Europa League 3rd Qualifying Round, 2nd leg
* = seeded team
Teams in CAPITALS (except KÍ) go to ELPO, Losers go to ConfLPO
(Champions and Main Path)
August 13
Champions Path
The New Saints FC (WAL)* v FC PETROCUB HÎNCESTI (MDA) 0-0 (0-0), 0-1 on
aggregate
(Red Cards: J. Williams (TNS) 40'; Pușcaș (Pet) 45'+2)
On each side as many shots on goal as red cards. This feels like a huge
chance missed by the Welsh champions to reach a league phase for the
first time ever. Oh well, they have one more chance in the Conference
League play-offs against Lithuanian bottom dwellers Panevėžys. On the
other hand, the first ever European group stage for Petrocub.
August 14
Champions Path
FK RFS (LAT)* v UE Santa Coloma (AND) 7-0 (5-0), 9-0 on aggregate
(Ikaunieks 2', 10', 22', Lipušček 17', Osuagwu 44', Ķigurs 67',
Mareš 77' (pen))
The Andorran champions have played a very decent European campaign so
far, but this was where they were shown their limits. Jānis Ikaunieks
scored a hat trick within the first twenty-two minutes with a header
from a corner kick, a tap-in, and a shot from the edge of the area.
RFS's Slovenian defender Žiga Lipušček likewise headed in a corner kick,
and young Nigerian Victor Osuagwu slotted in Cédric Kouadio's cross for
the fifth. Osuagwu also provided the assist for Mārtiņš Ķigurs who
curled in number six, and Czech veteran Petr Mareš capped off the rout
from the spot after Osuagwu had been brought down in the box.
August 15
Champions Path
Lincoln Red Imps FC (GIB)* v FC DINAMO MINSK (BLR) 2-1 (1-0), 2-3 on
aggregate
(De Barr 30', Pigas 78' (og); Alfred 54')
Tjay (pronounced Tee-Jay) De Barr volleyed the Imps in front:
https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2024/459554/30194-Record_2024_08_15_19_58_38_613.mp4
but the Belarusians were much improved in the second half and Dinamo's
new Nigerian striker Steven Alfred beat Lincoln's Spanish keeper Nauzet
Santana with a skipping turn-and-shot. Out of nowhere Vadim Pigas
deflected a cross by the substitute Victor Villacañas into his own net
to make the tie interesting once more, but the goal that would have sent
the tie into extra time eluded the Gibraltarian underdogs.
MACCABI TEL AVIV FC (ISR)* v FK Panevėžys (LTU) 3-0 (1-0), 5-1 on aggregate
(Peretz 45'+3, Davida 54', Yehezkel 70')
Played in Szombathely in Western Hungary, this was the one bright spot
on a matchday to forget for the Israeli teams. Dor Peretz nodded in Gabi
Kanichowsky's corner kick, Osher Davida finished off a nice one-two with
Dor Turgeman:
https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2024/459560/30297-Record_2024_08_15_22_11_07_786.mp4
and Sagiv Yehezkel, back home in Israel after a let's say rather torrid
time in Turkey, fired in a loose ball for the third:
https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2024/459560/30305-Record_2024_08_15_22_26_06_594.mp4
FK BORAC BANJA LUKA (BIH) v KÍ (FAR)* 3-1 aet (1-0, 2-1), 4-3 on aggregate
(Srećković 17', Savić 82', Meijers 93'; Pavlović 53')
Following a short corner, Nikola Srećković beat KÍ keeper Jensen with
a shot through the legs from an impossible angle, almost in the style of
Árni Frederiksberg. Of all people, it was the Serbian veteran in
Klaksvík's team Deni Pavlović who scored the equaliser by heading in,
you guessed it, Frederiksberg's free-kick. Immediately afterwards VAR
cancelled another Srećković goal for offside, but Borac still managed to
send the tie to extra time thanks to Austrian journeyman winger Stefan
Savić who curled in a precise low shot from the edge of the area:
https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2024/459563/30329-Record_2024_08_15_23_16_50_599.mp4
In extra time it didn't take long until Borac's new Dutch defender Bart
Meijers, previously of Petrolul in Romania, headed in the winner from a
Savić cross.
First ever group phase for Borac, and after so many years of waiting
the second one for a Bosnian-Herzegovinian team in a row. Klaksvík still
have one more chance to repeat last year's exploit against the Finnish
champions HJK.
