Europa Conference League 3rd Qualifying Round, 1st leg

To wrap this up before the return legs start.

August 9

Main Path
* = seeded team

AEK Larnaca FC (CYP) v Maccabi Tel Aviv FC (ISR)* 1-1 (0-0)
(Faraj 80'; Cohen 64')

I had overlooked the fact that the Israeli have appointed Robbie Keane as their
new manager going into this season. Interesting choice, it's his first job as a
head coach.

Anyway, the Irish legend's side were the better team from the start and deservedly
went in front when Yonatan Cohen cut inside and sent a shot flying past AEK's
Bosnian keeper Pirić into the far side of the net, but Frenchman Imad Faraj
outwitted Maccabi's defence for the late equaliser:
https://giphy.com/media/fPWa0bL7bEJgDc6TOI/giphy.gif
and four minutes from the end the Cypriots could even have won it as they were
awarded a penalty for Nir Bitton's foul on Ádám Gyurcsó, but AEK's longest-serving
player Ivan Tričkovski saw his spot kick saved by Maccabi keeper Daniel Peretz.

KAA Gent (BEL)* v MKS Pogoń Szczecin (POL) 5-0 (4-0)
(Orban 13', 35', 64', Cuypers 40', 45'+1)

Pogoń's young reserve keeper Bartosz Klebaniuk had a nightmare game - he first let
go of Julien De Sart's shot allowing Gift Orban to tap in the rebound, then
hesitated a second too long on occasion of Sven Kums's high ball into the box,
allowing Orban to nod the ball over him, and Gent's third was the worst - a long
sequence of bad back passes by the Polish defence ended with Klebaniuk losing the
ball at the edge of his area, and Hugo Cuypers said thank you with a simple finish
into the gaping net: https://i.imgflip.com/7v96fx.gif
Cuypers soon added another following another lost ball by the Pogoń defence, and
in the second half Orban completed his hat trick with an angled shot from close
range that went straight through Klebaniuk.

An interesting Opta stat - following their 5-1 and 5-2 wins over Žilina Gent have
now become only the seventh team in the history of European Cups to score five
goals in three consecutive matches. The last previous team to manage that feat had
been Porto in the 2010-11 Europa League (when they went on to win it with an
irresistible Radamel Falcao up top).

August 10

Champions Path
(no seeding)

FK Struga (MKD) v FC Swift Hesper (LUX) 3-1 (2-0)
(Ibraimi 23', 40' (pen), 77' (pen); Stolz 46')

With the Biljanin Izvori stadium in Ohrid no longer adequate, Struga had to play
this match in the usual much more cheerless venue for Northern Macedonian teams in
European qualifiers, the Football Federation's training centre in Skopje. The
dreary surroundings apparently also affected Swift keeper Youn Czekanowicz,
because he completely misjudged a harmless long ball by Marjan Radeski allowing
Besart Ibraimi to tap into the empty net:
https://giphy.com/media/uwt7aMXvtl34vDvoTj/giphy.gif
Despite Dominik Stolz pulling one back right after the re-start, what made things
worse for the Luxembourgers was that they managed to concede the fifth and the
sixth penalty against of their European campaign so far (in five matches).

Crucial win for North Macedonia, who overtake Andorra in the UEFA ranking by 0.002
points and are now favourites to escape the Bottom Five.

Valmiera FC (LAT) v FK Partizani (ALB) 1-2 (1-0)
(Gustavo 27'; Cara 58', Rrapaj 78')

Brazilian in the East Gustavo Silva Souza, who had come to Latvia from
Internacional's youth system, measured a great shot into the top corner to give
Valmiera the lead, but Tedi Cara fired in a deserved equaliser after Roberts Veips
had slipped when trying to clear a cross, and thanks to Arinaldo Rrapaj's
unluckily deflected shot from distance the Albanian champions even got the winner.

