Osman Bukari’s stunning late strike broke BSC Young Boys’ hearts as they were forced to settle for a 2-2 draw against Crvena Zvezda in the UEFA Champions League, preventing the Swiss side from picking up what would have been a famous win.
Bukari was awarded the official man of the match award after the 2-2 drawn game.
The Ghana winger also scored against Manchester City in the opening group stage match.
There were a smattering of chances early on, the best of which fell to the visitors, although Darian Males, playing against his boyhood club, sent his low drive just past the post. Ultimately, neither goalkeeper was tested until the 27th minute, when Ulisses Garcia forced a smart save from Omri Glazer with a fierce low drive that was tipped around the post. Those missed openings came back to haunt Raphaël Wicky’s side, as Cherif Ndiaye put the hosts ahead by converting Osman Bukari’s cross from close range.
The goal was originally ruled out for offside, only for VAR to intervene, and they were involved again in injury time when Bukari had a strike chalked off after slightly mistiming his run.
Young Boys, who have never won away in the UCL group stages, were desperate to hit back, and having seen a shot saved before the break, Filip Ugrinic netted just three minutes after HT as he coolly clipped home from inside the box. The equaliser swung the momentum in the Swiss side’s favour, and they would have taken the lead had Glazer not denied Cedric Itten, while Cheikh Niasse blazed over the bar.
Still, a sensational Anthony Racioppi double save at the other end kept Stefan Mitrović and Mirko Ivanić at bay, and that intervention proved vital as Itten fired the visitors in front just after the hour mark. Again, VAR was required following Nasser Djiga’s handball in the area, but Young Boys’ number nine made no mistake from 12 yards.
Racioppi made a further fine stop from Ndiaye as the hosts desperately searched for an equaliser, while Aleksandar Katai put a free header wide of the post. As the game approached its climax, Silver Ganvoula nodded over from close range, and that proved costly as Barak Bakhar’s side equalised late on. Bukari was again his side’s hero, netting from an almost impossible angle as he squeezed an effort in at the near post from the right hand side of the area.
This result will please neither side, as they now both sit level on a point each at the bottom of Group G. With Manchester City and RB Leipzig expected to reach the knockout rounds, this was a fixture that both sides will have seen as a possibility to stake a claim for a UEFA Europa League play-off round place, and they will now look towards the return meeting towards the end of November to do so.
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