Europa: Ugbo’s goal rescues Genk from Dinamo Zagreb
Nigeria’s Ike Ugbo played the role of a saviour for the Belgian side, Genk on Thursday in the Europa League duel against Dinamo Zagreb as the game ended 1-1.
Luka Menalo opened the scoring for Dinamo Zagreb in the 35th minute before Ugbo levelled up for Genk in the 46th minute of the first half.
Meanwhile, Tottenham’s Europa Conference League hopes hang in the balance after they suffered a humiliating 2-1 defeat against Mura on Thursday.
Amadej Marosa scored a dramatic stoppage-time winner as 10-man Spurs were beaten for the first time under Antonio Conte.
Prior to Marosa’s heroics, the Group G contest had appeared to be heading for a stalemate with Harry Kane cancelling out Tomi Horvat’s first-half strike at Fazanerija.
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The much-changed visitors, who were a man light for over an hour in Slovenia after Ryan Sessegnon was sent off for two bookable offences, now realistically need to beat Rennes in two weeks’ time to claim second place.
Mura, who arrived in the contest as one of only three teams yet to register a point in the inaugural competition, took the lead in the 11th minute.
Collecting the ball on the right flank, Horvat cut into the penalty area before bending a beautiful shot past a flat-footed Pierluigi Gollini.
Tottenham’s task became harder as they were reduced to 10 men just after the half-hour mark – Sessegnon shown a second yellow card for a rash challenge on Ziga Kous.
Kane shot just wide on the turn, while Nik Lorbek was inches away from doubling the hosts’ lead at the other end as both sides went close before the break.
Conte introduced Son Heung-min after the restart and the South Korea international drew a smart save out of Matko Obradovic following a brilliant individual run.
But Spurs were not to be denied in the 72nd minute, with Kane latching onto Lucas Moura’s neat throughball before delicately lifting it over the advancing Obradovic.
Nevertheless, there was to be one final twist in the fourth minute of stoppage time. Mura launched a devastating counter that culminated in Marosa’s strike deflecting home off Davinson Sanchez from the final kick of the game.
What does it mean? A wasted opportunity for Tottenham
Spurs’ hopes of progressing to the knockout stages will go right to the wire in Group G after this horror defeat to the competition’s lowest-ranked side.
Level on points with Vitesse and four behind leaders Rennes, Conte’s men can no longer finish top and will now likely have to beat the latter in two weeks’ time to snatch second.
Meanwhile, Mura claim their first points in this season’s competition on a day they will remember for a long time.
Introduced as a 62nd-minute substitute, Marosa made a match-winning contribution for Mura.
The forward demonstrated tremendous pace and composure as he raced away on the counter, before beating Gollini with his deflected strike. He also successfully completed two dribbles, with none of his team-mates managing more.
Sessegnon lasted just 31 minutes at Fazanerija as he was dismissed for two rash challenges; the second of which was noticeably irresponsible given the tightrope he was walking.
That gave the 21-year-old the first red card of his professional career. The former Fulham defender had struggled to make an impact by the time of his expulsion, mustering just 16 touches and winning only one of his five duels.