Dundee United's foreign legion make history but battle isn't over - just ask Rangers

For Bannon, Hegarty and Sturrock, read Dolcek, Keresztes and Pappoe and as unfamiliar as this Dundee United’s multi-national team might seem at present, they combined fluently enough to see off spirited part-timers from Luxembourg.

But is it enough? Remember Rangers is the cautionary advice. The Ibrox side took a 1-0 first leg lead to the Grand Duchy in 2017 in a Europa League qualifying tie under Pedro Caixinha and fell to one of their worst-ever results, losing 2-0 to Progres Niederkorn.

Jim Goodwin made some Dundee United history of his own here. Depending on your viewpoint, it wasn't quite as bleak. He simply picked a team devoid of Scotsmen. Given the club’s signing activity over the summer, it was almost inevitable this might happen at some point this season but it still felt notable on a night when United returned to a European stage where they distinguished themselves – and Scotland – in the 1980s.

These are very different times of course. What might wonder what Jim McLean might make of it before remembering that he, too, explored the world market both as manager and chairman with varying degrees of success.

Goodwin gave seven players their competitive debuts and it was little wonder the hosts struggled to break down their stuffy opponents initially. A neat goal from Australian Zachary Sapsford broke the deadlock two minutes after half time although not even this was the signal for the floodgates to open, as most had expected.

UNA Strassen nearly score at end

With two Scots now on the field in the shape of substitutes Craig Sibbald and Owen Stirton, the latter from far off Forfar, United sought to pile on the pressure. However, it never quite materialised to the extent the home fans desired. Instead, UNA Strassen, playing only their second-ever European tie, came close to equalising at the death when Matheus De Souza shot straight at Yevhenii Kucherenko, United's new Ukrainian 'keeper.

Stirton did make a quick impact when seeing his angled shot tipped onto the post by Koray Ozcan but it was the visitors who were pushing most effectively towards the end.

In the absence of injured skipper, and local boy, Ross Graham, Will Ferry, the former Republic of Ireland Under-21 cap, led out a team including two Australians, two Croatians and a Dutchman in front of a healthy home crowd and a tifo display. “Under the lights on European nights,” it read. There have been plenty of those at Tannadice although not as many in recent years as those of a certain age were blessed with.

The previous one before this was one of the best – a 1-0 over AZ Alkmaar. Just don’t mention the second leg. There’s less likelihood of United coming unstuck in such comprehensive fashion next week although this tie is far from over. All the worrying ingredients were here in a goalless opening half; a home team nowhere near having had the opportunity to gel and an opposition ‘keeper who looked like he was in the mood to have one of those nights.

Ozcan, UNA Strassen's 30-year-old custodian of the sticks, seemed inspired early on as United began brightly although even then, the first real chance fell to the visitors. Daryl Myre only had to get his lob on target after he was played in down the left. With Kucherenko in no-man’s land, Myre’s effort bounced wide.

It was a warning. UNA Strassen, anchored in the middle by the 39-year-old Vova, looked more than capable. Still, United were making chances and, in the case of Vicko Sevelj, were guilty of wasting them. He was left in glorious isolation after a neat reverse ball from Sapsford but could not beat Ozcan, who spread himself well.

There is still work to do

The ‘keeper was at full stretch when tipping a Kristijan Trapanovski effort away 23 minutes in and denied the same player again shortly afterwards. Were things going to plan? Not for United they weren’t. Still, it might have been worse. Tannadice fell silent after Krisztian Keresztes, who had already been booked, tripped Vivo. The veteran was in his own half but a break was on. Keresztes returned very quickly to his position while being sure not to catch the eye of referee Marc Nagtegaal.

United finished the half with eleven men and finished the game with eleven, by which time they had secured a just about deserved advantage.

A fine first touch from Sapsford took him away from his marker and he shot into the net from the edge of the box, with Ozcan caught flat-footed. It’s the first goal of this new era at a much changed United and while it gives the Tannadice side a platform, there’s much still to do.