LNZ hold Gent to goalless draw in historic European debut

LNZ Cherkasy made their European bow a quiet one, playing out a 0-0 stalemate against Belgian side Gent in the first leg of the UEFA Conference League second qualifying round. The match was played at the Kazimierz Górski Stadium in Plock, Poland – a neutral venue for the Ukrainian side. It marked the club's first-ever appearance in continental competition after finishing runners-up in the Ukrainian Premier League last season. Neither side managed to find the back of the net in a contest that lacked clear-cut chances. While Gent enjoyed more of the ball, the LNZ defense held firm to keep a clean sheet on a historic night for the club from Cherkasy. The return leg is scheduled for next Thursday, July 30, at the Ghelamco Arena in Ghent, with kickoff at 21:30 local time. The winner of this tie will advance to face either IFK Göteborg or FCI Levadia in the third qualifying round – the first match between the Swedish and Estonian sides ended 2-1 in Levadia's favor.