Our new legionnaire in European competitions: Behruz Karimov reaches the group stage with Lugano

In the second leg of the UEFA Europa Conference League (UECL) play-off round, the Swiss club Lugano visited Maccabi Tel-Aviv. The intense and hard-fought match ended in a 1:1 draw.

Having won the first leg 2:1 at home, the Swiss side secured a crucial ticket to the main league phase of the tournament with a 3:2 aggregate score.

A historic debut for our defender

For Uzbek football fans, this match was of special significance:

• 82nd-minute substitution: Uzbekistan national team defender Behruz Karimov was brought on in the 82nd minute, replacing one of the team's leaders, Renato Steffen.

• First step in European competitions: This match marked the official debut for our compatriot in the Lugano jersey and in European competition. Karimov helped solidify the defense in the remaining minutes, contributing to his team's vital result.

Match details and goals

The fate of the match was decided in the final part of the second half:

• 69th minute: The hosts opened the scoring through a penalty converted by Perez (1:0);

• 79th minute: The Swiss club increased the pressure and equalized through a goal by Derek Moncada (1:1), securing the advantage on aggregate.

Now, Behruz Karimov and his team will face top European clubs in the Conference League league phase this autumn.