Bhubaneswar (Odisha) [India], February 4 (ANI): NorthEast United FC head coach Juan Pedro Benali was dissatisfied with his side dropping points against Odisha FC in the Indian Super League (ISL) at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar.
In a game that ended with both sides sharing spoils, NorthEast United FC forward Alaaeddine Ajaraie continued his goalscoring prowess. He scored a brace against the Kalinga Warriors, helping his side take the lead twice in the game. Despite struggling to find his rhythm in the first half, the Moroccan forward featured on the scoresheet in the 67th minute of the game from a corner kick.
Benali’s men exhibited a smart variation with a short corner kick, with Buanthanglun Samte delivering a pinpoint cross to unmarked Ajaraie, who headed the ball into the back of the net to score the opener. The NEUFC forward completed a brace with another headed goal, but this time from Nestor Albiach’s free-kick delivery.
However, Odisha FC scripted a comeback as Thoiba Singh and Isak Vanlalruatfela struck for the hosts, ending the game on level terms.
With the 2-2 draw, NorthEast United FC are now unbeaten in each of their last three games against Odisha FC in the ISL (two wins and one draw), their longest such streak against the Kalinga Warriors in league history.
Benali voiced his frustration in dropping points from the winning position. He felt that his team deserved all three points from the game.
“Well, we’re not happy, we’re supposed to win the game. We take one point, a very difficult point, and we go home. And now, looking forward,” Benali said at the post-match press conference, as quoted from ISL.
Benali shared similar thoughts in his post-match broadcast interview and expressed that his team became complacent after Ajaraie’s second goal.
“We made some silly mistakes. We just stopped working on what we did all the game. We said it’s finished and in the critical phase; we get the draw. One point is not easy to get here. Happy to leave them on the back, and we need to look forward to the next game,” he said.
With two goals to his name, Ajaraie has 23 goal contributions (18 goals and 5 assists) in the ongoing ISL season, the joint most by any player in a single season in league history alongside Ferran Corominas. The Moroccan recorded his fifth ISL brace, joining Corominas as the player for the record of most braces in a single season.
“He’s a great player. He knows how to position himself and the players; they start to know him very well, and they’re looking for him all the time,” Benali said.
NorthEast United FC created several clear-cut chances throughout the game but it was up to no avail. Benali urged his players to be more precise in the final third and seize on the opportunities they create.
“Yeah, the fair result was three points for us, but well, they (Odisha FC) didn’t create too many chances. We created more, but sometimes creating chances is not enough. We need to score and we need to defend our goal,” Benali concluded. (ANI)
Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed of ANI; only the image & headline may have been reworked by News Services Division of World News Network Inc Ltd and Palghar News and Pune News and World News
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