FC Midtjylland opened their Conference League group stage with a 1-1 draw away to Egnatia in Albania. The match, played in a nearly empty stadium in Elbasan, left the heavy favourites with a disappointing result. It was the official end to an unbeaten run of five matches, where the team has recorded three wins and two draws.
Egnatia took the lead after 26 minutes when Ildi Gruda met a cross from the right to beat Nordin Bakker. FC Midtjylland responded seven minutes later. Rasmus Nissen Kristensen found Cho Gue-Sung with a precise delivery, and the South Korean striker equalised with a header. The team dominated thereafter but lacked the final spark to break down the Albanian defence. In the final ten minutes, a goal from Mikael Uhre was ruled out for a foul, a decision VAR did not overturn.
"It was unfortunately two dropped points and not the optimal start to a European campaign," said Dan Hirsch Sørensen. The match was moved from Tirana to Elbasan due to demonstrations in the capital, contributing to the lack of atmosphere.
The result follows a strong period in the Superliga, where the team sits in second place with 22 points from 10 games, with a record of six wins and four draws. They are just two points behind FC Copenhagen. In the league, the team has scored 19 goals and conceded 10, giving them a goal difference of plus nine. The next league challenge is a key top-of-the-table clash against third-placed Viborg on Monday 19 October. Before that, they face Belgian side St. Truiden in Herning in the next round of the Conference League group stage, a match fans can prepare for on the fixtures page. Striker Friday Etim, who is the league's top scorer with five goals, will be key to securing a better start in Europe. The team's recent league results include a 2-1 victory over FC Copenhagen, a 1-1 draw with Odense, a 4-1 win against Brondby and a 2-2 draw with FC Nordsjaelland.
The report in full is at bold.dk
FC Midtjylland will be without several players for the upcoming match. The club confirms that Martin Erlić, Mikel Gogorza, and Elías Ólafsson are out injured. The team remains unbeaten in the Superliga with 22 points from ten games. They face Viborg away on October 19.
