A nervy victory seals Dundee United progression
UNA Strassen 0 - 1 Dundee United (Dundee United won 2-0 on aggregate)
A nervy victory over UNA Strassen in Conference League qualifying sealed Dundee United's progression in Europe for the first time in 28 years.
Author | Alan White
Stadium | Stade Parc des Sports
With a goal advantage from the first leg, the Tannadice side had to wait until midway through the second half in Luxembourg for Iurie Iovu to score with a header, easing any remaining jitters.
United's last victory in a two-legged tie (and their last away win on the continent) came in 1997 when they triumphed over the Andorran club CE Principat with a staggering aggregate score of 17-0.
Next Thursday, they will face Rapid Vienna in the third qualifying round.
A closer analysis of what happened
Backed by nearly 1,000 travelling supporters, United began brightly and ought to have gone ahead within three minutes, but Bert Esselink sent his header over the bar.
Strassen, featuring in only their fourth European fixture and still searching for a first goal in continental competition, gradually grew into the game. They started to find pockets of space and twice tested United’s defence, although Daryl Myre failed to capitalise.
United looked the more threatening side. Craig Sibbald won possession in midfield and released Kristijan Trapanovski on the right. His low cross found Zac Sapsford unmarked eight yards out, but the striker fired over with the goal at his mercy.
The visiting fans were back on their feet when Ivan Dolcek met a loose ball with a hooked volley, only for home goalkeeper Koray Ozcan to leap and tip it away.
Strassen were not without chances of their own. Matheus de Souza had a clear sight of goal but dragged his effort wide from the edge of the area.
It was United who finally broke the deadlock on 63 minutes. Sapsford delivered a teasing free-kick to the far post where Moldovan defender Iovu met it with a guided header that nestled into the bottom corner.
The goal settled United nerves and allowed their sizeable support to savour the occasion at last.
