Vinith Venkatesh’s stoppage‑time strike earns Bengaluru a 1-1 draw at NorthEast United in ISL 2026-27
Bengaluru FC drew 1-1 with NorthEast United FC in Guwahati in an ISL 2026-27 match on October 30, 2026, after Vinith Venkatesh struck in the 90+3rd minute to level the game.
NorthEast took the lead through Jithin M.S. in the 15th minute after a quick transition that began with Ethyan González, who carried the ball before releasing Jithin into the centre of the box; Jithin finished left-footed into the bottom-left corner. The opening goal came from a handful of rapid touches: Ethyan carrying, Jithin arriving late and unmarked, and Ajaraie’s presence occupying centre-backs.
NorthEast continued to create chances on the break but struggled to convert them into a cushion. Ajaraie had an early opportunity in the 2nd minute and a better one in the 21st that flashed wide of the right post; his 88th-minute free-kick went over the bar and his 90+1′ effort was saved. Ethyan tested the goalkeeper several times—forcing a comfortable save from Gurpreet Sandhu at the start of the second half, attempting from distance in the 68th, and being blocked again in the 82nd.
Bengaluru’s attempt count was high but the quality of those efforts was uneven: the live blog logged roughly 16 attempts, yet only the three saved efforts and the equaliser were on target. Varshneya’s early attempts were blocked, Borja Martínez’s 17th‑minute strike was blocked and his 44th‑minute free-kick missed, while headers by Ryan Williams (60′), Ashique Kuruniyan (34′) and Manuel de Iriondo (80′) went wide.
Three saves by the host goalkeeper stood out. Gurmeet got down well to deny Varshneya’s low shot in the 24th minute, again to stop Borja’s left-footed effort aimed at the bottom-left corner in the 33rd, and to keep out Borja’s shot at the start of the second half in the 48th—each intervention preventing a finish Bengaluru’s attackers would have expected to score.
Pep Muñoz’s substitutions proved decisive: Sunil Chhetri replaced Varshneya, Suresh Singh Wangjam came on for Ashique Kuruniyan, and Monirul Molla and Vinith Venkatesh were introduced late for Lalremtluanga and Manuel de Iriondo. Chhetri had an 80th‑minute chance that missed and then provided the pass inside the box that allowed Vinith to finish right-footed into the bottom-left corner beyond Gurmeet in stoppage time.
The match left both teams with injuries and cautions to manage. NorthEast replaced goalscorer Jithin M.S. with Parthib Gogoi and Macarton Nickson with Redeem Tlang due to injury; Bengaluru substituted Shivaldo Singh for Sandro Sakho after a booking for a hard tackle. There were also bookings for Ryan Williams, Pramveer Singh and Menno Koch as the game became scrappier, and NorthEast’s defensive block, which had repelled several long-range efforts including Borja’s 17th-minute strike and Ryan’s 45+2′ attempt, lost some structure late with those changes.
NorthEast extended their unbeaten start to eight points from four matches, following wins over Mohun Bagan Super Giant and Kerala Blasters and draws with Odisha FC and Bengaluru, while Bengaluru preserved their unbeaten record and followed up a 2–0 win over Chennaiyin with this late point; the injuries to Jithin and Nickson will be relevant for NorthEast’s next fixture.
