Ratings: Nestor shines as NorthEast United, Bengaluru FC split points

NorthEast United got on the scoresheet through an own goal.

Bengaluru FC and NorthEast United battled to a 1-1 draw in a thrilling Indian Super League match at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium in Guwahati. Sunil Chhetri, who was leading the attack for the Blues, scored the only goal in the first half from the penalty spot. 

Aleksandar Jovanovic, on the other hand, contributed to the dramatic turn of events with an unlucky own goal, levelling the score and providing the much-needed equaliser to the Highlanders. The thrilling battle kept supporters on the edge of their seats until the final whistle, with both sides sharing a point each after the end of stoppage time.

Here are the player ratings for the game.

NorthEast United (By Keshava Verma)

Mirshad Michu – 4.5

Made arguably the biggest error fans have seen this season, when he made a reckless tackle and conceded a penalty. Made a few decent collections and saves in the second half though, but his overall decision-making was pathetic throughout the game.

Dinesh Singh – 5.5

Had a poor game by his standards, as most of Bengaluru’s attacking plays came from his flank. Wasn’t also as effective in the attack as he would’ve liked to be. 

Asheer Akhtar – 7

Put in an all-round defensive performance once again, and was also heavily involved in some of the attacking plays. 

Michel Zabaco – 8

Was an absolute beast in the defence yet again, and made a number of aerial interceptions. Made a certain goal-saving tackle on Suresh Singh in the first half. 

Tondonba Singh – 7.5

Restricted Bengaluru’s entry from the left flank completely, and was on point with his defensive chores. Could’ve been better with his crossing at times. 

Romain Philippoteaux – 7

Played some fantastic passes, and was very active in the upfront. His quick plays and ecstatic touches opened up the play for NEUFC on a number of occasions. 

Mohammed Ali Bemammer – 8

Bossed the midfield tonight, and gave in his everything. Made some invaluable interceptions, and also played the right forward passes at the right time. 

Gani Nigam – 7

Was decent with his passing and shimmies, and put up a lot of effort in the midifield. 

Parthib Gogoi – 6

Had an immensely disappointing night, as he failed to capitalise on his chances on a number of occasions. Failed to control the ball and execute a proper finish on two golden occasions. 

Nestor Albiach – 8

Was NorthEast United’s best player on the pitch tonight, and showed true class in his performance. Right from his first touch to his long balls, Nestor was sublime in the game.

Jithin MS – 7.5

Missed two very big opportunities in the first half, but made amends with a big contribution in NorthEast’s goal. Made some great runs, and was way more active in the play than he usually is.

Substitutes

Phalguni Singh – 6.5

Took up the midfield role well after coming on, and was also pressing with all his vigour. 

Yaser Hamed – N/A

Pragyan Sundar Gogoi – N/A

Redeem Tlang – N/A

Bengaluru FC (By Analoy Majumder)

Gurpreet Singh Sandhu – 6.5

From the start had to keep himself busy as NEUFC forwards came towards the goal dangerously. Throughout the game, Gurpreet made several outstanding saves to keep out some crucial shots. Fumbled on one occasion but no damage caused.

Aleksandar Jovanovic – 6.5

Jovanovic had an excellent game and made a great effort in the backline despite the fact that his own goal gave NorthEast United a much-needed equaliser just before the first half ended.

Shankar Sampingiraj – 6.5

Shankar got an admirable start during the early minutes of the game, putting in all his effort in both the offensive as well as the defensive ends of the pitch. In the backline, he won all the half-chances against Nestor and Jitin.

Namgyal Bhutia – 6

Bhutia was very good at controlling the ball. Read the game well when NorthEast’s attacking tactics were more aggressively presented. Maintained good composure throughout.

Naorem Roshan Singh – 6.5

Roshan played with great deal of assurance and moved several balls into risky situations. He made excellent runs on his own and did well on both sides of the turf.

Suresh Singh – 6.5

Suresh seemed a little sloppy in the first half, but he played better in the second. Made a couple of wrong passes, but was successful in regaining control in the midfield.

Javi Hernandez – 7.5

Javi posed the greatest threat to NorthEast’s defence since he frequently broke free and kept their defenders at bay. Got the ball into places that looked promising, but was outplayed in the final third.

Halicharan Narzary – 6.5

Halicharan found it difficult to pass the ball quickly and was regularly outmanoeuvred by the opposition players. He worked relentlessly to get his channel up and running.

Keziah Veendorp – 6.5

Keziah performed admirably in the first half. He even produced a handful of chances around the midway point and attempted to pair effectively with his teammates.

Ryan Williams – 6

Willams had a respectable game until his forced substitution. He delivered a number of accurate crosses apart from being involved in goal-scoring chances. 

Sunil Chhetri – 7

Scored the only goal for the Blues in the 36th minute. Put in a strong all-around striker effort, but he was unable to register the desired impact.  

Substitutes

Curtis Main – 7 

Main came close to scoring but his efforts were thwarted most of the time. He was good in selecting the appropriate individuals for the passes, but he struggled to convert.

Harsh Patre – 6.5 

Harsh came on in the second half to replace Roshan and provide consistency at the center. Won a couple of duels against the Highlanders and also attempted link-up play with other players.

Sivasakthi Narayanan – 6

Sivasakthi looked positive after coming on. Snatched a few balls, changed dynamics, but was not able to create anything big. Looked dangerous on one occasion towards the end when he almost scored a brilliant solo goal.

Robin Yadav – 5.5

In addition to providing new vitality, Robin was very aggressive on the right flank and made concrete efforts to impede NEUFC’s progress down that side.

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