OH Leuven secured a narrow 2:1 victory over Czarni Sosnowiec in the third qualifying round of the UEFA Women's Champions League at King Power Den Drijf Stadium on Tuesday. The result came just seven days after the hosts had demolished their Polish opponents 4:1, but this was a different kind of contest. To be fair, Czarni made the game harder than the previous meeting suggested they would.
Zofia Burzan gave the visitors the lead in the 44th minute, a moment that shifted the momentum. Leuven responded through Julie Biesmans in the 57th, and the match found its rhythm after that. The hosts had their chances to extend the advantage, but Jada Conijnenberg missed a penalty in the 76th minute — and here's the thing, that miss came when the game was still balanced.
The decisive moment arrived in the 84th minute when Conijnenberg, the same player who had missed earlier, found the net. Czarni had already made their substitutions by then, bringing on Burzan herself in the 87th minute, perhaps sensing the outcome. Leuven held their nerve after that, making changes of their own with Jeslynn Kuijpers and Isabella Dekker both introduced in the 78th minute.
Statistics tell part of the story but not the whole picture. Leuven controlled 57 per cent of possession and registered three shots on target compared to Czarni's single effort on goal. The visitors had more shots away from target — nine — and earned four corners, but the conversion rate told a different tale. One goal from one shot on target versus two goals from three attempts.
The victory completes a double over Czarni in less than a fortnight, though the manner of this win suggests the Polish side had something to offer. Czarni's recent results show inconsistency — three draws and two losses in their last five — while Leuven have been more consistent in their approach. Yellow cards were shared equally at two each, with Luiza Kozielska and Kim Everaerts among those cautioned.