What happened in roundup form.
The 8pm kick-offs took a while to get going, but it was worth the wait. An exquisite goal from Milan’s Rafael Leão to garnish a brace by Ruben Loftus-Cheek. Late drama in Lisbon, as Benfica’s Ángel Di María scored twice from the spot. Qarabağ ripping Braga to pieces, with one of their goals, initially ruled offside, awarded as the “draught excluder” played Abdellah Zoubir on. And in the Conference League, an injury-time combination of a soft penalty and delightful lob denied Bodø/Glimt a famous victory at Ajax. Yep, worth waiting for. Thanks for reading this Clockwatch.
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Conference League full-times
Molde 3-2 Legia Warsaw
Olympiacos 1-0 Ferencváros
Sturm Graz 4-1 Slovan Bratislava
Union Saint-Gilloise 2-2 Eintracht Frankfurt
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Ajax 2-2 Bodø/Glimt
Maccabi Haifa 1-0 Gent
Real Betis 0-1 Dinamo Zagreb
Servette 0-0 Ludogorets
Europa League full-times
Feyenoord 1-1 Roma
Galatasaray 3-2 Sparta Prague
Shakhtar 2-2 Marseille
Young Boys 1-3 Sporting
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Benfica 2-1 Toulouse
Braga 2-4 Qarabag
Lens 0-0 Freiburg
Milan 3-0 Rennes
GOAL! Ajax 2-2 Bodø/Glimt (Berghuis 90+7). What drama in Amsterdam! A cross into the Bodø/Glimt box from the left. Keeper Kjetil Haug flaps. The ball breaks to Steven Berghuis on the right. Berghuis returns it artfully, high-lobbing the walkabout keeper from a tight angle. What a finish! Delicious! So cruel for the Norwegians, mind.
GOAL! Benfica 2-1 Toulouse (Di María 90+8 pen)
Christian Mawissa stands on Marcos Leonardo’s foot in the Benfica box. It’s a foul and a penalty. It’s also his second yellow and he trudges off sadly. He’s only been on for ten minutes. Two yellows in four. Over to Ángel Di María, who calmly flips the spot kick into the bottom right. Guillaume Restes went the right way, but couldn’t reach.
FULL TIME: Lens 0-0 Freiburg
There we have it.
GOAL! Ajax 1-2 Bodø/Glimt (Van den Boomen 90+1 pen). Odin Bjørtuft wrestles with Brian Brobbey in the Bodø/Glimt box. There’s nothing much in it, but VAR gets involved. The referee jogs over to the monitor, awards the spot kick, and to add insult to injury, sends off Bjørtuft, who is given a second yellow. Branco van den Boomen slams the penalty home, and is another unlikely comeback on?
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GOAL! Braga 2-4 Qarabag (Moutinho 90+1 pen)
Roger Fernandes drops a shoulder to get past Matheus Silva on the left … only to be clip-barged to the floor. Penalty! João Moutinho takes, and whips it into the bottom right. With six minutes of added time remaining, is an absurd comeback on?
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Ajax 0-2 Bodø/Glimt. Over in the Conference League, Steven Berghuis crosses from the left. The ball drops to the unmarked Brian Brobbey, who heads weakly wide right from six yards. Bodø/Glimt then go up the other end, Nino Žugelj romping down the left. He’s got Oscar Kapskarmo in the middle, waiting to slam home, but gets the low cross all wrong. That would have been the ultimate humiliation for the four-time European champions.
Logan Costa with a late 36th birthday present for Ángel Di María. A needless handball tied up this opportunity in a pretty bow.
Angel Di Maria with a birthday goal to put Benfica ahead against Toulouse 🥳⚽️#UEL pic.twitter.com/1KJtteKUqn
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) February 15, 2024
GOAL! Benfica 1-1 Toulouse (Desler 75)
Some pinball in the Benfica box. Bounce, ping, ping, bounce. Suddenly Yann Gboho sticks out a leg and the ball drops to Mikkel Desler, on the right-hand corner of the six-yard box. Desler meets the dropping ball with a sweet strike into the bottom left. Toulouse had offered nothing all evening, but now they’re level!
Lens 0-0 Freiburg. Turns out Massadio Haidara’s goal was chalked off due to an offside earlier in the move. Either way, it remains goalless at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis.
Lens 0-0 Freiburg. Massadio Haidara thinks he’s opened the scoring, bundling home a fizzing right-wing cross from close range. The goal’s given, but VAR snatches it back, the ball having sprung up onto the upper part of Haidara’s arm as it crossed the line.