Ħamrun Spartans FC (MLT) v Ferencvárosi TC (HUN) 1-6 (0-1)
(Montebello 89'; Abu Fani 3', Zachariassen 51', B. Varga 53', 56', 65', Owusu 90')

The first half was not yet that one-sided even though Ferencváros still took the
lead through an excellent long-distance drive by their Israeli midfielder Mohammad
Abu Fani, but the Maltese champions were overwhelmed after the break by three
goals in five minutes, with Barnabás Varga, who at 28 has now made it to Hungary's
top club and into the national team after having started out with several seasons
spent in the Austrian fourth division, getting a hat trick. Luke Montebello at
least hammered in a nice consolation goal from the edge of the area.

So no group stage for Malta this year either.

FCV Farul Constanța (ROM) v FC Flora (EST) 3-0 (0-0)
(Alibec 48', Budescu 80', Queirós 90'+5)

Denis Alibec capped off a quick break with a solo run and precise shot from the
edge of the area into the bottom far corner of the net. Two late goals all but
decided the tie - following a dreadful lost ball in defence Alibec's shot came off
the post leaving Constantin Budescu with an empty-net finish:
https://giphy.com/media/6mwDuTCtPvvA3XJ47d/giphy.gif
and in stoppage time Rivaldo's son Rivaldinho (by now in his seventh season in
Romania, Bulgaria, and Poland) flicked on Alibec's corner kick for former
Portuguese under-21 international Diogo Queirós to head in at the far post:
https://giphy.com/media/QpFU2hH7T8yi2M1xhF/giphy.gif

KF Ballkani (KOS) v Lincoln Red Imps FC (GIB) 2-0 (0-0)
(Korenica 59', Trashi 62')

The Imps's chances to reach their second European group phase all but evaporated
inside three minutes when Meriton Korenica first was completely forgotten by the
Gibraltarian defence: https://giphy.com/media/Ghbt0ErJfrzlfE0Y2T/giphy.gif and
subsequently Albanian international Lorenc Trashi volleyed in a corner kick:
https://giphy.com/media/SwXer1veueNi4iYeMS/giphy.gif

Main Path
* = seeded team

FC Tobol (KAZ)* v Derry City FC (IRL) 1-0 (0-0)
(Asrankulov 65')

This tie is a huge opportunity for both teams to reach a European play-off for the
very first time. Tobol were the dominant team from the start but struggled in the
final third until left-back Roman Asrankulov unleashed a great strike from the
corner of the area that left Derry keeper Maher no chance:
https://giphy.com/media/qLCxPIs9IrVNFXm9sj/giphy.gif
while Derry missed their biggest chance to equalise when Tobol keeper Konovalov's
miscued throw-out landed straight at the feet of Will Patching, but subsequently
Michael Duffy alone in on goal sent his shot wide.

BTW Derry City - famously based in Northern Ireland but playing in the ROI League
of Ireland since 1985 - have asked UEFA whether they could stage the return leg at
Windsor Park in Belfast, but as UEFA regulations stipulate that any alternative
venue must be located 'within the territory of its association' they will have to
play in Dublin's Tallaght Stadium instead. Seems like a bit of a lost opportunity
to re-integrate Derry into the Northern Irish football world if you ask me.

Sabah FK (AZE) v FK Partizan (SRB)* 2-0 (0-0)
(Letić 70', İsayev 74')

Surprisingly dominant performance by the Azeri - Aleksey İsayev had seen a penalty
saved by Partizan keeper Jovanović, but from the ensuing corner kick the ball came
to Bojan Letić outside the area, and Sabah's Bosnian left-back unleashed a perfect
volley into the top corner: https://giphy.com/media/1fRso23N6fURUuZ2vO/giphy.gif
A couple of minutes later İsayev got the slightest of touches on Letić's insidious
inswinging cross to make it two:
https://giphy.com/media/2CQP2AEKeKgNRv3f19/giphy.gif

Losing Partizan already at this stage would be quite the blow for the Serbian
coefficient.

