Osasuna said goodbye to the European dream in Belgium after drawing 2-2 against Bruges in a clash that was won by 0-2 and that he gave away in three fateful minutes that condemned Jagoba Arrasate’s team, who missed the opportunity to return to a group stage 16 years later.
The imprecision in the passes occurred in Osasuna during the first minutes of the game, the result of the relevance of the team’s first European trip since 2007. Those from Arrasate they failed to combine several passes in a row comfortably. Moncayola and Moi Gómez tried to organize the midfield, while Chimy Ávila and Budimir were the first to jump on the pressure.
The first from Bruges came halfway through the first half. Vetlesen stepped into the box on the left side to put a pass back before the arrival of Vanaken. Captain he failed to contact the ball as he would have likedthe shot came out somewhat bitten and Herrera took out without major problems.
Osasuna had a hard time controlling the crash. Ronny Deila’s tried to build from below. Chimy Ávila finished off with a header, but Mignolet sent the header to a corner without taking into account the following consequence. The Navarrese took a short corner for Mojica to cross his shot to the long post. Dance of the Colombian and the visitors matched the tie.
He goal gave the pamploneses air to defend with more confidence, but Bruges also put in one more gear so as not to be surprised again. De Cuyper left the stick trembling.
The second half could not have started better for visiting interests. Before Budimir he brought out one of his best qualities. The Croatian took advantage of Peña’s cross to make it 0-2 with a header. Osasuna turned the tie around without deserving too much on the green. Everything seemed on track, but football showed its cruelest side.
Arrasate moved the bench putting on Areso, Rubén García and Aimar Oroz in search of more control, but six minutes later the nightmare would begin.
A very close corner to the far post that went over Herrera and company so that Thiago from Rio de Janeiro finished off with a powerful header. Three minutes later, at minute 76, Olsen put Bruges ahead after a gift from Mojica inside the area.
The Belgians wanted to sentence against an Osasuna that did not show a great capacity for reaction. The 11-minute extension made the more than 1,000 rojillo fans who traveled to Belgian lands believe. The dream ended with the final whistle with which Osasuna will not be able to play in the final phase of the Conference League after falling 4-3 on aggregate.