Europa Conference League Play-Off, 1st leg
* = seeded team

August 23

Main Path

FC Spartak Trnava (SLK) v SC Dnipro-1 (UKR)* 1-1 (0-0)
(Ofori 55'; Pikhalonok 67' (pen); Red Cards: Sarapii (Dni) 5', Kohut (Dni) 89')

VAR made its Conference League debut in this round, and started by dishing out a
red card to Dnipro-1 centre-back Eduard Sarapiy for a last-man foul after just
five minutes. Spartak struggled very much against ten Ukrainians though, and
they only managed to take the lead thanks to a major stroke of luck when Kelvin
Ofori's cross attempt was deflected onto the underside of the crossbar, and in:
https://giphy.com/media/8IukoLrYjk8z36MBl6/giphy.gif
But just as the Slovakians were pushing for a second, one mistake undid all their
efforts, as an imprecise back pass led to Sebastian Kóša taking down Oleksiy
Hutsulyak in the box, and Oleksandr Pikhalonok equalised from the spot. Spartak
continued to waste their opportunities, once hitting the bar, and late on
Dnipro-1 were even reduced to nine (so they were Dnipro minus two? *cricket*), as
Ihor Kohut was sent off with a very controversial second yellow (no VAR checks for
those), but the Ukrainians still managed to escape from Trnava with the away draw.

Hibernian FC (SCO) v Aston Villa FC (ENG)* 0-5 (0-3)
(Watkins 17', 33', 48', Bailey 42', Douglas Luiz 74' (pen))

Aston Villa's return to Europe after thirteen years (back then they suffered
back-to-back eliminations against Rapid Vienna in the Europa League play-offs,
good memories) went about as expected. Two headers by Ollie Watkins and one by
Leon Bailey gave Villa the unassailable first-half lead, Watkins got his hat trick
(and Lucas Digne his hat trick of assists) by sweeping in yet another cross, and
Douglas Luiz finished the rout from the spot after Bertrand Traoré had been
tripped by Lewis Stevenson in the box.

This result equalled the record for biggest win in Aston Villa's European history
(previously 5-0 against Valur in the 1981-82 European Cup when they went on to win
it, and 5-0 against Vitória Guimarães in the UEFA Cup the year after).

August 24

Champions Path

FC Astana (KAZ)* v FK Partizani (ALB) 1-0 (1-0)
(Lončar 41')

The sole goal of the match came when Ferencváros loanee Stjepan Lončar was
quickest to react to a loose ball and his turn-and-shot was deflected past
Partizani keeper Qirko: https://giphy.com/media/XvnkFKPCevqoePS9JG/giphy.gif

FK Struga (MKD) v Breiðablik (ISL)* 0-1 (0-1)
(Gunnlaugsson 35'; Red Card: Zguro (Str) 90'+2)

Struga emulated the Cypriot tradition to play these as early as possible in the
afternoon heat, but to little avail as Breiðablik's captain Höskuldur Gunnlaugsson
powered into the box and sent a sumptuous shot past Struga keeper Kjosevski:
https://giphy.com/media/YymBgMXAswwAHojLZK/giphy.gif
In stoppage time Struga's Albanian midfielder Vangjel Zgjuro saw a second yellow.

The door is wide open for an Icelandic team to reach a first ever group stage
(North Macedonia have been represented by Vardar in the 2017-18 Europa League).

FK Žalgiris (LTU)* v Ferencvárosi TC (HUN) 0-4 (0-1)
(Traoré 17', 84', Varga 65' (pen), Pešić 75'; Red Card: Gorobsov (Žal) 63')

An awesome shot by Adama Traoré gave Fradi the early lead:
https://giphy.com/media/Njx1BeQzMNWHXqkjd6/giphy.gif
but as long as they were still in eleven the Lithuanians were able to keep the
score close. They fell apart though after their Argentine midfielder Nicolás
Gorobsov had been sent off for a last-man foul on the Brazilian Marquinhos, and
Barnabás Varga had converted from the spot. The Serbian substitute Aleksandar
Pešić in his debut match for the Hungarian champions made it three on the break,
and Traoré got his second of the match from Tokmac Nguen's delightful back-heel:
https://giphy.com/media/vP9R23kYlO8fWnvBDK/giphy.gif

The second time in three years that Žalgiris are facing a triple elimination from
Europe (CL->EL->ECL).