FK Bodø/Glimt (NOR)* v FC Pyunik (ARM) 3-0 (2-0)
(Grønbæk 6', Moumbagna 31', Pellegrino 56')

Bodø at home are a force to be reckoned with, and they left the Armenians little
chance. The young Dane Albert Grønbæk twisted and turned his way through the box
to open the scoring: https://giphy.com/media/UcVyxHfYuj2gEKb2HY/giphy.gif
Cameroonian forward Faris Pemi Moumbagna tapped in Amahl Pellegrino's centre, and
Pellegrino likewise swept in a low cross by Tobias Gulliksen.

ACS Sepsi OSK Sfântu Gheorghe (ROM)* v FC Aktobe (KAZ) 1-1 (0-0)
(Varga 89'; Santana 65')

Brazilian in the East Élder Santana headed in Maksim Samorodov's corner kick to
give Aktobe the surprise lead, but a late volley by the Hungarian substitute
Roland Varga was deflected in for a somewhat lucky equaliser:
https://giphy.com/media/qF57sbvPUAysBuVarD/giphy.gif

FC Santa Coloma (AND) v AZ (NED)* 0-1 (0-0)
(Mihailovic 75')

The Andorran underdogs held on for the longest time, until Yukinari Sugawara's
free-kick from the left side was headed in by US international Djordje Mihailovic,
which would remain AZ's only shot on target in the entire match.

Neftçi PFK (AZE) v Beşiktaş JK (TUR)* 1-3 (0-2)
(Lebon 79'; Aboubakar 14', Muleka 23', Uçan 62')

In the previous round I had wondered about two European ties taking place on the
same evening in Belfast, but this time around there were even three European
matches being played simultaneously in Baku - Qarabağ hosted HJK in the Tofiq
Bahramov Republican Stadium, Sabah played Partizan in the Alinja Arena, while this
one took place in the Neftçi Arena, with all three stadiums located within a ten-
kilometre radius.

At least it appears like three Baku teams in Europe won't be a problem for very
much longer, as Beşiktaş took care of business early - a piece of trickery by
Vincent Aboubakar gave the Turks the opener:
https://giphy.com/media/EiOVEa5KN1W7XkKb3h/giphy.gif
Jackson Muleka tapped in the second from what looked like an offside position, and
a terrible square pass by Neftçi's Ivorian right-back Erwin Koffi was duly
punished by Salih Uçan: https://giphy.com/media/6srgXv8kmxstQsu97U/giphy.gif
Frenchman Keelan Lebon at least scored a consolation goal on the break:
https://giphy.com/media/cNeaomxmKXNbIyuCk2/giphy.gif

AC Omonoia (CYP) v FC Midtjylland (DEN)* 1-0 (1-0)
(Bezus 38')

FCM had more and better opportunities, and saw a robust penalty shout denied, but
a string of mistakes still gave the Cypriots the narrow and somewhat surprising
home win - young Swedish mdifielder Armin Gigović played a horrible pass straight
into the feet of Roman Bezus, and the Ukrainian, who has now scored six of
Omonoia's eight European goals this season, let off a rather weak shot that
bobbled straight over the pads of FCM keeper Lössl:
https://giphy.com/media/ZfpbownHJDkECOWOO9/giphy.gif

Legia Warszawa (POL)* v FK Austria Wien (AUT) 1-2 (0-1)
(Muçi 87'; Husković 11', 56')

A terrible back pass by Legia's Colombian midfielder Juergen Elitim led to Dominik
Fitz setting up Muharrem ('Muki') Husković with an easy empty-net finish:
https://giphy.com/media/YX7a9ZizzOUbk8QCjh/giphy.gif
Husković, back in Austria's squad after having missed most of last season because
of a horrific car accident (not caused by him) last October, also got the second
when he nodded in Manuel Polster's pin-point cross:
https://giphy.com/media/D8SLYxnFM0tRfbvTZn/giphy.gif
At the other end Austria's usual defensive frailties were by no means resolved,
but former Bayern II keeper Christian Früchtl had an inspired game in the Austrian
net to maintain the clean sheet until three minutes from time when Albanian
substitute Ernest Muçi got Legia a deserved goal when he headed in a cross by
Makanu Baku, Ridle Baku's slightly less successful twin brother.

