Midtjylland with Cho Gue-sung Suffers Heavy Defeat to Ajax... Winless in 3 Straight UECL Matches

FC Midtjylland (Denmark), featuring South Korean national team forward Cho Gue-sung as a starter and Hong Hyun-seok as a substitute, remained winless for their third consecutive match in the league phase of the 2026-2027 UEFA Conference League (UECL).

Midtjylland suffered a 6-1 crushing defeat against Ajax (Netherlands) in the third match of the 2026-2027 UECL league phase held at the MCH Arena in Herning, Denmark, on November 6 (KST), dealing with a setback after going a man down in the 43rd minute of the first half.

Having drawn 1-1 with Egnatia (Albania) in the first match and losing 0-1 to Sint-Truiden (Belgium) in the second, Midtjylland fell to a 6-1 defeat against Ajax, leaving them winless in three straight matches (1 draw, 2 losses, 1 point).

Midtjylland forward Cho Gue-sung started as a two-top striker and recorded one shot and one key pass before being substituted at the start of the second half, leaving the pitch without an attacking point.

Hong Hyun-seok, who started on the bench, was subbed on in the 23rd minute of the second half but also failed to record an attacking point.

Midtjylland conceded the opening goal just 9 minutes into the match, but bounced back with an equalizer in the 28th minute of the first half. However, midfielder Kjelle Betien was sent off following a second yellow card in the 43rd minute of the first half, putting them at a numerical disadvantage.

Midtjylland collapsed in the second half, conceding 5 unanswered goals to taste the humiliation of a 6-1 defeat.

Red Star Belgrade (Serbia), featuring young forward Kim Ye-geon as a starter, secured a 2-1 comeback victory against Inter Club d'Escaldes (Italy) in their 2026-2027 UECL league phase match held at the Rajko Mitić Stadium in Belgrade, Serbia.

With this win, Red Star claimed their first victory in the league phase stage, bringing their record to 1 win, 1 draw, and 1 loss (4 points).

Making his UECL debut as a starting left winger, Kim Ye-geon played only the first half without recording an attacking point after his one shot on target was blocked by the goalkeeper.

In the 35th minute of the first half, Kim Ye-geon delivered a brilliant penetrating pass to lone striker Aleksandar Katai, which looked like it would result in Kim's first attacking point on the UECL stage as Katai finished it off with a goal.

However, video assistant referee (VAR) review caught Katai striking an opposing defender just before the goal, leading to the goal being disallowed and wiping out Kim's assist record, while Katai was shown a red card and sent off.

Reduced to a numerical disadvantage, Red Star restored numerical balance in the 6th minute of the second half when opposing winger Domi Berlanga was sent off for accumulated yellow cards.

Red Star conceded the opening goal in the 17th minute of the second half, but pulled level with an equalizer in the 35th minute and secured a 2-1 victory thanks to an opponent's own goal during stoppage time.


Meanwhile, Besiktas (Turkey), with national team forward Oh Hyun-gyu starting, suffered a 2-3 comeback defeat against Celtic (Scotland) in the fourth match of the 2026-2027 UEFA Europa League (UEL) league phase.

Stumbling against Celtic, Besiktas suffered their first defeat of the league phase stage to stand at 2 wins, 1 draw, and 1 loss (7 points), while Celtic (1 win, 3 losses, 3 points) savored their first victory following a three-game losing streak.

With Oh Hyun-gyu starting as the lone striker for Besiktas, Celtic forward Yang Hyun-jun missed the match due to the aftereffects of a hamstring injury, preventing a "Korean derby" from taking place.

After finishing the first half scoreless, Besiktas scored the opening goal 9 minutes into the second half, but conceded the equalizer in the 15th minute of the second half.

Oh Hyun-gyu was substituted in the 25th minute of the second half without recording an attacking point.

After conceding a go-ahead goal in the 33rd minute of the second half and fighting back with another equalizer in the 40th minute, Besiktas ultimately collapsed by conceding the decisive goal in the 42nd minute of the second half.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.