FCV Farul Constanța (ROM) v HJK (FIN)* 2-1 (0-0)
(Rivaldinho 58', Popescu 82'; Toivio 50')

Joonas Toivio deflected in Tuomas Ollila's corner kick to give HJK the lead, but
Rivaldo's son ran onto Constantin Budescu's through ball to slot past Helsinki's
veteran keeper Niki Mäenpää for the equaliser, and late on Mihai Popescu stole in
at the far post to volley in Budescu's cross:
https://giphy.com/media/vYlvQ71luvaC2tijhH/giphy.gif

KF Ballkani (KOS) v FC BATE Borisov (BLR)* 4-1 (1-1)
(Jashanica 31', Tolaj 58', 66', Thaqi 89'; Laptev 10')

BATE took the early lead thanks to Denis Laptev's acrobatics:
https://giphy.com/media/RXq0BhvsHB1NNJEGl1/giphy.gif
but the Kosovar champions equalised when centre-back Bajram Jashanica headed in
Lorenc Trashi's corner kick, and in the second half they continued to dominate -
Bleart Tolaj nodded in Armend Thaqi's free-kick, later volleyed in a loose ball,
and a minute from time Thaqi's cross curled past everyone on its way to the net:
https://giphy.com/media/xup77AdSocGgM6PMhQ/giphy.gif

From next season Belarus will fight against Gibraltar and Andorra about who will
be second from last in the UEFA ranking.

Main Path

FC Tobol (KAZ) v FC Viktoria Plzeň (CZE)* 1-2 (0-0)
(Déblé 90'+8 (pen); Cadu 73', Kalvach 90')

The usual away game in Kazakhstan, where the favourites struggled for quite a bit
until Tomáš Chorý nodded on Jan Kopic's cross and the Brazilian Cadu dove in at
the far post to head the ball over the line:
https://giphy.com/media/dmOLWscItv3L6Brrfp/giphy.gif
Late on Adam Vlkanova found Lukáš Kalvach with a delightful chip to make it two:
https://giphy.com/media/Mn9BZIDN49ZWgcFnbR/giphy.gif
but Tobol (incidentally the only team that has survived all the way from the First
Conference League qualifying round) were handed a lifeline when in the seventh
minute of stoppage time they were awarded a handball penalty that Serges Déblé
hammered into teh top corner.

FC Nordsjælland (DEN) v FK Partizan (SRB)* 5-0 (2-0)
(Frese 11', Ingvartsen 43' (pen), 68' (pen), Villadsen 73', Ilić 88' (og))

Nordsjælland are close to smashing the Danish Superligaen's transfer record by
selling Ernest Nuamah to Lyon for about 25m€, and even without their 19-year-old
Ghanaian prodigy in the squad they also smashed Partizan's hopes of reaching the
Conference League group stages. Left-back Martin Frise chested down an attempted
clearance and rifled in from twenty metres to give FCN the early lead:
https://giphy.com/media/Ld3kDdKg8WtBwhCamx/giphy.gif
Two handball penalties then allowed Marcus Ingvartsen to score a brace from the
spot, young right-back Oliver Villadsen also got on the scoresheet by tapping in
at the far post after Oliver Antman had flicked on Ibrahim Osman's low cross:
https://giphy.com/media/IV1K5kd0KfnPAfzjYu/giphy.gif
and a very awkward own goal by Mihajlo Ilić finished off the rout:
https://giphy.com/media/hHpM5aEfHmiyu4r9cT/giphy.gif

The seventh defeat in eight European matches so far for the Serbian teams, a clear
sign that their Red Star-fuelled rise has probably reached its natural limit. The
second row of teams (TSC, Čukarički, Vojvodina) can't quite keep up, now that
Partizan have fallen on harder times.

