ISL: Ajaraie makes history as NorthEast United, Bengaluru FC split points

NorthEast United FC held Bengaluru FC to an enthralling 22 draw at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru in the Indian Super League ISL 202425 season tonight Despite the quick start the Highlanders had to return home with a solitary point from the matchAlaaeddine Ajaraie netted twice in the first quarter becoming the fastest player to reach the mark of 10 goals in the ISL in eight matches Alberto Noguera pulled one back for Bengaluru FC in between Later substitute Ryan Williams came up with the equaliser to split points between the two teamsBoth teams settled into the game quickly and gradually exerted their authority in midfield But the visitors struck first blow in the eighth minute when Ajaraie handed the Highlanders an early lead from a counterattack The Moroccan caught the Bengaluru FC defenders off guard as he latched onto Dinesh Singhrsquos superb long ball He was through on goal and showed no signs of nerves in slotting the ball past Gurpreet Singh Sandhu in goalBengaluru FC levelled the score in the 11th minute proving why they are the tabletoppers of the ongoing season Following a long throw NorthEast United FC failed to clear their lines properly and the ball fell in Noguerarsquos path Noguera pulled the trigger from a distance and nestled the ball into the top corner giving Gurmeet Singh no chance between the sticksAlso ReadAUS vs PAK 2nd ODI Mohammad Rizwan levels world record in ODIHowever the parity didnrsquot last long as the Highlanders wrestled back their lead in the 14th minute It all started with Jithin MA closing down Gurpreet for a stray ball The custodianrsquos clearance got ricocheted off Jithin and fell right in Ajaraiersquos path who made no mistake in losing his marker and slotting it home in front of a gaping goal recording his 11th strike of the seasonNorthEast United FC started the second half exactly like the first with full intensity and high pressingMinutes later Jorge Pereyra Diaz and Edgar Mendez combined for Bengaluru FC with the latter coming up with a strange effort on goal It was almost sneaking in when Gurmeet kept it out with a fine save The NorthEast United FC custodian was called to action again when Suresh Singh released Diaz on the right and the Argentine pulled the trigger from long range It was a brilliant move but Gurmeet Singh made sure the visitors held onto their leadHowever with every attack the hosts felt like scoring the equaliser as they gradually gained momentum in the second period Looking at this Gerard Zaragoza decided to bring on Ryan Williams to add more teeth to the frontline and the Australian winger turned out to be a super sub for his teamWilliams with his first touch found the muchanticipated equaliser for Bengaluru FC in the 70th minute He slotted the ball home from Mohammed Salahrsquos cross to bring the Blues right back into the gameThe final quarter was dominated by the hosts as they attacked the NorthEast United FC penalty area with runs and crosses However Juan Pedro Benalirsquos men did enough to salvage a point from this fixtureBengaluru FC will travel to Kolkata after the international break to face Mohammedan SC on November 27 whereas NorthEast United GC will visit New Delhi to face Punjab FC on November 23This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever