Brann drew 1-1 away to Sint-Truiden in the Conference League on Thursday, with Ulrik Mathisen heading the equaliser about ten minutes from the end, VG reports. The Belgian hosts had taken the lead shortly after half-time through Nelson Ishiwatari. The point keeps Brann's strong start to the European campaign going.
Mathisen's goal came after a second half in which he was a persistent problem for the home defence. The equaliser also had to survive a late spell of pressure, with Sint-Truiden pushing hard during stoppage time before Brann held on.
Why it matters
The Conference League league phase gives each team only six matches, so every point carries weight. According to VG, the top 24 sides all continue playing after the new year, and Brann's tally of seven points from three games leaves them well placed in that race.
Brann's coach, Eirik Horneland, told Viaplay he was very pleased with the result. He described the match as one that demanded a lot of his team.
A difficult pitch above a car park
Sint-Truiden's ground is unusual. The playing surface sits above a parking facility, and the stands are built together with a shopping centre. Horneland told Viaplay the pitch was very hard to deal with, saying it was far from a good surface to play football on. He and his players stopped short of blaming it directly for the dropped points, but acknowledged that playing on the artificial turf laid over the structure caused some problems.
The home side's Japanese ownership has turned the club into a stepping stone for Japanese players heading into European football, and four Japanese players started against Brann.
Mathisen changes the game
Fredrik Haugen, a former Brann player, told Bergens Tidende during the match that Brann had looked lifeless before Mathisen pulled them back into it almost single-handedly. That assessment came after the header that levelled the score with roughly ten minutes left.
Mathisen told Viaplay the goal was hugely important, though he admitted he did not know exactly what is needed to progress. VG reports that Brann have won through three good teams to reach the league phase and now have seven points from three matches there.
Thore Pedersen picked up a knock and had to come off at half-time for Brann. He said afterwards that he believed it would be fine.
Brann's next task is to build on the point as the league phase continues.