PFC Levski Sofia (BUL) v Eintracht Frankfurt (GER)* 1-1 (0-1)
(Fadiga 90'+5; Kolo Muani 6')

Things went according to plan when Eintracht took the early lead, Levski keeper
Andreev parried Dina Ebimbe's shot but on the follow-up Mario Götze centred for
World Cup finalist Randal Kolo Muani to rifle into the empty net:
https://giphy.com/media/hdAvLJi6y9gEzwEkis/giphy.gif
But Levski subsequently showed a gutsy performance, kept the German favourites
mostly at bay for the rest of the match, and even got the late equaliser through a
smashing strike by a much less high-profile Frenchman - Hassimi Fadiga had come to
Bulgaria from Le Mans in the third-level Championnat National:
https://giphy.com/media/IUriKlKv1tHWdFjhOn/giphy.gif

ACS Sepsi OSK Sfântu Gheorghe (ROM) v FK Bodø/Glimt (NOR)* 2-2 (0-1)
(Alimi 48' (pen), Matei 81' (pen); Moumbagna 19', Berg 69')

Cameroonian forward Faris Moumbagna rolled in Amahl Pellegrino's assist:
https://giphy.com/media/3fHaA4jp1l58shDvQk/giphy.gif
and Patrick Berg fired in a precise shot from twenty-five metres:
https://giphy.com/media/cI1Q0wpRJHhG8lfkki/giphy.gif
to twice give Bodø the lead, but twice the Norwegians committed a foul in the box
and twice the Hungarian Romanians equalised from the spot.

Fenerbahçe SK (TUR)* v FC Twente (NED) 5-1 (1-1)
(Oosterwolde 33', Szymański 60', Kahveci 63', 74', Tadić 90'+3 (pen); Ugalde 20';
Red Card: Regeer (Twe) 41')

The first half was still even, and Twente actually took the surprise lead when
Costa Rican forward Manfred Ugalde tapped in his own rebound after his initial
effort had come off the post: https://giphy.com/media/pw2zuqddSlrOZ2eA0i/giphy.gif
A Dutchman and former Twente player gave Fenerbahçe the equaliser, centre-back
Jayden Oosterwolde's header from an insane distance surprised Unnerstall in the
Twente net: https://giphy.com/media/0IhhyEhUTk0yq6adwH/giphy.gif
Youri Regeer's studs-up tackle against former Rapid Vienna right-back Mert Müldür
then changed the complexion of the tie though, as ten-man Twente collapsed in the
second half. One Fener goal was disallowed by VAR for offside, but Sebastian
Szymański rifled in Fred's centre - his first assist in a Fenerbahçe shirt:
https://giphy.com/media/YY25oBbaUFzzqStwDa/giphy.gif
İrfan Kahveci scored a brace from crosses by Ferdi Kadıoğlu and Edin Džeko
https://giphy.com/media/B4EF0LScNNp9rAc3Gv/giphy.gif
https://giphy.com/media/HsdJIgltA9MArpIyve/giphy.gif
and in stoppage time Daan Rots tripped Bright Osayi-Samuel in the box and Dušan
Tadić got Fener's fifth from the spot.

FC Dynamo Kyiv (UKR)* v Beşiktaş JK (TUR) 2-3 (0-1)
(Shaparenko 60', Voloshyn 66'; Aboubakar 40' (pen), Colley 64', Zainutdinov 90'+5)

The match was again played in Rapid Bucharest's Giulești stadium, and Beşiktaş
got the slightly lucky lead from a handball penalty, and Dynamo were also fuming
that early in the second half Karavayev's equaliser was disallowed by VAR for
offside. Still, perennial babyface Mykola Shaparenko swept in the equaliser from
Vitaliy Buyalskyi's cross: https://giphy.com/media/GfBcnLoUKtdVPaOtlU/giphy..gif
only for Beşiktaş to take the lead again when Gambian centre-back Omar Colley met
Aboubakar's corner kick with a bullet header:
https://giphy.com/media/00Cl15YA039V5C4nJ7/giphy.gif
Dynamo immediately equalised once more as youngster Nazar Voloshin also nodded in,
and again from a Buyalskyi cross:
https://giphy.com/media/CaKLruSTUn5uI3VGpB/giphy.gif
but deep in stoppage time the Ukrainians ran into a counter attack at the end of
which it was, of all people, Kazakh international and former CSKA Moscow forward
Bakhtiyar Zaynutdinov in his first match for Beşiktaş who rolled the ball in for
the win: https://giphy.com/media/lrC5xa2cpbFXQXnAv2/giphy.gif

