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FC Paços de Ferreira ended a five-game European losing streak and CS Pandurii Târgu Jiu maintained their unbeaten continental away record as the spoils were shared in Group E.
The home side had reason to fear the worst after Marko Momčilović gave UEFA Europa League first-timers Pandurii an early lead. Rui Miguel conjured up a fine equaliser early in the second half, although the Portuguese Liga strugglers could not produce quite enough sparkle to turn the tables on their guests.
Left-back Momčilović received a gift inside five minutes, when Erico's corner from the right ping-ponged through to the back post, giving the Serbian the relatively easy task of hooking into António Filipe's net. A bad start could easily have been a disastrous one for the Portuguese side as Deivydas Matulevičius came clattering into the area, sending defenders crashing around him only to lose the ball under his feet.
Paços belatedly woke up, the baby-faced Rui Caetano spraying the ball wide of the Pandurii goal after an incisive push forward, and the Romanian side were to come under further pressure as time ticked by. Bébé hoisted a shot just over Pedro Mignote's bar.
Their equaliser shortly after the restart was a work of single-minded brilliance from Rui Miguel, who traded passes with Manuel José and then Jean Michel Sari before beating Pedro Mignote with a stylish low finish from inside the box. Captain Filipe Anunciaçao came close to upstaging his team-mate on 65 minutes, delivering a mesmerising long-range shot, but the Pandurii goalkeeper just about judged the swerve to save.
Alin Buleică's menacing drive at the other end had the home fans panicking momentarily, but António Filipe saved well, with the three points ultimately that little bit more than either side deserved. [uefa.com] |
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