NorthEast United FC 1-2 Bengaluru FC: 3 things we learned from the ISL 2022-23 encounter

Bengaluru FC left it extremely late to defeat NorthEast United FC 2-1 in an ISL 2022-23 encounter at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium in Guwahati on Friday, January 6.

The Blues went ahead through a stunning strike from Sivasakthi Narayanan five minutes into the second half. However, Romain Philippoteaux equalized for the Highlanders 16 minutes later.

Just as the game looked set to end level, Alan Costa scored a header in the fourth minute of stoppage time to give Bengaluru all three points.

Here are three things we learned from the ISL 2022-23 encounter:

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#1 Bengaluru and NorthEast United deliver dour first half before springing to life

When two out of the four bottom teams play, the expectations are lowered and nobody really would have foreseen an action-packed thriller on Friday. Bengaluru and NorthEast United, in line with those expectations, delivered a fairly poor first half of football.

The two teams combined for just two shots on target, though one of those was a very presentable chance on the break for Wilmar Jordan. The Highlanders in particular began the game with the idea of playing out from the back, but deserted it almost immediately after the Blues began pressing them.

This resulted in the hosts looking to release their attackers with long balls, but they managed to complete just six of a whopping 37 such attempts. The visitors, meanwhile, dominated possession, but often took the ball out wide and managed to find a teammate with just one of their 12 crosses.

All in all, it made for a pretty difficult watch despite the two teams posing some quality players.

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#2 Javi Hernandez and Romain Philippoteaux elevate their teams in the second half

Speaking of quality players, two of the most creative foreign recruits in ISL 2022-23 were in action in Guwahati on Friday. Javi Hernandez and Romain Philippoteaux could both walk into most teams in the league simply due to their ingenuity on the ball.

Hernandez was reasonably involved for Bengaluru in the first half, recording 33 touches, though they couldn't get him into truly dangerous positions. Meanwhile, Philippoteaux had just 13 touches for NorthEast United in the opening 45 minutes and completed just six passes, one of which was a key pass.

The only way from there on was up and both players were superb in the second half as they got more time and touches on the ball. They caused problems for their opponents with their darting runs forward and gave their teams so much more potency in attack by pulling defenders towards them.

Hernandez ended the match with a game-high five key passes, three successful dribbles and 89% passing accuracy. Philippoteaux, on the other hand, laid out two key passes and completed a dribble while winning two fouls. Most importantly, he scored the Highlanders' equalizer with a superb under-the-wall free-kick.

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#3 Alan Costa keeps Bengaluru in ISL 2022-23 playoff race as NorthEast United stumble again

Alan Costa has certainly taken a liking to NorthEast United FC this season.

The centre-back buried a header into the net from a corner late in the reverse fixture in Bengaluru earlier this season to give his team a dramatic 1-0 win. In a game where a point apiece was a fair reflection of the game, he made a telling difference.

On Friday, he popped up in the box as an extra striker with his side chasing the win. Once again, Costa delivered an expertly-placed header past Mirshad Michu, who had enjoyed a terrific game up to that point.

It was a superbly worked goal all around as the Highlanders lost their focus. Put in the context of Bengaluru FC's season, it could potentially carry plenty of weight.

Despite all their struggles and the criticism they have received, Simon Grayson's side are only a point off seventh place and six off the final playoff spot. The ISL 2022-23 season has been anything but straightforward and the Blues now have a platform to build on.

As for NorthEast United, their season is all but over. The hosts played some wonderful football in stretches on Friday but couldn't turn that display into a win. It's been the same story on multiple occasions this season, not least in both matches against Grayson's team.

The largely empty stadium in Guwahati, where they have now lost seven out of eight matches, was a resounding indictment of where the club find themselves.