SK Rapid Wien (AUT) v ACF Fiorentina (ITA)* 1-0 (1-0)
(Grüll 35' (pen))

A welcome surprise, but truth be told last year's finalists were really quite
poor, and should still have more than enough quality to turn this around at home.
Marco Grüll scored the only goal of the tie from the spot after Rolando Mandragora
had blatantly pulled Maximilian Hofmann's jersey on occasion of a corner kick.

Rapid also managed a rare feat for a Austrian Bundesliga team in Europe that I
begrudgingly have to respect them for - they started the match with eleven
Austrians on the pitch.

Maccabi Tel Aviv FC (ISR)* v NK Celje (SLO) 4-1 (1-1)
(Zahavi 22' (pen), 51', 73', Turgeman 90'+2; Bajde 29';
Red Card: Nemanič (Cel) 90'+2)

Daniel Peretz's last match in a Maccabi shirt before becoming a Bayern player was
a success, even though the Israeli had to concede once when Gregor Bajde buried
the rebound after Peretz had parried Mario Kvesić's shot:
https://giphy.com/media/W73OSsqP03DXX1GMbj/giphy.gif
At this point Eran Zahavi had already converted once from the spot, and he
completed his hat trick by turning in Joris van Overeem's cross and heading in Dan
Biton's corner kick. In stoppage time Dor Turgeman added a fourth with a precise
shot from the edge of the box:
https://giphy.com/media/8xo3kwjPGwDgk2cz3h/giphy.gif
and seconds later Celje left-back Klemen Nemanič saw a second yellow, as Robbie
Keane triumphed over his former Liverpool teammate Albert Riera.

FC Midtjylland (DEN)* v Legia Warszawa (POL) 3-3 (2-1)
(Juninho 16', Franculino 34', 71'; Gual 26', Slisz 64', Kramer 86')

Three times the Danes took the lead, and three times Legia managed to score the
equaliser. Juninho shouldered in Kristoffer Olsson's corner kick:
https://giphy.com/media/Fqjc7DR4NaY5DAlEp8/giphy.gif
The FCM defence then gave Legia far too much space in the box and Spanish striker
Marc Gual headed in Paweł Wszołek's cross from short range:
https://giphy.com/media/TS3BTBzmUWR5sS4MbX/giphy.gif
Midtjylland's new Bissau-Guinean striker Franculino Djú continued his good
European moment by volleying in a long throw-in:
https://giphy.com/media/sOsnvFrjskh40DrYNh/giphy.gif
and also turning in the rebound after Legia keeper Tobiasz had saved Armin
Gigović's shot: https://giphy.com/media/YT1lzJr6VAB7eMLbbB/giphy.gif
Legia were very lucky that Wszołek wasn't sent off for breaking Paulinho's nose
with his elbow (for some reason he escaped with a yellow), scored the 2-2 when
Bartosz Slisz headed in Josué's free-kick:
https://giphy.com/media/7SeM8vep0AcMkuyxJD/giphy.gif
and late on the Slovenian forward Blaž Kramer rifled in a through ball by his
fellow substitute Maciej Rosołek:
https://giphy.com/media/0rUQ8htsguoTY90cs8/giphy.gif

In Legia's five European matches so far there have been 26 goals scored. For
entertainment value, they are the team to watch.