SHAMROCK ROVERS FC (IRL)* v NK Celje (SLO) 3-1 aet (2-0, 2-1), 3-2 on
aggregate
(Watts 37' (pen), Farrugia 41', Burke 96'; Karničnik 83')
A collision between Celje's young keeper Lovro Štubljar and Rovers
striker Aaron Greene was first adjudged by Ovidiu Haţegan to have been a
foul by the latter, but following a VAR check the Romanian ref reversed
his decision and instead gave a penalty to the Irish champions,
despatched with ease by Dylan Watts. Just a couple of minutes later Neil
Farrugia beat Štubljar with a precise low shot from distance:
Loading Image...
but late on Slovenia's mainstay at the Euros Žan Karničnik volleyed in a
cross by the young Lithuanian Armandas Kučys to send the tie to extra
time: https://giphy.com/gifs/FuFLnh5qGUETEFEmcG
where Graham Burke's perhaps slightly deflected shot squirmed in
underneath Štubljar for the eventual winner. VAR also cancelled a goal
by Darragh Burns for offside, but that didn't matter in the end.
A major success for the League of Ireland, who also still have St
Patrick's in the Conference League play-offs.
Main Path
SK RAPID WIEN (AUT)* v Trabzonspor (TUR) 2-0 (0-0), 3-0 on aggregate
(Seidl 77', Lang 87'; Red Card: Malheiro (Tra) 84')
A surprisingly dominant performance by Rapid, and the only thing they
failed to do for the longest time was converting their chances.
Matthias Seidl finally volleyed in Bendegúz Bolla's chipped assist:
https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2024/459555/30170-Record_2024_08_15_19_36_39_239.mp4
and after Trabzonspor right-back Pedro Malheiro had seen his marching
orders for wrestling down Isak Jansson as last man, the young substitute
striker Christoph Lang added a deserved second on the break:
https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2024/459555/30181-Record_2024_08_15_19_46_43_258.mp4
IF ELFSBORG (SWE)* v HNK Rijeka (CRO) 2-0 (0-0), 3-1 on aggregate
(Baidoo 68', Qasem 83')
It was a terrible, not good, very bad matchday for the Croatian teams,
and Rijeka were no exception. Ahmed Qasem chased down Veldin Hodža on
the left wing to block his pass so it sprung to Michael Baidoo, and
all alone in front of Rijeka keeper Zlomislić the Ghanaian made no
mistake. Late on Qasem tapped in Arbër Zeneli's cross to make it two.
Elfsborg are the only team starting in ELQ1 that survived all three
rounds to make it to the playoffs.
FC VIKTORIA PLZEŇ (CZE)* v FC Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih (UKR) 1-0 (0-0), 3-1 on
aggregate
(Vašulín 52')
Viktorka were always in control of the tie, and they even got the win
when Daniel Vašulín headed in Pavel Šulc's weighted cross:
https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2024/459608/30224-Record_2024_08_15_20_34_36_896.mp4
Two minutes later Vašulín also rounded Kryvbas keeper Klishchuk, but
from a tight angle only hit the outside of the post.
Cercle Brugge KSV (BEL) v MOLDE FK (NOR)* 1-0 (1-0), 1-3 on aggregate
(Ouattara 41'; Red Card: Francis (Cer) 29')
Cercle were reduced to ten already early on when VAR sent off their
Ghanaian midfielder Abu Francis for stomping on the knee of Kristian
Eriksen, but the Belgians at least got the win as their young Burkinabè
forward Abdoul Kader Ouattara turned a rebound from Alan Minda's corner
kick over the line. But a proper comeback was never in the cards.
AFC AJAX (NED)* v Panathinaikos FC (GRE) 0-1 aet (0-0, 0-1), 1-1 on
aggregate, Ajax win 13-12 on penalties
(Tetê 89')
Former Shakhtar Donetsk winger Tetê got the late aggregate equaliser
when he latched onto a ball that had caromed around in the Ajax box:
https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2024/459559/30417-Record_2024_08_16_01_40_07_360.mp4
and in extra time Bertrand Traoré's equaliser got cancelled by VAR for a
foul in the build-up, but all the true fun happened in the shoot-out.
