2:1 against Lech Poznan
©IMAGO
The Lincoln Red Imps from Gibraltar caused a sensation and made history at the same time. The 2-1 (1-0) against Lech Poznan in the Conference League on Thursday evening was the first win by a Gibraltarian team in the group or league phase of the European Cup competition.
The Lincoln Red Imps went into the game as clear outsiders with a squad value of around 2.2 million euros – the lowest of all participants in the Conference League. Lech Poznan, on the other hand, comes to just under 43 million euros. The highest-rated player in the Polish squad, Antoni Kozubal, is worth 4 million euros alone, almost twice as much as the entire Imps (German: Kobolds) team.
Christian Rutjens scored the winning goal for the home team in the 88th minute. Previously, teammate Kike Gómez (33rd) scored the 1-0 and former Bundesliga professional Mikael Ishak (77th) equalized with a penalty. “This is the result of a magical night and well-deserved work,” said match winner Rutjens after the final whistle. Coach Juan José Bezares added: “Since I’ve been at the club, I’ve been saying this word: believe. As soon as you believe, anything is possible. We ourselves set the limits.”
The Imps are in 21st place after the second matchday and would therefore qualify for the intermediate round. They are fourth in the domestic Football League after five games.