GOAL! Braga 1-4 Qarabag (Zoubir 69)
Qarabag come straight back at Braga again. A low right-wing cross that Abdellah Zoubir forces home at the near post. Three goals in a quarter of an hour, and Braga have fallen apart like wet cake!
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GOAL! Braga 1-3 Qarabag (Juninho 65)
Juninho is sprung clear down the middle. He takes a touch to the left before sweeping into the bottom right. And then, almost immediately …
GOAL! Benfica 1-0 Toulouse (Di María 68 pen)
A VAR check for handball. A long VAR check for handball. Logan Costa hanging a daft arm in the air. It’s eventually given, and Ángel Di María calmly strokes it home.
GOAL: Ajax 0-2 Bodø/Glimt. This is on! Tristan Gooijer faffs around on the edge of his own box. Albert Grønbæk steals the ball, one-twos with Håkon Evjen, and steers calmly across Diant Ramaj and into the bottom right. More whistling from the home fans. Not happy.
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Leão: wow. You’ll not see too many better goals in Europe this season.
Pure class from Rafael Leao! 🤩
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) February 15, 2024
AC Milan are running away with it! 🔥#UEL pic.twitter.com/PVhFexVO3X
Lens 0-0 Freiburg. Still no opener at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis. But how? The brilliance of Kevin Danso explains it. Jordy Makengo meets a right-wing cross with a downward header. It’s blocked but breaks to Maximilian Eggestein, six yards out. He has to score … but after aiming towards the bottom right, the Freiburg camptain watches in horror as Danso arrives from nowhere, telescoping a leg to deflect around the post. That’s astonishing defending.
GOAL! Braga 1-2 Qarabag (Zoubir 54)
This is absurd! A Qarabag free kick, just to the left of the D. Yassine Benzia takes. The ball breaks off the wall towards Abdellah Zoubir, who rounds Matheus and slots. The flag pops up for offside … only for it to be established that Victor Gómez, playing the role of draught excluder behind the wall, played the Qarabag man on! The goal stands!
GOAL! Milan 3-0 Rennes (Leão 53)
This is absolutely sensational. Rafael Leão backheels a pass down the left for Theo Hernández, who immediately cuts it back. Leão shuffles to sort his feet and open his body, before sending a first-time right-foot sidefoot powering into the right-hand side of the net. Steve Mandanda no chance.
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Braga 1-1 Qarabag. Marko Janković nearly doubles his tally, latching onto a loose ball by the right-hand edge of the D, and fizzing a shot across Braga keeper Matheus and millimetres wide of the left-hand post.
GOAL! Milan 2-0 Rennes (Loftus-Cheek 47)
It’s that man again! A corner comes in from the right. Simon Kjær sends the ball towards the top left from close range. Steve Mandanda makes a fine reflex save, only for the rebound to fall to Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who dives and plants the header home from six yards.
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Second halves are starting all across Europe. More goals, please! Please.
Sweet Cheek. Milan’s goal in moving pictures.
What a finish that was! 💫
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) February 15, 2024
Ruben Loftus-Cheek keeps up his good goalscoring form to give AC Milan the lead! 🤩#UEL pic.twitter.com/FrqioT0EIu
Just as well we dragged Ajax 0-1 Bodø/Glimt into this. The home side whistled off by irate fans at the Johan Cruijff ArenA. The Norwegians halfway to claiming another notable big-name victim, a list that already famously includes Roma and Celtic. Oh Jordan.
Conference League half-times
Molde 3-2 Legia Warsaw (FT)
Olympiacos 1-0 Ferencváros (FT)
Sturm Graz 4-1 Slovan Bratislava (FT)
Union Saint-Gilloise 2-2 Eintracht Frankfurt (FT)
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Ajax 0-1 Bodø/Glimt (HT)
Maccabi Haifa 0-0 Gent (HT)
Real Betis 0-0 Dinamo Zagreb (HT)
Servette 0-0 Ludogorets (HT)
Europa League half-times
Feyenoord 1-1 Roma (FT)
Galatasaray 3-2 Sparta Prague (FT)
Shakhtar 2-2 Marseille (FT)
Young Boys 1-3 Sporting (FT)
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Benfica 0-0 Toulouse (HT)
Braga 1-1 Qarabag (HT)
Lens 0-0 Freiburg (HT)
Milan 1-0 Rennes (HT)
GOAL! Braga 1-1 Qarabag (Banza 44)
A corner hoicked into the mixer from the right. Sikou Niakaté, six yards out and level with the far stick, heads powerfully down. Marko Janković blocks on the line, but the ball breaks to Simon Banza, who rams home from close range. The hosts level at The Quarry!
