Russian minnows Alania have given themselves a fighting chance of playing in this season’s Europa League.
The North Ossetian side drew 1-1 at home with Kazakhstan’s Aktobe in the third qualifying round of the competition.
1995 Premier League winner Alania are now in the second-tier of Russian football and have not played in Europe for ten years.
They went behind after just 11 minutes after Malik Manwe opened for the visitors. But 21-year-old Atsamaz Buraev got a second-half equalizer.
A few minutes later, the visitors were reduced to ten after their goalkeeper’s clumsy and unjustified foul against Buraev, but Alania failed to convert this advantage into something valuable.
The second leg game will be played next week in Kazakhstan.