KAA Gent (BEL)* v APOEL FC (CYP) 2-0 (0-0)
(Fofana 77', Hong 90'+2)

The usually free-wheeling Belgians took a while to get going, but they finally got
the lead thanks to Malick Fofana's deflected shot:
https://giphy.com/media/GcfZwLFxx8T3kotCIO/giphy.gif
and in stoppage time former LASK midfielder Hong Hyun-seok volleyed in a loose
ball to give Gent a commanding lead going into the second leg in the Cypriot heat:
https://giphy.com/media/QpBIK6yqhtNWFiRk4D/giphy.gif

Lille OSC (FRA)* v HNK Rijeka (CRO) 2-1 (1-1)
(Zhegrova 43', Yoro 89'; Pašalić 24')

Rijeka had just lost their coach to Dinamo Zagreb, but they still took the
surprising lead in France when Lille's defence made a mess out of a long ball and
Marco Pašalić lobbed over LOSC keeper Chevalier:
https://giphy.com/media/HeYAfZyxq82PHpbWJ1/giphy.gif
Former Basel winger Edon Zhegrova got the equaliser after Rijeka had lost the ball
in front of their defence: https://giphy.com/media/AkeB90584Sfc2krUwP/giphy..gif
and late on 17-year-old centre-back Leny Yoro, who had to deputize for the injured
Bafodé Diakité just seven minutes into the match, headed in Ivan Cavaleiro's cross
for his first goal for the senior club:
https://giphy.com/media/b5yNTkVn4XOdcuPcAx/giphy.gif

KRC Genk (BEL)* v Adana Demirspor (TUR) 2-1 (0-0)
(Arokodare 77', Muñoz 90'+3; Akbaba 47')

After having lost the Belgian title in the last second, and having fallen from the
Champions League qualifiers all the way to the Conference League playoffs, Genk
also fell behind in this match when Emre Akbaba fired in on the break, but at
least they got the equaliser when Tolu Arokodare met Matías Galarza's long cross
with an awesome volley: https://giphy.com/media/VCVBDwqPx6cUXSnHkp/giphy.gif
and in stoppage time they even scored the winner when Colombian right-back Daniel
Muñoz nodded in at the far post after US Boy Mark McKenzie had headed on Patrik
Hrošovský's corner kick.

The matches of both Gent and Genk had started at the same time, and they both
scored in the 77th minute and in stoppage time. Perfect week for Belgium, five
wins out of five.

CA Osasuna (ESP) v Club Brugge KV (BEL)* 1-2 (0-0)
(Ávila 78'; Skov Olsen 50', De Cuyper 80')

In a tie that could just as well have been a Conference League semifinal Brugge
took the deserved lead after Andreas Skov Olsen had duped Osasuna's defence:
https://giphy.com/media/C8DwlG63U0bjEBMcv8/giphy.gif
Argentine forward Chimy Ávila headed in the equaliser from Jon Moncayola's cross:
https://giphy.com/media/k9oH869yUhp9Jn1nME/giphy.gif
Maxim De Cuyper still smashed in Brugge's winner on the break:
https://giphy.com/media/709IbUbpc1s7ldd9DW/giphy.gif

AZ (NED)* v SK Brann (NOR) 1-1 (0-0)
(Chatzidiakos 71'; Castro 59')

Brann's Norwegian-Chilean forward Niklas Castro fired in Bård Finne's assist to
give them the surprise lead, and AZ only managed the equaliser when their Greek
mainstay Pantelis Chatzidiakos headed in the rebound after Brann keeper Dyngeland
had parried Mayckel Lahdo's shot from distance:
https://giphy.com/media/GCstEV1xw7EmUxrI0j/giphy.gif

Heart of Midlothian FC (SCO) v PAOK FC (GRE)* 1-2 (1-1)
(Shankland 9' (pen); Schwab 12' (pen), Živković 75')

The two sides exchanged early penalties - Lawrence Shankland scored from the spot
after VAR had determined that PAOK's Austrian captain Stefan Schwab had clipped
Hearts' new Costa Rican Kenneth Vargas, and Schwab made amends by also converting
the spot kick after Aussie centre-back Kye Rowles had bowled over Andrija
Živković. PAOK's Serbian striker also got the winner with a precise grass-cutter
from outside the box: https://giphy.com/media/YguNBZSCBSx4w5TG8F/giphy.gif

One thing that's again noticeable: once VAR is involved, the overall number of
penalties awarded immediately goes up.

Ciao,
Werner