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| Sadio Mane started the match despite being linked with Man Utd |
JAY RODRIGUEZ had endured sixteen months of hell – but last night the Southampton striker
finally got his reward.
The Saints' England forward had been out of action for that long, bleak time fighting a career – threatening anterior cruciate ligament injury. But his first goal since March 2014 last night kept his club's European dream alive.
Against the Danish "Moneyball" percentage game specialists, Saints had fallen behind in their Europa League play off when their ex player, Finn Tim Sparv, scored.
Then Rodriguez stepped up to score from the penalty spot to salvage a draw. But it was a result that still leaves Ronald Koeman's injury hit squad with a tough task in the second leg in Denmark in a week's time.
Saints last night were up against a team who play the odds – in a big way. Danish champions Midtjylland are owned by Brentford owner Matthew Bentham, the boss of the SmartOdds betting firm – who is a big fan of the data-driven approach to developing players, along the lines of the "Moneyball" system made famous in US baseball by Billy Beane at Oakland Athletics.
Brad Pitt starred in the Hollywood film, but he wasn't around when Saints needed an Oscar winner last night.
Rodriguez said: "We're disappointed. We had the chances to win but didn't take them. When the penalty came I was just concentrating on the ball, and where I was going to put it.
"I just wanted to bring us back into the game. The reaction of the crowd was lovely, it was the sort of thing I've been waiting for ever since I've been out injured.
"I just want to go on and get as many goals as I can now. But we can go there next week and get the win."
Statistics are all well and good, but Saints should have been ahead after only six minutes, when Rodriguez muscled past Jesper Lauridsen, but wastefully fired his shot wide.
Sadio Mane then saw his shot saved by Johan Dahlin, and Stephen Caulker headed just wide as the Premier League side dominated.
But gradually the Danes began to get into the game, and Petter Andersson shot just a foot wide after a free kick was not cleared.
Midtjylland, as expected, were dangerous from set pieces, and when Saints dithered again, Erik Sviatchenko's header had to be acrobatically palmed away by Maarten Stekelenburg.
Koeman's side had lost their momentum, and when Pione Sisto dribbled all the way through to the byeline, he should have done better than hit the side netting.
Then Midtjylland struck as the half time whistled beckoned. Lauridsen's cross was only half cleared, and former Saints academy and reserve player Sparv, released in 2007, cracked his low shot inside the post.
Saints laid siege, and Rodriguez saw his shot deflected an inch wide. Koeman's team thought they had levelled when Caulker headed home – but French referee Clement Turpin ruled there had been a push.
An angry Koeman said: "I thought it was a legal goal. If it had been the Premier League there would have been no whistle.
"There is a lot of irritation about the way they wasted time - right from minute one. I don't like it. You need a referee to protect the team who wants to play."
Midtjylland finally cracked when James Ward-Prowse was tripped in the area by Kian Hansen. Rodriguez confidently rammed the penalty home, and a long miserable, personal battle had finally ended.
Saints should have won it though, when Caulker flicked in a header from Ward-Prowse's accurate free kick – but keeper Dahlin pulled off the save of the night as he twisted to push the ball over the bar. Then Maya Yoshida agonisingly hit the post.
But the percentages had worked for Midtjylland. The odds were against Koeman's team last night - and they certainly are in the tie as a whole right now.
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