Benfica 0-0 Toulouse. Back in the Europa League, at the Estádio da Luz, Rafa Silva cuts in from the left and sends a looping curler across the face of the Toulouse goal and off the junction of right-hand post and crossbar.
Ajax 0-1 Bodø/Glimt. This Conference League match has officially gatecrashed this blog. Jordan Henderson looks to level things up with a powerful drive towards the bottom left. It’s hot enough for Kjetil Haug to mishandle, but the keeper recovers both poise and ball with Kenneth Taylor lurking.
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Totaal audiovisueel entertainment.
Take a look at this incredible Bodø/Glimt team goal 🥵
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) February 15, 2024
They tore Ajax apart here!#UECL pic.twitter.com/9i7NZNMgXd
GOAL! Milan 1-0 Rennes (Loftus-Cheek 32)
This is simple but delightful. Alessandro Florenzi advances down the right and curls an outswinger into the box. Ruben Loftus-Cheek rises and power-glances a header across Rennes keeper Steve Mandanda and into the bottom left. That’s a picture-book goal.
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Benfica 0-0 Toulouse. Toulouse only half clear a Benfica free kick. It drops to João Mário on the edge of the D. Pelt! The ball loops inches over the bar.
Lens 0-0 Freiburg. The home side are moving through the gears at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis. Florian Sotoca’s cute flick down the inside-right channel releases David Costa into the box. Costa lashes a low drive into the side netting. Lovely move, poor finish. Costa should have put Freiburg keeper Noah Atubolu to work at the very least.
Lens 0-0 Freiburg. Massadio Haïdara makes good down the inside-left channel and into the box. A soft-shoe shuffle before a shot. Yannik Keitel deflects, and nothing comes of the resulting corner.
Milan 0-0 Rennes. Yet another chance for Rafael Leão. A corner hit long from the right. It drops to Leão at the far stick. He’s faced with both defender Adrien Truffert and a tight angle. The side netting ripples.
GOAL! Braga 0-1 Qarabag (Janković 21 pen)
Elvin Jafarguliyev races into the Braga box from the left. He goes barging past Victor Gómez on the outside. He’s bundled over. Penalty! Marko Janković fires it into the bottom-right corner in unstoppable fashion.
“Let’s Talk About Six!” chirrups Peter Oh. “No, not Liverpool’s European Cup/Champions League titles. The new number 6 shirt at Ajax. Jordan Henderson just marched out onto the pitch at the Amsterdam Arena. I’m very curious to see how his transition from Total Sellout to Total Football is going.” Well. Now then. He’s just been caught out of position as Bodø/Glimt’s Albert Gronbaek takes a shot from the edge of the box. It’s deflected, wrongfooting Diant Ramaj in the Ajax goal, and it’s Ajax 0-1 Bodø/Glimt.
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Braga 0-0 Qarabag. Some entertaining end-to-end stuff at the Estádio Municipal de Braga, aka A Pedreira (The Quarry). Braga’s Simon Banza sends a low drive straight at Qarabag keeper Andrey Lunev, then up the other end Juninho (not that one, nor that one) dribbles in from the right and takes a shot that bagatelles its way through a crowded box and harmlessly away from goal.
Milan 0-0 Rennes. The home side are well on top. Ruben Loftus-Cheek tears down the right and tiptoes along the byline before cutting back for that man Rafael Leão, whose snapshot flies wide right. Already a sense that it’s only a matter of time.
Milan 0-0 Rennes. Rafael Leão nearly gives Milan the lead at San Siro. He chests down to cut in from the left flank and whistles a rising shot off the crossbar. That would have been a peach.
The Europa Conference League has also restarted tonight. Here’s how the early knockout round play-offs ended, and how the 8pm kick-offs have undramatically started. No promises, this entry is purely bonus content for completists, though if Jordan Henderson plants one into the top corner from 30 yards we’ll drop everything and you’ll be the first to know.
