Midtjylland through, Club Brugge squeezed out

• Midtjylland through to spring phase of European competition for first time
• Club Brugge come agonisingly close to stealing Danish champions' ticket
• Pione Sisto's cross-turned-shot puts Midtjylland ahead
• Jelle Vossen heads reply and threatens to hit 80th-minute winner
• Draw for round of 32 takes place Monday at 13.00CET

Midtjylland rode their luck at home against Club Brugge, a 1-1 draw just enough to put the Danish champions through to the UEFA Europa League round of 32.

Second in Group D at kick-off, Jess Thorup's side looked to kill off their visitors early on, and it took a superb challenge from Brandon Mechele to stop Martin Pušić firing them in front. Pione Sisto then broke the deadlock, his celebrations suggesting he intended to bend the ball over Sébastien Bruzzese and into the top corner on 27 minutes, though his position way out on the left indicated rather more strongly that his effort was a misplaced cross.

No matter: it was enough to leave Club Brugge needing two goals to escape elimination, and that never seemed likely until after the interval, Lior Refaelov's introduction signalling a sustained offensive. Goalkeeper Mikkel Andersen and defender André Rømer combined to keep out a Davy De Fauw header, then Jelle Vossen flashed another one wide before popping up in the penalty box to plant another firmly past Andersen on 68 minutes.

Midtjylland creaked ominously; Víctor Vázquez drove into the side-netting after being given a free run into the area, and was not too far off target with a shot from distance. Vossen smacked a swerving drive past Andersen's left-hand post with ten minutes to go as Club Brugge pummelled their hosts in the closing stages, but their last chance passed as Stefano Denswil blasted a free-kick over the bar in added time.