Thursday 24th July 2025, Kick-off 19.45
UEFA Europa Conference League Second Qualifying Round First Leg
Tannadice Park, Dundee
Admission: £22.00
Programme: £4.00
Attendance: 11,370
A “Story of the Match” montage can be viewed by clicking here
A match report can be read by clicking here , also copied and pasted below
Dundee United 1-0 FC UNA Strassen
Zac Sapsford opens his United account as we take a first-leg lead!
Dundee United 1 (Sapsford 47')
FC UNA Strassen 0
7.45pm Thursday 24 July
The CalForth Construction Arena at Tannadice Park
UEFA Conference League Second Qualifying Round
Written by: Lyall MacDonald
Team Talk
Manager Jim Goodwin made four changes to the side that faced Oldham Athletic in the final pre-season friendly, with seven players making their competitive debut for United as we welcomed UNA Strassen of Luxembourg to Tannadice. Will Ferry was named captain for the match following the unfortunate news of newly installed Captain Ross Graham’s recent injury.
There were six DUFC Academy graduates in the matchday squad for our UEFA Conference League second round qualifying tie.
A Raucous Opening
The atmosphere was electric before kick-off as we welcomed European football back to Tannadice for the first time in three years. The buzz around the stadium was palpable, with fans eager and ready to witness United take on continental opposition once more.
Kristijan Trapanovski was the first to test the opposition, unleashing a powerful strike from distance, but visiting goalkeeper Koray Özcan reacted well to make a solid save. United enjoyed much of the early possession, with UNA Strassen looking to hit United on the break with long balls forward.
UNA Strassen threatened the United goal with little over five minutes on the clock, after Daryle Myre was played through on the left-hand side of the final third, and despite his lobbed effort beating our Yevhenii Kucherenko, it sailed out for a goal-kick.
The first gilt-edged chance of the match fell to midfield maestro Vicko Ševelj after he beat the offside trap following a neat pass from Sapsford, however his shot was saved well by ?zcan.
UNA Strassen grew into the game more as the half wore on, relying on counter-attacks to carve chances out. However, despite their best efforts, Kucherenko had a quiet first half on his competitive United debut, with few efforts from the visitors posing any real threat to his goal.
Chances Aplenty for United
Trapanovski once again came close to the opening goal, as he was found out wide on the left following a clever reverse pass from Vicko Sevelj, although ?zcan parried away the Macedonian winger’s effort with the outside of his right foot.
Soon after, Ševelj was next to try from distance after Isaac Pappoe found him around the edge of the box, but unfortunately his shot bounced agonisingly past the post as we searched for the opener. Summer signing Krisztian Keresztes looked to have opened the scoring with a well-timed header bound for the bottom-right corner in front of the Norman Jamieson Stand. However, UNA Strassen keeper Özcan produced a superb fingertip save at the last moment to keep us out.
We had to remain on our toes throughout the first half though, as a well-played through ball to UNA Strassen forward Zachary Hadji looked to cause United problems. Keresztes proved his ability at the back as well as up front with a well-timed interception to clear the danger.
UNA Strassen Holding Firm
A rare foray forward from the visitors provided them an opportunity to attack the United goal ten minutes before the interval; however, smart defending from Poppoe prevented Myre from taking advantage of the counter-attack. The resulting corner found its way to the back-post, where Bert Esselink was in the perfect position to clear the danger away.
We mounted one final attack as the game moved into first-half injury time, earning a free kick on the edge of the box after a slick attacking move. Stand-in captain Will Ferry stepped up to take it, but his low-driven effort struck the wall and was cleared, with the whistle soon blowing for half-time and the score still goalless.
Stunning Sapsford
We started the second half in flying fashion, opening the scoring with our first attack following the break.
Our new number nine made himself an instant United hero with his first goal in black and tangerine. A clever nutmeg and neat turn took him past his marker, creating space to unleash a well-placed shot from outside the area that found the bottom left-hand corner, leaving Özcan in the UNA Strassen net stranded!
Soon after, Trapanovski was next to test the UNA Strassen defence - flying down the right-hand side and fizzing an effort just past the post and we were unable to instantly add to our advantage. We enjoyed concerted pressure early in the second half, with successive corners bringing chances for United - aside from a Keresztes header that was well tipped over by ?zcan.
Looking For a Second
Two more changes soon followed, with forward Max Watters and midfielder Panutche Camará replacing Ivan Dolcek and Isaac Pappoe respectively. However, Watters was forced off just seven minutes later due to injury and was replaced by Academy graduate Owen Stirton.
The United youngster was quickly involved in the action, seeing his effort brilliantly tipped onto the post by the ever-resilient Özcan in the Strassen goal.
UNA Strassen looked for an equaliser with twenty minutes to play, however Nicolas Perez’s corner from the right-hand side was missed by most in the United box, leaving substitute Craig Sibbald to clear the attack - maintaining our one-goal advantage.
Despite threatening with set-pieces, there was little to trouble the resolute United rearguard as we ticked towards full-time.
Sibbald showed excellent close control with a tidy touch to glide past Ricardo Delgado before being brought down, winning a free kick. From the resulting set-piece, Ferry found space on the right-hand side of the box and fired a low cross to the back post, where Camará’s effort was blocked on the line.
UNA Strassen then passed up their best chance of the match in injury time. A cross from the left found striker Matheus in the box, and his sharp turn created space in the six-yard area – but his weak effort was comfortably gathered by Kucherenko.
That proved to be the final chance of the match, as we secured a 1-0 lead to take to Luxembourg for the second leg!
Dundee United: Kucherenko; Iovu, Esselink, Keresztes; Strain, Sevelj, Pappoe, Ferry; Ivan Dolcek, Sapsford, Trapanovski.
Substitutes: Richards, Adams, Constable, O’ Donnell, Camará, Sibbald, Watters, Cleall-Harding, Thomson, Stirton.
FC UNA Strassen
?zcan; Brandenburger, Delgado, D. Agovic, Hall, Myre; Pimentel, Vova, E. Agovic; Matheus, Hadji.
Substitutes: Garrido, Marques, Sever, Sacras, Bock, Dadashev, Bopaka, L’Abbate, Perez, A. Agovic, Romeyns, Goncalves.
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