NorthEast United 1-0 Mohun Bagan SG — Jithin 90+2 winner; Gurmeet, Nikhil Barla impress, Pramveer struggles
NorthEast United FC defeated Mohun Bagan SG 1-0 at the Highlanders' home in the fifth match of the Indian Super League (ISL) 2026-27 on October 12, 2026, with Jithin MS scoring in the 90+2nd minute to secure the three points.
The match saw NorthEast United recover from a difficult recent pre-season 7-2 loss to East Bengal FC in the IFA Shield, while Mohun Bagan entered as the reigning IFA Shield champions. Mohun Bagan dominated possession and created numerous openings but were repeatedly thwarted by offsides, shots hitting the woodwork and missed opportunities. Both sides produced chances across the 90 minutes, but it was a late intervention from the Highlanders that decided the contest. The result left NorthEast United celebrating a late, hard-fought victory.
Goalkeeper Gurmeet Singh was a standout for NorthEast United, making more than four saves and handling distribution well throughout a game in which Mohun Bagan pressed for most of the time. The report described him as comfortable and settled, and counted him among the brightest performers on the night. NorthEast had limited shots on target until the stoppage-time winner, making Gurmeet's saves central to keeping the score level until Jithin's strike.
At the back for the Highlanders, Pramveer Singh began at left-back and was later paired with Eneko Satrústegui at centre-back after Asheer Akhtar was taken off; the youngster struggled for composure at times and a loose pass to Sahal Abdul Samad nearly cost his side. Eneko was described as the mainstay of the defence, dealing with Mohun Bagan's attacks reasonably comfortably while showing a touch of rust. Nikhil Barla delivered a strong performance at right-back with crucial blocks and reliable defending, though he briefly switched off at moments.
In midfield and attack for NorthEast, Rabeeh produced inviting runs and crosses and contributed defensively, while Antonio Moyano played key forward balls and worked on both sides of the pitch. Ethyan made good forward runs but was substituted for Nikola Ninkovic, who introduced fresh attacking intent and delivered several dangerous balls into the box. Macarton had a decent shift but was noted for some sloppiness in midfield and was booked early after a foul on Sahal Abdul Samad.
Substitutes had a tangible impact: Nikola Ninkovic’s deliveries into the box were singled out and he was involved in the winning move, Parthib provided energetic counter-attacking contributions off the bench, and Redeem replaced Nikhil Barla late in the second half. Jithin MS came on in the second half and remained active before scoring the 90+2nd minute winner that sealed the victory for NorthEast United. The report highlighted Jithin’s late impact as decisive in a game that remained open until the final moments.
Mohun Bagan had notable individual performances mixed with missed chances: Sahal Abdul Samad received a 7/10 rating for his dribbles, chance creation and ability to win fouls, and his presence forced a caution for Macarton early on. The defensive pairing of Bheke and Alberto was praised as strong, while Mehtab did a solid job marking Alaaeddine Ajaraie and made a crucial tackle on Jithin in the final quarter. Zeljkovic was described as having a decent outing in midfield before being substituted for Anirudh Thapa, and other attacking changes—such as the introduction of Suhail Bhat—failed to produce a late equaliser.
The 1-0 result awarded NorthEast United all three points and concluded the fifth match of the ISL 2026-27 season as reported. The late winner preserved a hard-fought home victory for the Highlanders.
