Tomi Juric scored two goals as NorthEast United secured a decisive 3-2 victory over East Bengal to climb into the top six of the Indian Super League (ISL) table in Guwahati on Saturday.
In the first match of the day's double header, Juric (4th, 66th) and Nestor Albiach (15th) scored for the hosts, while Nandhakumar Sekar (53rd) and Felicio Brown Forbes (82nd) scored for East Bengal. The home team displayed a strong desire to assert their dominance early on, particularly in response to their 5-0 defeat against the Red and Gold Brigade at the Salt Lake in December.
Nestor Albiach, a key player in the Spanish attack, was instrumental in the team's performance, assisting in Juric's opening goal and scoring the second one 15 minutes into the game.
In the fourth minute, Nestor set up a pass for Juric, who then lightly tapped the ball into the net to score the opening goal.
The second goal was even more remarkable as the Highlanders took advantage of the elevated defensive line used by East Bengal.
Juan Pedro Benali's team initiated a rapid counter-attack, as Redeem Tlang skillfully assisted in splitting the opposing team's defense, allowing Nestor to score and double the lead.
The impressive performances indicated that the Highlanders were serious about winning, which allowed them to enter the halftime with a two-goal advantage.
After the break, East Bengal came back revitalized and made a comeback with a play resembling the one that led to Nestor's goal.
Cleiton Silva assisted in breaking through the NorthEast United defense by providing a through ball to Sekar in the 53rd minute.
Sekar has arranged numerous similar passes for the Brazilian this season, and Silva repaid the favor by assisting the former Odisha FC striker in reducing the gap with a precise goal.
Just 13 minutes after, Juric fired a strong shot from the left side of the box, which defeated a fully extended Prabsukhan Singh Gill and assisted the Highlanders in scoring their third goal of the match.
Silva appeared determined to make an impact in the game, as he skillfully maneuvered inside the penalty area before taking a shot with his non-dominant foot.
Forbes attempted a close-range shot to score, but it wasn't sufficient to earn them a point in the match.
