Thrilling draw sees Kerala Blasters, NorthEast United share spoils in ISL clash

Kerala Blasters FC and NorthEast United FC battled to a pulsating 1-1 draw in their Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 encounter at Guwahati's Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium. The match saw Alaeddine Ajaraei's opener for the hosts cancelled out by Noah Sadaoui's equaliser for the visitors.

The game kicked off at a frenetic pace, with both sides creating chances from the get-go. Kerala's attacking trio of Sadaoui, Jesus Jimenez, and Danish Farooq looked particularly threatening. Sadaoui came close to breaking the deadlock early on, setting up Farooq with a clever run, but the latter failed to connect with the ball.

As the first half wore on, NorthEast grew into the game. Jithin MS carved out a golden opportunity for Guillermo Fernandez, who squandered his chance with only the keeper to beat. Moments later, Ajaraei forced a spectacular save from Sachin Suresh in the Kerala goal.

The second half saw Kerala start brightly, with Rahul KP getting more involved. However, it was NorthEast who struck first in the 58th minute. Ajaraei's free-kick slipped through Suresh's grasp, giving the Highlanders the lead.

Kerala's response was swift and decisive. In the 67th minute, substitute Mohammed Aimen found Sadaoui just outside the box. The Moroccan weaved his way through the defence before unleashing a lethal strike into the bottom corner, levelling the scores.

The match took another turn in the 82nd minute when NorthEast's Asheer Akhtar received a red card for a reckless challenge on Sadaoui. Despite the numerical advantage, Kerala couldn't find a winner, with Aimen coming closest in the dying minutes.

Vibin Mohanan stood out for Kerala, controlling the midfield with 39 successful passes and creating two chances. His defensive contributions included two interceptions and a clearance.

NorthEast United will face FC Goa on October 4, while Kerala Blasters travel to Bhubaneswar to take on Odisha FC on October 3.