Key Points

At the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Shillong, Bekey Oram gave NEUFC an early lead from the penalty spot, but Rangdajied United refused to be overawed. Manbhakupar Iawphniaw levelled the scores midway through the first half, capitalising on a defensive lapse, before Danzel Umdor fired the hosts ahead just before the break.

The Highlanders, however, responded with composure in the second half. A flowing move was finished clinically by Jairo, whose strike ensured the defending champions preserved their unbeaten record going into the quarterfinals. Rangdajied, despite the spirited display and their first point of the tournament, bowed out.

Earlier in Jamshedpur, Indian Army staged one of the comebacks of the competition at the JRD Tata Sports Complex. Trailing 0–2 to 1 Ladakh FC, the Army outfit roared back with four unanswered goals. Sama’s towering header and Abhishek’s opportunistic finish drew them level before the break. In the second half, Christopher Kamei’s penalty and Rahul Ramakrishnan’s close-range header sealed a 4–2 win.

The victory lifted Indian Army to six points — level with other contenders for the two best second-placed quarterfinal berths — but their +2 goal difference fell short, ending their campaign on a bittersweet note.

The day’s results saw NorthEast United march into the knockouts unbeaten, while Rangdajied and Indian Army departed the competition.

- IANS