Midtjylland are left with a bitter taste of ‘what could’ve been’ after their 1-1 draw with Sporting Lisbon in the UEFA Europa League (UEL) play-off round first leg. The Danish side succumbed to a 94th minute leveller after taking the lead in Portugal, meaning it all comes down to this at the MCH Arena as Midtjylland seek a first ever two-legged tie triumph over Portuguese opposition.
It’s easy to see why that’s the case with just one win from nine games against Portuguese counterparts (D2, L6), but if they can take any heart from that dismal record, it’s that the sole win came in this very stadium as recently as last season with a 3-2 victory over Braga. Turning the tide on that record does appear an uphill task in this second leg though, with Midtjylland failing to win such a game across their seven previous two-legged knockout ties in major European competitions (D1, L6).
From a Sporting point of view, they may be slightly concerned they could be the side who Midtjylland finally break that duck against given they’ve won just one of their last 18 away games in the knockout stages of major European competitions (D8, L9). Sporting did muster an away win on Monday against Chaves in domestic action (3-2) but they’ll be acutely aware that with the title now realistically out of reach in the Primeira Liga, and the Champions League spots also looking far-fetched, the UEL is a great chance to secure their passage back to UEFA’s premier club competition.
They’ve got Sebastián Coates’ last gasp goal in the reverse, Sporting’s latest ever in this competition outside of extra time, to thank for the fact they don’t have a first-leg deficit to overcome here in search of delving deeper into the competition. Though strangely, that draw may not be a great result psychologically either given Sporting have lost ten of the 12 previous UEFA ties in which they drew the first leg at home, including all three with a 1-1 scoreline!
Players to watch: Emam Ashour scored in the first leg, and he could now become the first Midtjylland player since Pione Sisto in 2015/16 to net in both legs of a UEL knockout tie. Sporting teenage sensation Youssef Chermiti has announced himself with two goals beyond the 80th minute since the beginning of February, both times as the game’s last.
Hot streak: There’s been at least one first-half goal in Sporting’s last six UEL away games.
