NorthEast United FC will return to action after the international break and are headed to the national capital. The Highlanders will face Punjab FC on 23 November 2024 at 5 pm at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Delhi.
Juan Pedro Benali’s men earned a valuable point on the road against Bengaluru FC in a thrilling 2-2 draw before the international break and are third in the points table with 12 points from 8 games. On the other hand, Punjab FC suffered a 2-1 defeat away to FC Goa in their last outing and are also on 12 points.
NorthEast United FC are unbeaten in their last three matches with 5-0 & 3-2 wins against Jamshedpur FC and Odisha FC respectively and a draw in Bengaluru.
“A game of football involves many small battles and many small games. We need to control most of them. It will be a tough game but we hope we can take some points with our playing style and quality,” Juan Pedro Benali, head coach of NorthEast United FC said about the game against Punjab FC.
Moroccan forward Alaaeddine Ajaraie has been in sensational form and has already broken a host of records. He became the first player to score in his first eight ISL games when he netted against Bengaluru FC. He is also the leading goalscorer (11) and one of the leading assist providers with four assists.
Should Ajaraie score against Punjab FC, he will create a record for scoring in the most consecutive (9) ISL matches, beating Kalu Uche’s record of netting in eight straight games. Another record that Ajaraie can match is the most goals scored for NorthEast United FC in an ISL season (12).
Benali emphasised that the team is never about an individual and it’s the contribution of everyone that is helping Ajaraie and cited the example of FC Barcelona. “Barcelona was the best team in the world, only thanks to Messi? If you don’t have Xavi, Iniesta, Busquets… all the other players… You cannot say a team is one player,” he said.
Benali showed his emotional side while talking about Jithin MS and how deserving the winger was to make his India debut in a recent friendly against Malaysia. The winger from Kerala has also assisted four of Highlanders’ goals and could become a leading assist maker against Punjab FC.
Jithin (17 chances) has created the most chances for NorthEast United FC and is closely followed by fullback Buanthanglun Samte (16 chances). At the other end, the Highlanders’ backline has been equally resolute with custodian Gurmeet Singh maintaining two clean sheets and pulling off 27 saves.
Highlanders, who are leading the chart for the most goals scored in the league, will aim for another positive result on the road.
Photo Courtesy: North East United FC Media
