UEFA Europa League play-off: Gent 2-1 Rijeka
- by croatiaweek
- in Sport
(Photo: NK Rijeka)
GENT, 22 August 2019 – Croatian club NK Rijeka have lost the first leg of their Europa League play-off against Gent in Belgium.
Rijeka will be happy scoring an important away goal, but will go into the second leg in Croatia next week behind after losing 2-1 at the Ghelamco Arena tonight.
It was all Gent in the first half and after a period of applied pressure it would be Rijeka who would take the lead against the run of play in the 40th minute.
Midfielder Tibor Halilovic would gather the ball on the edge of the box and he would let fly to see his shot find the back of the net to make it 1-0.
The second started in a similar fashion to much of the first half with Gent dominating possession and Rijeka forced to have all ten players behind the ball defending.
Gent would finally get the equaliser in the 57th minute through Laurent Depoitre and it was no surprise when Depoitre would put them in front in the 71st minute.
The score would remain like that until the end to give Rijeka hope going into the second leg.