In the very first attempt, Argentine winger Daniel Mancini saw his
penalty saved by Ajax keeper Pasveer, but when Brian Brobbey could have
won it for the Dutch eight spot kicks later his effort was also clawed
out by Pana's Polish keeper Drągowski. Nemanja Maksimović (saved) and
Bertrand Traoré (wide) then missed their penalties in unison, and so did
Panathinaikos's new Icelandic centre-back Sverrir Ingi Ingason (saved)
and Ajax youngster Youri Baas (also saved). Following the first round of
all eleven players - the two goalkeepers Pasveer and Drągowski also
converted - the next four players on each side scored as well, but then
Filip Mladenović's spot kick (Panathinaikos's 16th, and the 31st
overall) was saved by Pasveer - only for Brobbey to miss his second
attempt, too, by firing high over the crossbar. But when Pasveer once
more saved against former Feyenoord player Tonny Vilhena, that was it as
Ajax's much-maligned young Danish defender Anton Gaaei emphatically
sent home penalty number 34 for their first ever shoot-out win in
Europe (at the sixth attempt).
34 attempts, 25 goals. This was the longest shoot-out in UEFA
competition history, beating out the 2007 Under-21 Euro semifinal
between the Netherlands and England (13-12, 32 attempts) and last year's
Conference League qualifier between Gżira United and Glentoran (14-13,
28 attempts). With Lens waiting in the Conference League playoffs it's
also not all that certain that Panathinaikos can still salvage their
European season.
FC LUGANO (SUI) v FK Partizan (SRB)* 2-2 aet (0-1, 1-2), 3-2 on aggregate
(Steffen 48', Mahmoud 111'; Zahid 44', Marković 67';
Red Card: Hajdari (Lug) 88')
Just before the break a shot by Partizan's Norwegian midfielder Ghayas
Zahid was deflected in by Anto Grgić to level the aggregate score.
Lugano, again playing in exile in Thun, equalised through former
Wolfsburg winger Renato Steffen who stabbed home Uran Bislimi's through
ball at the second attempt, but Partizan defender Svetozar Marković
headed in a Zahid corner kick to once more make the tie all square.
Things looked even worse for Lugano when just before the start of extra
time their centre-back Albian Hajdari saw a second yellow for breaking
up a counter-attack, but ten Ticinesi still got the winner through
Tunisian substitute Hadj Mahmoud who volleyed in a Steffen cross at
the far post:
https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2024/459561/30318-Record_2024_08_15_22_55_26_391.mp4
A crucial win for Lugano, and the Swiss coefficient.
Servette FC (SUI) v SC BRAGA (POR)* 1-2 (0-1), 1-2 on aggregate
(Kutesa 90'+1; El Ouazzani 45'+1, Fernández 69')
Following the scoreless first leg (and a draw in the league against
Estrela Amadora), Braga have sacked their manager Daniel Sousa after
just four matches in charge and instead brought back former Swansea
coach Carlos Carvalhal for his third stint with them. This move
engendered at least some short-term success, as Moroccan striker Amine
El Ouazzani volleyed in Víctor Gómez's cut-back cross, and Roberto
Fernández slotted into the empty net from Vitor Carvalho's feed:
https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2024/459562/30383-Record_2024_08_16_00_20_14_471.mp4
Servette pulled one back in stoppage time following a lost ball by
Sikou Niakaté:
https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2024/459562/30309-Record_2024_08_15_22_37_22_257.mp4
but too late.
With Chelsea waiting for the loser of this tie in the Conference League
playoffs, a bullet dodged by Braga and a bitter defeat for Servette.
Draw for Europa League Playoff (August 8 and 15)
* = seeded team
Winners go to EL Group Phase, Losers go to ConfL Group Phase
FC Dinamo Minsk (BLR) v RSC Anderlecht (BEL)*
Jagiellonia Białystok (POL) v AFC Ajax (NED)*
PFC Ludogorets 1945 (BUL)* v FC Petrocub Hîncești (MDA)
FC Lugano (SUI)* v Beşiktaş JK (TUR)
Linzer ASK (AUT)* v FC FCSB (ROM)
FK RFS (LAT) v APOEL FC (CYP)*
Maccabi Tel Aviv FC (ISR)* v FK TSC (SRB)
PAOK FC (GRE)* v Shamrock Rovers FC (IRL)
Ferencvárosi TC (HUN)* v FK Borac Banja Luka (BIH)
Molde FK (NOR)* v IF Elfsborg (SWE)
SC Braga (POR)* v SK Rapid Wien (AUT)
FC Viktoria Plzeň (CZE)* v Heart of Midlothian FC (SCO)
Ciao,
Werner