FC Viktoria Plzeň (CZE)* v Gżira United FC (MLT) 4-0 (2-0)
(Bucha 10', Durosinmi 23', Šulc 73', Kopic 90'+4)

As expected the end of the line for the plucky Maltese. Pavel Bucha's inswinging
cross made it all the way into the far corner:
https://giphy.com/media/2fChrC9nKUlLRH4ZdH/giphy.gif
Nigerian striker Rafiu Durosinmi got the second following a nice passing move:
https://giphy.com/media/SqjbClgFRTOpC1SAkE/giphy.gif
and after Viktoria had hit the woodwork a couple of times Pavel Šulc was left all
alone in the box to fire in the Czechs' third:
https://giphy.com/media/lnLNxBOGesqTYTJE0k/giphy.gif
Jan Kopic likewise had been completely forgotten by the Maltese defence when he
scored the fourth in stoppage time:
https://giphy.com/media/qBxusDrHz6b6IJpVEy/giphy.gif

Rosenborg BK (NOR)* v Heart of Midlothian FC (SCO) 2-1 (2-0)
(Frederiksen 15', Nelson 45'+2; Shankland 79')

Rosenborg have recovered a bit in the Norwegian Eliteserien in recent weeks, and
they also took an early lead against Hearts when Emil Frederiksen from short range
bungled in a cross by 16-year-old Norwegian talent Sverre Nypan. There are now
professional football players that haven't been born when Italy won the World Cup.
Nypan also provided the assist for Canadian youngster Jayden Nelson to score
Rosenborg's second: https://giphy.com/media/VU1V9M3qy3YseHaxJ3/giphy.gif
Nevertheless, Lawrence Shankland's late header from Stephen Kingsley's looping
cross still gives the Scots every chance in the return leg.

FC Dila Gori (GEO) v APOEL FC (CYP)* 0-2 (0-1)
(Crespo 45'+1, Efrem 64'; Red Card: Alef Santos (Dil) 87')

Dila's Ukrainian keeper Kucherenko did well to parry Giorgi Kvilitaia's scissor
kick, but he was helpless against the rebound by 36-year-old former Sevilla and
PAOK defender José Ángel Crespo:
https://giphy.com/media/hnEgxKDci2kuvvCPOy/giphy.gif
Kucherenko did not do nearly as well when he let Georgios Efrem's free-kick go
straight through him: https://giphy.com/media/TzcBCuiLmXQd46yhRC/giphy.gif
Late on Brazilian in the East Alef Santos saw a straight red for pulling down the
Argentine substitute Lucas Villafáñez as last man.

Nine wins out of twelve European matches so far for the Cypriot teams.

Hapoel Be'er Sheva FC (ISR)* v PFC Levski Sofia (BUL) 0-0 (0-0)

Levski actually had the more dangerous chances, but Asen Mitkov's shot was
deflected just wide by Mariano Bareiro's last-second tackle, and Hapoel keeper
Ofir Marciano, back in Israel after several seasons with Hibs and Feyenoord,
parried a point-blank header by Levski's Brazilian forward Ronaldo.

NK Celje (SLO)* v FC Neman Grodno (BLR) 1-0 (0-0)
(Ikwuemesi 69')

As with the Tobol/Derry tie, a big chance for both to reach a first ever European
playoff round. In an even match, young Nigerian striker Chukwubuikem Ikwuemesi
headed in Luka Bobičanec's cross for the only goal.

FC Arouca (POR)* v SK Brann (NOR) 2-1 (1-0)
(Mújica 23', González 74'; Warming 80')

Arouca's second ever European adventure (after the 2016-17 Europa League
qualifiers where they were eliminated after extra time in the playoffs by
Olympiacos) started well when their Spanish winger and La Masia product Rafa
Mújica ran onto a through ball by his compatriot Cristo González (one league match
for Real Madrid back in 2019) and rounded Brann keeper Dyngeland:
https://giphy.com/media/VtUE0InSGgMPwDgs5u/giphy.gif
Mújica later returned the favour by providing the ball for González to roll it in:
https://giphy.com/media/SGy90FKmvPS1hnxhfR/giphy.gif
But the Norwegians weren't beaten yet, and just after Arouca's Uruguayan keeper De
Arruabarrena had denied Brann's Danish forward Frederik Børsting, another Dane
pulled one back as Magnus Warming beat Arouca's English centre-back Jerome Opoku
to a through ball and chipped over De Arruabarrena:
https://giphy.com/media/X7A1MF9fCEVPHYyNAA/giphy.gif

