“Cho Gue-Sung broke the deadlock to give Midtjylland a deserved lead, capitalising on early home pressure that had already seen a corner and a header from Denil Castillo.”
Pivotal“Just two minutes after coming on as a half-time substitute, Sofus Johannesen latched onto Stanley Iheanacho's right-footed effort to double Midtjylland's advantage and effectively kill the tie's contest.”
Pivotal“Sofus Johannesen picked up a yellow card just twelve minutes after scoring, a moment that added a footnote of concern to what had been an excellent cameo from the substitute.”
FC Midtjylland
Rijeka
Outstanding performance
FC Midtjylland•DefenderFC Midtjylland were thoroughly dominant throughout this Europa Conference League first-leg tie, controlling possession at 60% and fashioning five big chances to Rijeka's none, in a performance that was as comprehensive as the scoreline suggests. The tone was set as early as the 20th minute when Cho Gue-Sung converted to open the scoring, and Rijeka — who managed just one shot on target across 90 minutes — rarely looked capable of responding. The hosts' tactical superiority was underscored at the start of the second half when substitute Sofus Johannesen capitalised on Stanley Iheanacho's industry to make it 2-0 inside 48 minutes, effectively settling the tie's momentum. Midtjylland head into the second leg in Croatia with a healthy cushion, while Rijeka — who required eight saves from their goalkeeper to avoid a heavier defeat — face a steep uphill climb if they are to turn this tie around.
How entertaining was this match?
Offside.
Offside.
Substitution: Yusuf Kabadayi comes on for Niko Jankovic.
Amer Gojak replaces Ivan Cubelic.
On Friday, Ubi Etim replaced Cho Gue-Sung.
Niko Jankovic's right-footed shot is blocked.
Corner awarded.
Shot from Ivan Cubelic with his left foot is saved.
Dario Esteban Osorio takes a left-footed shot but misses.
Dario Esteban Osorio takes a left-footed shot but misses.
Jakov Puljic replaces Tiago Dantas.
Offside.
Stanley Iheanacho takes a shot with his head, but it's saved.
Corner awarded.
Sofus JohannesenYellow CardSofus Johannesen receives a yellow card.
Yellow card issued.
Corner awarded.
Corner awarded.
Corner awarded.
Sofus Johannesen takes a right-footed shot, but it is saved.
Toni FrukYellow CardToni Fruk receives a yellow card.
Yellow card issued.
Goal! Sofus Johannesen scores to make it 2-0, assisted by Stanley Iheanacho.
Sofus JohannesenSofus Johannesen takes a shot with his right foot and scores.
Goal! Sofus Johannesen scores, making it 2-0.
Stanley Iheanacho takes a right-footed shot but misses.
Sofus Johannesen is on, and Valdemar Andreasen is off.
Stanley Iheanacho is on, and Franculino Gluda Dju is off.
Ante Majstorovic attempts a header but misses the shot.
First half ends with the score at 1-0.
Corner awarded.
Magnus Jensen takes a header shot, but it misses the target.
Franculino Gluda Dju takes a left-footed shot, but it is blocked.
Niko Jankovic takes a right-footed shot but misses.
Rasmus Nissen Kristensen takes a header shot but misses.
Yellow card issued to Ivan Cubelic.
Corner awarded.
Offside.
Corner awarded.
Toni Fruk takes a left-footed shot, but it is blocked.
Offside.
Denil Castillo attempts a header but misses the shot.
Shot from Cho Gue-Sung with a header results in a goal.
Goal! Cho Gue-Sung scores to make it 1-0, assisted by Franculino Gluda Dju.
assist: Franculino
Goal! Cho Gue-Sung scores, making it 1-0.
Denil Castillo attempts a header but misses the shot.
Corner awarded.
Kick-off! The referee is Balazs Berke.
