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Stanislaw Dragun’s first-half goal gave Bate a famous victory over Arsenal, who struggled on a poor pitch and had Alexandre Lacazette sent off near the end

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Thu 14 Feb 2019 15.14 ESTFirst published on Thu 14 Feb 2019 11.55 EST
Alexandre Lacazette leaves the field after being sent off.
Alexandre Lacazette leaves the field after being sent off. Photograph: Vasily Fedosenko/Reuters
Alexandre Lacazette leaves the field after being sent off. Photograph: Vasily Fedosenko/Reuters

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That’s a famous victory for Bate Borisov, and an entirely miserable night for Arsenal. They had lots of the ball but struggled to move the ball smoothly on a poor pitch, and never really looked like equalising Stanislaw Drahun’s goal on the stroke of half-time.

Their mounting frustration manifested itself in a red card for Alexandre Lacazette, who crumped his elbow into the coupon of Aleksandar Flipovic. He will miss the second leg at the Emirates a week today. You would still expect Arsenal to go through. But that really wasn’t good.

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88 min Arsenal will go through, I am almost certain of that, but this has been a desperate night for them.

ALEXANDRE LACAZETTE IS SENT OFF!

85 min It’s a straight red for a retaliatory elbow into the face of Filipovic. Lacazette was dragged back near the halfway line, swung his arm in frustration and can have few complaints about the referee’s decision.

Alexandre Lacazette leaves the field. Photograph: Vasily Fedosenko/Reuters
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84 min Arsenal are looking increasingly desperate. They have had so much of the ball, yet they haven’t created many chances since half-time.

82 min A lovely break from Bate almost brings a second goal. Rios plays the ball down the right to Berezkin, who hits a superb cross on the run towards the unmarked Dubajic. Cech does very well to dive in front of Dubajic and palm the ball away at the near post.

76 min Bate are starting to look tired and are really struggling to get out of their own third, never mind their own half.

72 min Lacazette’s low cross from the left is blocked. But the attempted clearance goes straight to Kolasinac, who belts the bouncing ball wide of the far post. That was a good chance, though he had to take it quickly.

72 min “And to think,” says Ian Copestake, “that Ramsey is going to swap this to sit next to Emre Can on the Juve bench.”

68 min The willing Kolasinac, who has been Arsenal’s biggest threat going forward, wins a corner for Arsenal. Xhaka’s first effort hits Rios and goes behind, so Mkhitaryan has a try. He plays it short to Kolasinac, who hits it straight out of play on the other side of the field. Nice one.

66 min Though Arsenal have dominated possession throughout, they have struggling to find space between the tractors lines. It’s been a very frustrating night on an old-fashioned heap of a pitch.

64 min “Hi Rob,” says Peter Oh. “Apparently the acronym BATE stands for Borisov Automotive and Tractor Electrical (equipment). Maybe it’s time for Arsenal to park the bus? A big one.”

BATE have parked the whole factory in the second half.

61 min: Good save from Cech! Stasevich shovels the ball to the edge of the area and hits a bouncing shot across goal that is pushed away by Cech, diving to his right.

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59 min Bate have rationed their counter-attacks cleverly. They know they can’t beat Arsenal in an open match, so they are sitting very deep, but when they spring forward they do so decisively and at pace.

55 min Kolasinac’s low cross is put behind for a corner. Bate thought the last touch was off Iwobi, and replays suggests they were right. The corner is taken short and eventually leads to a disallowed goal from Lacazette, who slammed Kolasinac’s cross into the net from six yards. He looked fractionally offside.

Alexandre Lacazette celebrates before his effort is ruled out for offside. Photograph: Sergei Grits/AP
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50 min Lacazette whips a long-range shot that is patted down by Scherbitski and claimed at the second attempt.

50 min Arsenal have started the second half with renewed intensity. Iwobi floats a cross to the far post that just evades the leaping Mkhitaryan and Maitland-Niles.

48 min “I’d never made the Iwobi/Erotica connection (although, heaven knows I will from now on. Thanks),” says Matt Dony, remembering to thank me. “But if you’ve ever heard Hamilton and you can still say ‘Lacazette’ normally, then you’re a better man than I...”

47 min A near-post corner breaks for Mustafi, whose snapshot on the turn is blocked by Volkov on the six-yard line.

Half time: Bate Borisov 1-0 Arsenal

Hands up who predicted that scoreline? No, me either. But there were a few danger signs for Arsenal, who started to lose their way after a fast, authoritative start. They don’t have anything to worry about in terms of the overall tie - not yet, anyway - but this is an irritating and unexpected setback.

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Stasevich curled the free-kick towards the near post, where Drahun escaped his marker Kolasinac just outside the six-yard box and looped a smart header over Petr Cech into the far corner.

The Bate players celebrate as Petr Cech is beaten. Photograph: Tatyana Zenkovich/EPA
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44 min The lively Skavysh twists past Monreal, who brings him down. The free-kick is on the right wing, in line with the edge of the area...

41 min Mustafi’s cross from the right slithers between the legs of Milic at the far post and falls to Kolasinac, who splatters it wide of the near post from a tight angle.

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