Adana Demirspor (TUR)* v NK Osijek (CRO) 5-1 (2-0)
(Svensson 3', Sarı 16', C. Ndiaye 52', 67' (pen), Erdoğan 88'; Gržan 73' (pen))

Norwegian right-back Jonas Svensson opened the scoring with a piledriver into the
bottom corner: https://giphy.com/media/6C5RT0MVaGdIJugf6W/giphy.gif
Following some smooth passing French-Turkish winger Yusuf Sarı made it two at the
second attempt: https://giphy.com/media/JDgTsZ34VzJLKLggL8/giphy.gif
After the break Senegalese striker Cherif Ndiaye got a brace (the second from the
spot following an egregious dive by Yusuf Sarı), Osijek scored a consolation goal
also from the spot after Svensson had scythed down Kristijan Lovrić, and Yusuf
Erdoğan capped off an excellent performance by the Turks with a perfectly curved
shot into the top corner: https://giphy.com/media/KbOY24ndBW0R2ldJ95/giphy.gif

B36 (FAR) v HNK Rijeka (CRO)* 1-3 (1-1)
(Agnarsson 33'; Janković 41' (pen), Goda 48', Radeljić 88')

For a short while Bóltfelagið 1936 could hope to follow in Klaksvík's footsteps,
as Hannes Agnarsson tapped in Michał Przybylski's cross:
https://giphy.com/media/jjA7uZwDMAsZmxbjKq/giphy.gif
but soon afterwards Rijeka were awarded a penalty even though Przybylski appeared
to have handled the ball just outside the box. Left-back Bruno Goda headed the
Croatians in front right after the break from Marco Pašalić's corner kick, and
late on Rijeka's Bosnian centre-back Stjepan Radeljić at the far post tapped in
a free-kick by former Fiorentina hope Toni Fruk.

FC Twente (NED)* v Riga FC (LAT) 2-0 (1-0)
(Sampsted 11', Rots 67')

Twente's Icelandic right-back Alfons Sampsted (like e.g. Guðjohnsen one of the few
Icelandic players with a proper last name and not just a patronymic) gave the
Dutch the early lead from young Norwegian Mathias Kjølø's assist:
https://giphy.com/media/h3jidRlXBBwlesqqIz/giphy.gif
and Daan Rots got the second by volleying in a loose ball in the box:
https://giphy.com/media/a3ZHXY4nTFm3oXGILo/giphy.gif

Fenerbahçe SK (TUR)* v NK Maribor (SLO) 3-1 (0-0)
(Rodrigo Becão 58', Kahveci 62', Tadić 90'+3 (pen); Strajnar 72')

Two quick goals after the break broke the Slovenian resistance - former Udinese
centre-back Rodrigo Becão headed in his first goal for his new club from Sebastian
Szymański's corner kick, and İrfan Kahveci tapped in a low cross, likewise
provided by Fenerbahçe's new Polish signing. 19-year-old left-back Mark Strajnar
pulled one back for Maribor from Josip Iličić's perfectly weighted through ball
(the old man still got it): https://giphy.com/media/iFqc3Q4GDJ7Ovj6gCP/giphy.gif
but a last-gasp penalty despatched by Dušan Tadić made sure of a comfortable home
win.

Coefficient points-wise this is shaping up to be another excellent season for
Turkey, with their strongest line-up romping through the qualifiers and newcomers
Adana Demirspor keeping up the pace. 10 wins 2 draws so far. Reaching the Top 9 is
a distinct possibility this year, after having started out in 20th two seasons
ago.

