Torreense overturned a one-goal deficit with two goals deep into stoppage time to beat Ararat-Armenia 3-2 at the Estádio Municipal de Leiria on Thursday, in matchday four of the Europa League league phase, according to RTP.
The Portuguese club, which plays in the II Liga, took the lead through Jorge Aguirre in the 13th minute. The striker was then sent off with a straight red card nine minutes later, leaving his side a man short for most of the match.
The Armenian visitors used the numerical advantage to turn the score around. Muradyan equalised in the 41st minute and Bruno Wilson put Ararat-Armenia ahead in the 58th.
The game swung again in the 76th minute when Ararat-Armenia goalkeeper João Bravim was dismissed, reducing both teams to ten players. Torreense pressed for an equaliser and found two goals in the closing moments: Javi Vázquez scored in the 93rd minute and Drammeh struck in the 95th to seal the win.
The match marked João Nuno's first game in European competition as Torreense coach, a detail reported by A Bola ahead of kick-off.
Why it matters
The result gives Torreense a second victory in the competition and lifts the club from Torres Vedras to 19th place on six points. For a side competing in Portugal's second division, a win in UEFA's league phase against top-flight opposition is a notable result, and the manner of it — two goals after the 90th minute with ten men — made it one of the more dramatic outcomes of the round.
Ararat-Armenia remains bottom of the standings in 36th place, still without a point after four matches.
A match of three red-card swings
The game's shape changed three times, each shift tied to a dismissal or a goal within minutes of one.
Torreense's early control lasted only until Aguirre's red card on 22 minutes. Having opened the scoring, the forward's departure forced the Portuguese side to reorganise and defend with ten. Ararat-Armenia capitalised before the break through Muradyan and went ahead after it through Bruno Wilson, whose goal came 17 minutes into the second half.
The sending-off of Bravim on 76 minutes restored parity in numbers and reopened the match. Torreense, having trailed since the 58th minute, pushed forward in the final minutes and were rewarded twice in quick succession, first through Vázquez and then through Drammeh two minutes later.
RTP described the finish as a turnaround completed "ao cair do pano" — as the curtain fell — and framed the night in Leiria as a celebration for the home side.
What João Nuno said afterwards
Maisfutebol reported the Torreense coach's reaction to the result, quoting João Nuno as calling it an epic night for the way his team represented Portuguese football. The comment came after a match in which his side played more than 70 minutes with ten men and still found a way to win.
The coach had been preparing for his European debut in the days before the fixture, with A Bola noting the milestone ahead of the game. Observador had also published a preview and prediction for the match on 5 November.
What to watch next
Torreense will look to build on six points from four league-phase matches when the competition resumes, while Ararat-Armenia, still searching for a first point, faces another difficult fixture in the rounds ahead.
