This week sees the three UEFA club competitions – the UEFA Champions League, the UEFA Europa League, and the UEFA Europa Conference League – play out their first group stage matches. For the 2021 season, four nations made their debuts in the UEFA club competition proper, with Moldova’s Sheriff Tiraspol appearing in the Champions League group stages, while Alashkert, Flora Tallinn, and Lincoln Red Imps represent Armenia, Estonia, and Gibraltar respectively in the Conference League group stages. The four teams had mixed results in their UEFA bows, with Sheriff stunning Ukraine’s Shakhtar Donetsk while Alashkert, Flora, and Lincoln all succumb to defeats.
Sheriff Tiraspol (Moldova) 2-0 Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukraine) – UEFA Champions League, September 15th
Ukrainian giants Shakhtar travel to the Sheriff Stadium in Tiraspol on Wednesday with hopes that they could start their CL campaign on a high note against a side many predicted to be the punching bag of Group D. With matches against Inter Milan and Real Madrid in the horizon, it is paramount for Roberto de Zerbi’s Shakhtar to get themselves off to the best possible start.
However, hosts Sheriff took the lead in the 15th minute, after a Cristiano cross was welcomed by a powerful volley from Adama Traore, with the ball speeding its way home past Shakhtar goalie Andriy Pyatov.
Shakthar managed to dominate proceedings but it was Sheriff who were more clinical with their chances, and the men from Transnistria killed the game off in the 62nd minute through a header from substitute Momo Yansane. Once again, it was Cristiano who provided the assist.
Sheriff’s Ukrainian head coach Yuriy Vernydub could not contain his excitement after his side had deposed one of the biggest sides of his homeland.
“A fantastic evening. My men were not inferior to their opponent in speed or technique. Our tactics worked,” said Yuriy as quoted from ESPN, “We didn’t allow Shakhtar to score, and the team performed excellently in moving from defense to attack. I should thank our fans for their fantastic support. I am happy.”
With Madrid only able to win 1-0 away at Inter, this means that Sheriff are now top of Group D on goal difference at the end of Matchweek 1 – something that was quite unfathomable at the start of the season.
Maccabi Tel Aviv (Israel) 4-1 Alashkert (Armenia) – UEFA Europa Conference League, September 14th
Just one day prior to Sheriff’s shock win, fellow debutants Alashkert started their country’s first foray into a UEFA club competition proper with a heavy defeat away at Israeli powerhouses Maccabi Tel Aviv.
Traveling to Bloomfield Stadium in Tel Aviv, Alashkert conceded the first UEFA club competition proper goal of the season in the 13rd minute thanks to former Chelsea player Stipe Perica, however the Armenians drew level afterwards through Jose Embalo only four minutes afterwards.
Unfortunately for Alashkert, Maccabi Tel Aviv asserted their European pedigree by reclaiming the lead in the 32nd minute through Gavriel Kanichowsky, before a Dan Bitton penalty in the third minute of stoppage time confirmed the three points for the Israelis.
Matan Hozez’s 72nd minute strike would serve as the cherry on top of Maccabi Tel Aviv’s cake.
Flora Tallinn (Estonia) 0-1 Gent (Belgium) – UEFA Europa Conference League, September 16th
Flora couldn’t have asked for a tougher opening to their European group stage debut as they took on European regulars Gent of Belgium at the A. Le Coq Arena in Tallinn.
However, much to the men in green’s credit, they did manage to cause all sorts of problems for Gent, forcing the Belgians to a goalless draw in the first half.
Gent’s European experience shone through in the second half though and as De Buffalo increased their pressure, Gent managed to find the breakthrough in the 54th minute through Darko Lemajic. The Serb’s goal would prove to be the only goal of the contest, as Gent started their Conference League group stage adventure with three points to their name.
Lincoln Red Imps (Gibraltar) 0-2 PAOK Thessaloniki (Greece) – UEFA Europa Conference League, September 16th
Hailing from the tiny principality of Gibraltar, Lincoln Red Imps had found themselves being used as a punching bag for European teams in UEFA club competitions, losing 15 of their 30 European ties and winning only 8. Interestingly enough, one of those eight wins was against Glasgow Celtic in the 2016/17 UEFA Champions League qualifiers, a 1-0 win in the first leg that was soon replied with a heavy 3-0 defeat at Celtic Park in the return match.
However, this season Lincoln found themselves venturing into uncharted territory after they qualified into the Conference League group stages with a 4-2 aggregate win over Latvia’s Riga FC in the qualifying play-off round. Gibraltar champions Red Imps found themselves in the competition having been knocked out of the Champions League by CFR Cluj of Romania and being eliminated from the Europa League by Slovan Bratislava of Slovakia – a side they will meet again in the Conference League group stages.
Alongside Slovan, Lincoln were drawn together with FC Copenhagen of Denmark and PAOK of Greece, with the latter being the Red Imps’ first opponents on September 16th.
The people of Gibraltar braced themselves for European history as Lincoln graced the Victoria Stadium pitch alongside PAOK. The hosts, teeming with part-time players, were heavy underdogs coming into this match, but they are more than determined to make their principality proud by giving PAOK a fight that they won’t forget.
And a fight is exactly what the men from Thessaloniki got at the Victoria Stadium – it took PAOK 48 minutes to breach Lolo Soler’s goal, with former Arsenal man Chuba Akpom giving PAOK the lead in the third minute of stoppage time.
Romanian attacker Alexandru Mitrita then sealed the win for PAOK in the 56th minute.
Regardless of result, Lincoln’s appearance in the Conference League group stages was well-celebrated by the Gibraltar public and the financial windfall that came from appearing in the competition would surely help the Red Imps’ finances.