FC Utrecht secured their first-ever point in this season’s UEFA Europa League on Thursday after holding FC Porto to a 1-1 draw at the Stadion Galgenwaard.
Miguel Rodriguez opened the scoring for the Dutch side before Borja Sainz drew the visitors level in an intense Group Stage encounter.
Head coach Ron Jans made two changes to the team that defeated NEC Nijmegen 1-0 last weekend, handing starts to David Min and Derry John Murkin in place of Sebastien Haller and Adrian Blake.
The visitors began on the front foot, carving out the first real chance in the 12th minute when Gabriel Veiga went close after a slick passing move, his effort drifting narrowly wide.
Porto nearly took the lead moments later as Sainz rounded Utrecht goalkeeper Vasilios Barkas, only to overthink his next move and lay the ball off instead of shooting into an open net, allowing the home defense to recover.
Despite dominating possession, Porto were guilty of overcomplicating their play. Their wastefulness continued late in the first half when Stephen Eustáquio attempted to beat a defender rather than shoot, and Barkas was able to save the deflected effort.
Utrecht came alive after the break and got their reward early in the second half. From a clever free-kick routine, Sofyan El Karouani found Rodriguez, who fired home via a deflection off Martim Fernandes, ending the club’s long European goal drought stretching back to 2010.
El Karouani’s deliveries continued to trouble the visitors, and his cross shortly after nearly found Siebe Horemans, who headed over the bar.
However, Utrecht’s momentum was halted in the 66th minute when Porto equalized. Alonzo Engwanda’s misplaced touch in midfield allowed Deniz Gul to test Barkas, whose initial save fell kindly for Sainz to tuck in the rebound.
In the ensuing scuffle, Barkas was shown a red card for a confrontation with a Porto player, leaving Utrecht to finish the match with ten men.
Porto pushed hard for a late winner, but Utrecht’s defense, backed by resolute teamwork, held out for a valuable point and a morale-boosting performance in front of their home fans.
