Minsk came away with a narrow victory against Zagreb Women in the first qualifying round semi-final of the UEFA Women's Champions League. The match finished 1-0 after Viktoriya Valyuk's fifth-minute strike proved decisive. It was a tight affair from the start, with neither side able to fully break down the opposition's defence.
And here's the thing about this result — it wasn't the kind of game where chances were created in abundance. Zagreb had 49 per cent possession but managed just two corners and no shots on target. Minsk, with 51 per cent, found the back of the net once from four attempts on goal.
The decisive moment came in the fifty-first minute when Valyuk finished off a move to give the visitors the lead. By then, Zagreb had already seen Maria Kunstek booked in the thirty-fourth minute, and Laura Kopic would follow suit just before the hour mark. Two yellow cards for the hosts, none for the away side.
Minsk made several changes throughout the second half, bringing on Marina Kiskonen and Dziyana Katsynel in the fifty-seventh minute. Zagreb responded with substitutions of their own, including Ivana Stanic and Ana Kalaj. The game opened up further as both managers looked to find a way through.
To be fair, this was not a match that required many chances to decide. Four shots on target against none tells you everything about who made their opportunities count. The visitors saw out the remainder without conceding, extending their clean-sheet record against this opposition.
The result sees Minsk advance through the qualifying round, while Zagreb will need to regroup after falling short. Both teams had drawn 0-0 when they met on August twenty-ninth, but this time the difference was clear: one precise finish, and that was enough.