The footballers of Banja Luka’s Borac secured a 1:1 (0:1) draw against Vienna’s Rapid in the first leg of the UEFA Europa Conference League Round of 16.
The match was played at a packed Gradski Stadium in Banja Luka, with around 900 Austrian fans in attendance, supporting the visiting team.
Mladen Žižović’s squad fought valiantly throughout the entire match and ultimately managed to earn a crucial point ahead of the return leg, scheduled for seven days from now.
The visitors took the lead in the 34th minute with practically their first real opportunity. Beljo latched onto the ball and precisely placed it into Borac’s net.
Rapid’s players had several more excellent chances, but luck was not on their side, and Borac managed to avoid conceding further goals.
Both teams battled evenly throughout the match, and then, in the 90th minute, a penalty was awarded to Borac.
Following a shot by Vuković, the ball struck a Rapid player’s hand. Just a minute later, Vuković confidently converted the penalty, bringing Borac level at 1:1. This sparked huge celebrations among the ecstatic fans in the packed Gradski Stadium.
The return leg of the UEFA Europa Conference League Round of 16 between Rapid and Borac is scheduled for March 13 at 18:45 in Vienna. The winner of this two-legged tie will face either Pafos (Cyprus) or Djurgården (Sweden) in the quarterfinals.
Source: RTRS
