Summer signing Yuki Ohashi came off the bench to grab a dramatic late equaliser as Blackburn snatched a battling 2-2 draw at Norwich.
The Japanese striker headed home in the 87th minute to rescue a point after his side had squandered a half-time lead, with Josh Sargent and Borja Sainz scoring twice in eight second-half minutes to turn the game on its head.
Ryan Hedges had produced an assured finish to open the scoring on 20 minutes but Norwich were the better side for long periods and made it show after the break, only for Rovers to have the final say.
John Eustace’s side have four points from the opening two games while Norwich, under new boss Johannes Hoff Thorup, have just one.
The Canaries made a bright start and Sargent twice went close to giving his side an early lead.
First he shot wastefully wide after a poor pass out from goalkeeper Aynsley Pears had put Sondre Tronstad under pressure and moments later he headed a corner against the underside of the crossbar, with the Rovers’ defence somehow scrambling the loose ball clear.
The visitors weathered the storm however and made their first clear opening of the game count on 20 minutes. Big striker Makhtar Gueye did well to bring the ball forward and slip it out to the overlapping Hedges and the wide man kept a cool head to clip it over the advancing Angus Gunn.
An audacious 35-yard effort on his full debut from Gabriel Forsyth almost drew Norwich level, with Pears having to produce an acrobatic fingertip save to keep it out.
It then took a brilliant last-ditch tackle from Tronstad to thwart Sargent after the keeper’s poor distribution had once again got his side into trouble.
Both sides struggled to create chances in the early stages of the second period, with a 35-yard free-kick from Marcelino Nunez that drifted just wide providing a brief moment of excitement.
But Norwich were enjoying the bulk of possession and levelled in the 65th minute as Sargent opened his account for the new campaign. Callum Brittain was robbed by Tommy Doyle on the right and the Manchester City loanee played a perfectly-timed pass for Sargent to rifle the ball into the roof of the net.
Eight minutes later, the hosts added a beautifully-worked second.
A one-two between Nunez and Sargent saw the latter get to the byline and the striker turned provider by drilling in a low cross that was tapped home from close range by Sainz.
Blackburn were stunned but quickly regrouped and made it 2-2 three minutes from the end of normal time.
A well-worked attack enabled Brittain to deliver an excellent cross from the right flank and Ohashi got ahead of his marker to nod past Gunn.
[(Strasbourg) Strength]: 1. RC Strasbourg Alsace started with a 1-0 away win over FC Metz in the last Ligue 1 game. Facing FC Nantes in this game, they are motivated to take 3 points.2. RC Strasbourg Alsace were unbeaten with 2 wins and 2 draws in the last 4 games, showing fit form. They secured a 0-0 draw with Brondby IF in the last Conference League match.3. RC Strasbourg Alsace recorded 2 wins,...
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[(AFC Ajax) Strength]: 1. AFC Ajax drew 2-2 with Go Ahead Eagles away from home in the last league match. They have achieved an unbeaten record of one win and one draw in two league games of the new season, maintaining a stable form.2. AFC Ajax's attack has maintained their excellent pre-season form, scoring 11 goals in the last 5 matches, with an average of over 2 goals per game.3. AFC Ajax's hom...
[(Atalanta BC) Strength]: 1. This match is the first round of the new Serie A season. Atalanta BC, playing at home, will strive for a win to get off to a good start, and their fighting spirit is beyond doubt.2. In a recent friendly match against Juventus FC, Lazar Samardzic scored a goal, demonstrating an excellent form.3. Atalanta BC have scored a total of 8 goals and conceded 11 ones in their la...
[(Udinese Calcio) Strength]: 1. Arthur Atta scored the opening goal for the team in the recent Coppa Italia match. He officially joined the club during the offseason, with Udinese Calcio spending 8 million euros to secure his services.2. Udinese Calcio won 2-0 over Carrarese Calcio 1908 in the first Coppa Italia match, welcoming the new season with good performances.3. Udinese Calcio scored 2 goal...
[(Villarreal) Strength]: 1. Villarreal started the new season with an away victory in the opening round, currently sitting near the top of the league table with 3 points. After finishing 5th in La Liga last season and securing a spot in European football, the Yellow Submarine aim to maintain their strong form this campaign. Playing at home in the Estadio de la Ceramica against Girona, the team are...
[(IK Sirius) Strength]: 1. IK Sirius have recently achieved three consecutive victories in all competitions and are in good form. In the last Svenska Cupen match, they defeated Pitea IF 5-0 and advanced to the group stage.[(IK Sirius) Weakness]: 1. IK Sirius currently ranked 12th in the league table. Facing 2nd-placed Hammarby, IK Sirius, who have been performing poorly, have little chance of winn...
[(Osasuna) Strength]: 1. Osasuna lost in the first round of the league and suffered a poor start. This time playing at home, Osasuna will strive for a win to boost morale and are highly motivated.2. Osasuna are strong at home, winning all of their previous four home games.[(Osasuna) Neutral]: 1. Osasuna have scored 6 goals and conceded 8 ones in their last 5 matches. The team's offensive performan...
[(Cagliari) Strength]: 1. Cagliari finished 15th in Serie A last season, taking 36 points, narrowly avoiding relegation by a 5-point lead. In the first home match of the new season, they will face powerhouses ACF Fiorentina. The team are motivated to take home advantage to start with a win.[(Cagliari) Weakness]: 1. Cagliari captain Leonardo Pavoletti will miss the first Serie A round due to his kn...
[(FC Lorient) Strength]: 1. FC Lorient returned to Ligue 1 this season as the champions of France Ligue 2, but lost their first game away from home. This time, they will strive to secure their first win of the season at home, and their desire to win is beyond doubt.2. FC Lorient have performed very strongly at home. Last season, in 17 home games in France Ligue 2, they achieved an impressive recor...
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