FC Midtjylland put their first points on the board in the Conference League league phase, but the side from Central Jutland will be disappointed to have come away with only a single point away against Egnatia—a team from the tournament's lowest seeding pot.
In a bleak setting, the visitors had to settle for a 1-1 draw, which was also the scoreline at halftime.
The match was originally scheduled to be played in Tirana, but due to demonstrations in the capital, it was moved at short notice to Elbasan, about 40 kilometers to the southeast.
The stadium was nearly empty, contributing to a match that lacked intensity and tension. The visitors from Central Jutland got off to a poor start, falling behind in the 26th minute when Altin Kryeziu delivered a perfect ball from the right flank, dropping it behind the Danish defense.
At the far post, Ildi Gruda snuck in behind Rasmus Nissen Kristensen and headed the ball into the net, beating Nordin Bakker—who was once again deputizing for the ill Elias Olafsson in the Midtjylland goal.
However, Nissen Kristensen quickly made amends at the other end of the pitch. He sent a cross in from the right, finding both Mileta Rajovic and Cho Gue-Sung completely unmarked in the middle of the box.
The ball fell to the South Korean, who easily headed his team level at 1-1. That remained the score at the break; while the first 45 minutes were relatively evenly matched, the visitors took control in the second half.
Egnatia were pushed back, and as the match progressed, it became a case of pure survival for the home side.
Ultimately, however, the visitors lacked inspiration and failed to capitalize on their physical superiority. The closest they came to taking the lead was when a header from centre-back Mads Bech was cleared off the line by a defender.
With ten minutes remaining, substitute Mikael Uhre poked the ball into the net after the Egnatia goalkeeper dropped it. However, the referee had spotted a foul in the build-up, and his decision remained unchanged following a VAR review.