ISL 2025-26: NorthEast United secure first Victory of the Season over Jamshedpur FC

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Andy Rodriguez struck twice in the second half to inspire NorthEast United FC to a hard-fought 2-1 win against Jamshedpur FC in the Indian Super League 2025-26 season at Guwahati's Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium on Sunday.

NorthEast United head coach Juan Pedro Benali shuffled his pack with three changes, slotting in midfielders Bekey Oram and Laishram Danny Meitei plus defender Dinesh Singh in a 4-3-2-1 setup. Jamshedpur FC's Owen Coyle responded with two midfield tweaks, introducing Rei Tachikawa and Rosenberg Gabriel without altering the formation.

The game kicked off at a high tempo, with both teams swapping possession early but failing to penetrate the danger zone. Jamshedpur's Albino Gomes swept clear outside his box in the 13th minute to thwart a NorthEast break.

Jamshedpur fashioned the game's first clear opening in the 19th minute as Messi Bouli nodded Mohammed Sanan's delivery just wide. NorthEast hit back quickly, with Macarton Nickson's long-range shot easily held by Gomes.

The hosts grew bolder going forward, as Parthib Gogoi darted past defenders before Pratik Chaudhari hauled him down in the 27th minute.

NorthEast made an unwanted switch in the 39th minute, replacing injured captain Míchel Zabaco (hamstring) with Asheer Akhtar. They almost led right before halftime, but Danny Meitei nodded Andy Rodríguez's corner kick over the bar, leaving the score 0-0 at the break.

The deadlock shattered eight minutes after restart. In the 53rd minute, Rodríguez curled a sublime left-footed free-kick into the bottom-right corner for a 1-0 lead.

Jamshedpur rallied, with Nikola Stojanović and Rei Tachikawa firing blanks, though Stojanović drew a stop from Gurmeet Singh in the 58th minute amid mounting visitor pressure.

The Men of Steel drew level from the spot in the 68th minute after Dinesh Singh felled Bouli in the box; Bouli slotted home coolly to make it 1-1.

NorthEast hit back instantly. In the 69th minute, Rodríguez latched onto possession just outside the area and rifled a pinpoint left-footed shot into the net for his brace and a 2-1 advantage.

Jamshedpur hunted an equalizer, Bouli skewing a 79th-minute strike wide. NorthEast threatened to kill the game, but Ankith Padmanabhan's 85th-minute effort was smothered. But NorthEast United held firm to secure the 2-1 triumph, with Rodríguez's heroics delivering their first points of the season.

Northeast United secure First Win of ISL Season

The Highlanders have thus claimed their maiden victory of the campaign, climbing to seventh place with six points, while Jamshedpur FC have tasted defeat for the first time but hold onto second spot with 12 points.

What's Next?

Northeast will host Odisha FC in their next match on Friday (March 20) in Guwahati, while Jamshedpur FC stay on the road as they travel to Delhi to play SC Delhi on Thursday (March 19).