Club Brugge 1 Birmingham 2
A dramatic Chris Wood strike 10 minutes into stoppage time secured a second straight win for Birmingham in the Europa League.
A dramatic Chris Wood strike 10 minutes into stoppage time secured a second straight win for Birmingham in the Europa League.
The New Zealand international's goal, his tenth this season, completed a superb come back at the Jan Breydelstadion against Group H favourites Club Brugge in Belgium.
Few could have predicted this result when Joseph Akpala put the home side in front inside three minutes.
But a slick equaliser by David Murphy 23 minutes later put the game back in the balance, before Wood's late strike snatched all three points for Chris Hughton's side.
But the result was tainted slightly by a worrying injury to Pablo Ibanez, who was stretchered off in a neck brace after a heavy collision with the Belgian side's goal scorer 10 minutes before normal time.
The Spaniard stayed down for 10 minutes before leaving the field, resulting in additional stoppage time.
As was expected, Hughton made several – six- changes from Sunday's 2-0 win over Leicester.
In defence, Murphy and Jonathan Spector replaced injured Stephen Carr and Liam Ridgewell.
Wade Elliott, Blues 'match-winner in their last Europa League fixture, was chosen in midfield alongside Guirane N'Daw, ahead of Morgaro Gomis and Jean Beausejour.
Up front, Adam Rooney and Nikola Zigic were preferred to Sunday's goal scorers Marlon King and Wood.
Blues endured the worst possible start when Akpala dispatched Nabil Dirar's centre, giving goalkeeper Boaz Myhill no chance from close range.
The visitors struggled to maintain any meaningful possession in the opening 10 minutes, and a poor touch by Fahey gave Dirar his first shooting chance.
Fortunately, the Moroccan fired high over the bar from distance.
Defender Jannes Van Steenkiste forced a solid save from Myhill as the home side pushed hard to extend their lead.
But Murphy equalised for Blues in clinical fashion in the 26th minute against the run of play.
The former Hibernian defender tapped home Spector's right wing centre from just three yards out for his second goal of the season.
Niki Zimling and Murphy both failed to convert decent chances before half time and Rooney missed two far more inviting efforts, the former after going one on one with Colin Coosemans.
Blues wastefulness continued early in the second half when Zigic headed a glorious chance wide from Burke's superb cross 14 minutes after the restart.
Bruges boss Adrie Koster made two changes midway through the second-half in a bid to preserve the home side's 100 per cent record in the competition.
Thomas Meunier replaced Lior Rafaelov and Jimmy De Jonghe replaced Jannes Vansteenkiste but Blues continued to frustrate their hosts.
Hughton surprisingly made two changes up front with 17 minutes remaining, when King and Wood replaced Zigic and Rooney.
Wood, who already has nine goals so far this season, drew a decent save from Coosemans within three minutes of his introduction.
Fries Deschilder saw a sliding effort blocked by Daw at the death, with Elliott firing wide at the other end before Wood converted the winner, from King's pass.
The result leaves Blues level on points with Bruges at the top of Group H with three games left to play.



