bengaluru FC leave it late to stun NorthEast United

Bengaluru FC overcame NorthEast United’s challenge courtesy of an injury-time winner from Alan Costa. The second half saw both teams cancel each other out, with two brilliantly taken goals before the Blues secured the victory with minutes left to play.

Bengaluru FC started on the front foot in the opening exchanges. Their wing-backs advanced up the pitch and looked to deliver crosses for the likes of Sivashakthi Narayanan and Roy Krishna. The former, in particular, looked lively, making runs behind the defense.

However, it was NorthEast United who had the first clear-cut chance of the game in the 10th minute. Rochharzela threaded an inch-perfect through ball to Wilmar Jordan, but his shot was parried away by Gurpreet Singh Sandhu.

The Blues dominated possession and continued to probe forward. Moreover, the Highlanders’ wingers were forced to track back and defend the spaces on the flanks. But Vincenzo Annese’s men were defensively compact and aimed to hit Bengaluru FC on the break.

The game was evenly poised after the first quarter, but there were very few opportunities for either side. Philippoteau’s shot from the edge of the box was blocked in the 37th minute, but the best chance of the half fell to Sivashakthi’s feet.

Roy Krishna dribbled past the lunging Gaurav Bora before setting up his strike partner with a stunning outside-the-boot pass. Sivashakthi’s effort, however, was smartly saved by the outrushing Mirshad Michu. The first forty-five minutes summed up the troubles both sides have faced this season, as they only had one shot on target. The first half ended in a stalemate.

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Bengaluru FC find a way past NorthEast United in the second half

Bengaluru FC arrived with intent and shifted gears in the second half. Their early pressure was rewarded when Sivashakthi found the back of the net in the 50th minute. A driving run from Parag Shrivas from the backline was the architect of the goal. His pass found the forward, who expertly slotted the ball into the top corner of the net.

Grayson’s tactical alteration to push Parag forward seems to have worked wonders for the Blues. After a strong start, they began to dominate the match. Roshan Singh and Roy Krishna also had their shots saved by Michu in the opening quarter of the second half.

However, NorthEast United displayed resilience and equalized in the 66th minute. Alan Costa was adjudged to have handled the ball near the edge of the box. Philippoteaux then effortlessly drilled the resulting free-kick past Sandhu.

With just 10 minutes left, Michu was once again called into action. Prabhir Das’ delightful cross from the right flank found super-sub Sunil Chhetri, but his diving header was superbly pushed away by the goalkeeper.

Bengaluru FC, however, snatched all three points as Costa redeemed himself in stoppage time. He claimed his second goal of the season courtesy of an impressive header from a Udanta Singh delivery to make it 2-1. The win propelled them past East Bengal in the standings and could prove to be a massive result as the season progresses. They moved into eighth place with 13 points to their name.

For NorthEast United, the agony continues. The performance was a marked improvement from their last game against Hyderabad FC, but this has been the story of their campaign. As a result, the Highlanders remain rock bottom of the table with just three points to their tally.