The 2024-25 season of the Indian Super League is in full swing, and with games coming thick and fast, this is a convenient place to catch up on every match. We'll have a report after every match, right up to the rest day signalling the end of the matchweek.
ISL Standings | ISL Results and Fixtures
The report on all matches from matchweek 8 is here.
Here are the details for matchweek 9 of ISL 2024-25 with the latest match report coming first:
Punjab FC 1-2 NorthEast United
(Ivan Novoselec 88', Guillermo Rodriguez 15', Nestor Albiach 18')
Alaeddine Ajaraie's incredible eight-game scoring run came to an end, but NorthEast United won their third game in four games to climb to second in the ISL table, defeating Punjab FC 2-1 despite playing the second half with 10 men. Guillermo Rodriguez and Nestor Albiach scored for the visitors, who conceded late to Ivan Novoselec but held on for the win.
Northeast United took the lead in the 15th minute, and it was no surprise as to who was involved. Ajaraie burst past Abhishek Singh on the left wing, and after dummying to shoot, sent in a low cross in the corridor of uncertainty - and despite Punjab keeper Ravi Kumar getting a touch, it squirmed under him and Guillermo Rodriguez tapped the ball home from a yard out.
The visitors doubled their lead a few minutes later, when Buanthanglun Samte sent in a peach of a cross from the left wing into the box. Nestor Albiach still had a fair bit to do, and struck it first time, volleying the ball home as it rocketed off his left foot and into the top corner, leaving Kumar no chance in the Punjab net as the hosts were down by two.
Punjab came close to dragging one back late in the first half, when Pulga Vidal hammered a shot off the crossbar from Nihal Sudeesh's cross. NorthEast's comfort came to an end in first-half injury time, when Dinesh Singh was sent off for a second bookable offence.
Juan Pedro Benali's side recessed in the second half, and NorthEast keeper Gurmeet came to the fore, making a great save from Filip Mrzljak in the 69th minute. The visitors held on until the 88th minute, when Gurmeet parried a shot from Asmir Suljic into the path of Ivan Novoselec in the box, and the defender made no mistake, reducing the margin to a single goal. However, NorthEast, who've dropped the most points in the league from winning positions, battened down the hatches and saw out seven minutes of injury time, to confirm a precious victory.