In the first match of the first round of the Champions League qualifiers, the footballers of Borac achieved a victory in Banja Luka over the Albanian champion, Egnatia, with a score of 1-0, thanks to a goal by Damir Hrelja in the sixth minute of stoppage time.
Borac was the better team and deservedly heads to Albania with a minimal advantage. They had the support of nearly a full stadium.
The first half did not bring much attractive football. The best chance was for Stojan Vranješ, who headed the ball over Egnatia’s empty goal from the goal line. The visitors threatened in stoppage time, but Fangaja’s attempt went past the left post of Šiškovski’s goal.
In the second half, the game became even more tight. Borac tried to build on their lead, especially after the 60th minute when Zejnuali was sent off. Initially shown a yellow card, the decision was changed to a red card after a VAR review.
A few minutes later, the match was interrupted. The visiting team left the field due to chanting from the stands. The interruption lasted for 10 minutes.
After the match resumed, the players seemed to have lost their momentum. Despite a 14-minute added time, Borac began to apply real pressure only in stoppage time. This paid off in the sixth minute of added time when Damir Hrelja scored with a header, leading to great celebrations among players and fans at the City Stadium. In the final moments, Endreka was sent off, leaving the visitors to defend with eight players on the field plus the goalkeeper.
The return leg is scheduled for seven days from now, in Elbasan. The winner will play against the Greek team PAOK from Thessaloniki in the second round.
Source: RTRS
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