Petrocub vs Egnatia Rrogozhinë

Aleksi's red card three minutes into first-half stoppage time was the defining moment. Egnatia had just worked their way back into the contest through Kryeziu's equaliser, but losing their captain forced head coach Nevil Dede into a reshuffle at the break. Two half-time substitutions — I. Diabaté replacing Guillem Jaime and K. Loukili replacing I. Gruda — suggested a defensive consolidation that never really loosened.

Petrocub manager Shota Makharadze also made a change at half-time, withdrawing yellow-card holder O. David for M. Plătică. But the home side struggled to translate their man advantage into clear-cut chances during the second period.

P. Popescu (Petrocub) — His first-minute strike was the fastest goal of the opening round of qualifying. He led the line well but was increasingly isolated as Petrocub pushed for a winner.

A. Kryeziu (Egnatia) — Took his goal calmly in the 35th minute to cancel out Petrocub's early advantage. His positioning and hold-up play were vital for a side that played over 45 minutes with ten men.

C. Avram (Petrocub) — The Petrocub goalkeeper was rarely tested but commanded his area well on crosses, particularly during Egnatia's brief spells of possession in the second half.

M. Dajsinani (Egnatia) — The Egnatia goalkeeper went untested for long spells but his organisation of the back line after the red card was crucial in securing the draw.

Player of the match: A. Kryeziu (Egnatia Rrogozhinë)

Petrocub's early goal and the man advantage for the entire second half would typically suggest a dominant xG figure, but the provider data reflects a more evenly-contested match than the scoreline suggests. Both sides registered their shots on target from the two goals, with neither team creating sustained pressure in the final third. The home side's difficulty in breaking down a compact ten-man Egnatia block was the statistical story of the second half.

Petrocub had four yellow cards (David 29', Guera Djou 77', Borș 84', plus a first-half booking) to Egnatia's two (Bakayoko 65', Loukili 87') plus Aleksi's red. The disciplinary count reflects Petrocub's growing frustration as the game wore on.

The tie is perfectly poised heading into the second leg in Rrogozhinë on 15 July. Egnatia will be without the suspended A. Aleksi, but the Albanian side will take confidence from having held their own away from home. Petrocub will rue not pressing home their second-half numerical advantage, particularly given the away goals rule no longer applies in UEFA competitions.

The winner of this tie will advance to the second qualifying round, where the path to the group stage continues.

Petrocub will wonder how they didn't win this after a goal inside 60 seconds and 45 minutes against ten men. Egnatia showed resilience and organisation to escape Chisinau with a draw that keeps them firmly in the tie. The second leg is genuinely wide open.