St. Truiden beat Omonia Nicosia 1:0 in the Europa League play-offs at the Staaien on Wednesday evening. The result puts the Belgian side through on aggregate, though the exact margin depends on the first leg. The hosts did not travel to make up the numbers — they played with purpose from the start.
The match stayed tight through the first half, with both sides probing without finding an opening. We had called for a home win before kickoff, and the confidence was there. By then the visitors had settled into their shape, but St. Truiden kept pressing.
Things shifted after the break. St. Truiden increased the tempo, making early changes at 46 and 47 minutes with F. Soelle coming on. Omonia responded with substitutions of their own, bringing on J. Montnor at 70 and M. Tankovic at 77. The game became scrappy, with yellow cards for Robert-Jan Vanwesemael, Jean-Kévin Duverne, and Ewandro Costa.
Then came the moment. S. Taniguchi struck at 90 minutes, and again at 90+1. The crowd roared them on as the visitors tried to hold on. It was a late surge that put the game to bed early, even if the clock said otherwise.
St. Truiden dominated the numbers. They held 57 per cent possession, made 123 attacks compared to Omonia's 89, and created three big chances. Their expected goals figure stood at 1.89, while Omonia managed just 1.0. Yet the shots — nine off target against three on target — showed they did not always find the right touch.
Omonia had more clearances, 28 to seven, and won more aerial duels. They held their shape well, but could not turn possession into penetration. Their expected assists figure of 0.83 told the story.
The win extends St. Truiden's unbeaten run to eight across all competitions. They have not won since their last competitive fixture before this run. Omonia, meanwhile, will need to find answers before the return leg.