Club Brugge KV (BEL)* v KA (ISL) 5-1 (4-0)
(Spileers 10', Vanaken 40', Skov Olsen 41', Igor Thiago 45' (pen), Yaremchuk 77';
Willard 60')

End of the road for the plucky Icelanders as well. 18-year-old Jorne Spileers
opened the scoring with a sumptuous shot from outside the box, Hans Vanaken headed
in Antonio Nusa's corner kick, and on the break Nusa's Norwegian compatriot Hugo
Vetlesen released Andreas Skov Olsen for the third:
https://giphy.com/media/V6ojsOPb3C2hCQPuOS/giphy.gif
Former Ludogrets Brazilian Igor Thiago added the fourth from the spot, but at
least the team from Akureyri got a consolation goal when their Scottish substitute
Harley Willard (he had made his way from Southampton's academy to Iceland via
Cambodia) swept in a cross by Jakob Snær Árnason:
https://giphy.com/media/gXlXkgCs0vJhzGrvT7/giphy.gif
Roman Yaremchuk still volleyed in Maxim De Cuyper's cross for Brugge's fifth.

KKS Lech Poznań (POL)* v FC Spartak Trnava (SLK) 2-1 (0-0)
(Marchwiński 46', Velde 63'; Štetina 87')

Filip Marchwiński stabbed in a cross by Lech's Portuguese right-back Joel Pereira,
and Kristoffer Velde finished off a one-two with Marchwiński to make it two:
https://giphy.com/media/HLmh62hgD5OwUF0zYd/giphy.gif
but late on the Polish defence failed to clear a free-kick, and Lukáš Štetina
volleyed in to give the Slovakians a fighting chance in the return leg.

Aris FC (GRE) v FC Dynamo Kyiv (UKR)* 1-0 (0-0)
(Palma 69' (pen))

A poor match, especially by Dynamo, was decided when Oleksandr Syrota handled the
ball in the box, and Honduran striker Luis Palma converted the resulting penalty.

Hibernian FC (SCO) v FC Luzern (SUI)* 3-1 (0-0)
(Newell 46', Vente 73', Obita 90'; Beka 56')

Joe Newell's rocket into the top corner gave Hibs the lead, Luzern's Swiss-Kosovan
centre-back Ismajl Beka headed in Max Meyer's corner kick (it feels like a long
time since he was one of Schalke's young stars, but he's still only 27) for the
equaliser, but Hibs's new Dutch striker Dylan Vente headed in from short range
following a great move by a fellow new signing, 36-year-old A-League legend Adam
Le Fondre: https://giphy.com/media/Hdn7ZrQ7EIHPSdMIUl/giphy.gif
Late on another freshly signed Englishman, former Reading winger Jordan Obita,
scored Hibs's third on the break.

FC FCSB (ROM)* v FC Nordsjælland (DEN) 0-0 (0-0)
(Red Card: Nagalo (Nor) 59')

Despite FCN finishing the match in ten after Burkinabé international Adamo Nagalo
had seen a second yellow, not-Steaua didn't register a single shot on goal, and
in stoppage time the Danes could even have won it, but Benjamin Nygren's free-kick
crashed off the crossbar: https://giphy.com/media/M7eOnUOZh2SoQrnT0n/giphy.gif

SK Rapid Wien (AUT)* v Debreceni VSC (HUN) 0-0 (0-0)

The Dude Balázs Dzsudzsák still knows how to take free-kicks, and in the first
half he sent one against the left post. Late on, Debrecen's Greek substitute
Alexandros Kyziridis also saw his shot come off the woodwork.

Shades of Rapid's disaster against Vaduz last year, especially in the terrible
second half.

HNK Hajduk Split (CRO) v PAOK FC (GRE)* 0-0 (0-0)

No major crowd problems after all, thankfully. Hajduk hit the woodwork twice, once
early on through young Canadian-Croatian midfielder Niko Sigur, whose blistering
shot came crashing off the left upright, and once when Marko Livaja's mishit cross
turned into a dangerous lob that came off the far post.

Ciao,
Werner