Skip to content
Full Time After Extra Time This is a live match. Extra Time Half Time

Maribor vs Club Brugge. UEFA Europa League Group H.

Ljudski vrtAttendance9,500.

Maribor 3

  • D Volas (11th minute, 68th minute)
  • C Hoefkens (51st minute own goal)

Club Brugge 4

  • N Dirar (74th minute, 77th minute)
  • J Akpala (81st minute)
  • R Donk (90th minute)

Brugge stun Maribor

Image: Ryan Donk: Late winner for Brugge

Club Brugge produced a remarkable comeback in Slovenia against Maribor as they fought back from three goals down to win 4-3.

4-3 win for Belgian champions

Club Brugge produced a remarkable comeback in Slovenia against Maribor as they fought back from three goals down to win 4-3. The Slovenians went into the game with just one point in Group H and no hopes of progressing, but led 3-0 with 22 minutes left. But Brugge showed tremendous spirit as Nabil Dirar's double and Joseph Akpala's strike drew them level before Ryan Donk's dramatic winner. Brugge started brightly and a sustained spell of pressure led to Lior Rafaelov's corner, which was delivered with pace only for Bjorn Vleminckx to head against the bar. Maribor then had a chance through Dalibor Volas but his feeble effort was easily caught by Jasmin Handanovic. Volas, however, produced a significantly better attempt a minute later to give the Slovenian side an 11th-minute opener with an opportunistic right-footed shot from 18 yards. Maribor's Goran Cvijanovic blazed a shot over minutes later while Marcos Tavares' weak shot came to nothing. The home side were turning the screw as Tavares had a shot blocked, Agim Ibraimi fired one wide and Dejan Mezga produced two shots which Vladan Kujovic saved. Brugge did have opportunities as Vleminckx had another header saved and Rafaelov's shot was also turned away. Handanovic had to be alert to parry away Thomas Meunier's shot for the Belgians while Maribor continued to press at the other end. A quiet start to the second half was punctuated by the second goal in the 51st minute as Brugge captain Carl Hoefkens could only turn Dejan Traijkovski's cross into his own net. It looked like being a rout when Tavares made it 3-0 in the 67th minute, hammering home from close range after Kujovic made a save from the same player's header.

Unlikely

But Brugge started an unlikely comeback in the 74th minute when Dirar scored, before repeating the feat three minutes later to make it 3-2 with a second close-range strike. The momentum was clearly with the visitors and they were level in the 81st minute through Akpala's strike. They were not done there, however, completing a sensational turnaround as defender Donk headed home Vleminckx's cross to earn a dramatic win.

Around Sky