Molde 3-2 Legia Warsaw (FT)
Olympiacos 1-0 Ferencváros (FT)
Sturm Graz 4-1 Slovan Bratislava (FT)
Union Saint-Gilloise 2-2 Eintracht Frankfurt (FT)
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Ajax 0-0 Bodø/Glimt
Maccabi Haifa 0-0 Gent
Real Betis 0-0 Dinamo Zagreb
Servette 0-0 Ludogorets
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All across the continent, the 8pms kick off. Here we go, then!
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While we wait, some new-fangled audio-visual entertainment to fill the void. Eguinaldo’s late, late, late, late, late equalising power header for Shakhtar against Marseille.
Shakhtar have done it again! 🤩
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) February 15, 2024
A 𝒃𝒓𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒂𝒏𝒕 equaliser from Eguinaldo sees it end honours even going into the second leg of this play-off tie!#UEL pic.twitter.com/l6IAtTblm9
The 8pm teamsheets
Benfica: Trubin, Aursnes, Silva, Otamendi, Alvaro Fernandez, Neves, Kokcu, Di Maria, Rafa Silva, Joao Mario, Arthur Cabral.
Subs: Morato, Bah, Neres, Tengstedt, Soares, Rollheiser, Marcos Leonardo, Araujo, Gouveia, Florentino, Gomes.
Toulouse: Restes, Desler, Costa, Nicolaisen, Diarra, Spierings, Sierro, Donnum, Gboho, Suazo, Dallinga.
Subs: Cissoko, Gelabert, Kamanzi, Mawissa Elebi, Magri, Skytta, Casseres Jr, Dominguez, Lacombe, Babicka.
Braga: Matheus Magalhaes, Gomez, Paulo Oliveira, Niakate, Borja, Joao Moutinho, Carvalho, Djalo, Ruiz, Zalazar, Banza.
Subs: Saatci, Fonte, Ndour, Fernandes, Tiago Sa, Mendes, Lopes, Pizzi, Chissumba, Said, Soumare, Hornicek.
Qarabag: Lunev, Matheus Silva, Mustafazade, Badavi Huseynov, Cafarquliyev, Romao, Jankovic, Leandro Andrade, Benzia, Zoubir, Juninho.
Subs: Medvedev, Keyta, Xhixha, Gugeshashvili, Isaev, Bayramov, Abbas Huseynov, Patrick Andrade, Medina, Ramazanov, Akhundzade.
Lens: Samba, Gradit, Danso, Haidara, Aguilar, Diouf, El Aynaoui, Frankowski, Sotoca, Costa, Wahi.
Subs: Abdul Samed, Fulgini, Chavez, Leca, Said, Khusanov, Mendy, Guilavogui, Thomasson, Sishuba, Pandor.
Freiburg: Atubolu, Kubler, Keitel, Gulde, Makengo, Hofler, Eggestein, Doan, Rohl, Sallai, Holer.
Subs: Szalai, Adamu, Muller, Muslija, Sildialli, Philipp, Gunter, Uphoff, Grifo, Gregoritsch.
AC Milan: Maignan, Florenzi, Kjaer, Gabbia, Hernandez, Musah, Reijnders, Pulisic, Loftus-Cheek, Leao, Giroud.
Subs: Bennacer, Adli, Jovic, Okafor, Thiaw, Terracciano, Sportiello, Eletu, Mirante, Nsiala-Makengo, Bartesaghi.
Rennes: Mandanda, Guela Doue, Omari, Theate, Truffert, Bourigeaud, Santamaria, Matusiwa, Desire Doue, Kalimuendo, Terrier.
Subs: Cisse, Gallon, Wooh, Gouiri, Blas, Belocian, Salah, Seidu, Lambourde, Lembet, Nagida, Yildirim.
Thank you Dominic. Now then. Here’s how today’s Europa League card looks at the minute. Fifteen goals in four matches so far! Compare and contrast to the eight served up this week by the Champions League. Big doesn’t always necessarily mean better.
Feyenoord 1-1 Roma (FT)
Galatasaray 3-2 Sparta Prague (FT)
Shakhtar 2-2 Marseille (FT)
Young Boys 1-3 Sporting (FT)
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Benfica v Toulouse (8pm GMT)
Braga v Qarabag (8pm)
Lens v Freiburg (8pm)
Milan v Rennes (8pm)
Just the 15 goals across those four first legs, what will the next batch have in store for us? After all that action, I need a lie down.
I shall no pass over to Scott Murray, who will be your guide for the rest of the evening, with Benfica v Toulouse and AC Milan v Rennes to look forward to. Scott!
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Narrator’s voice: It wasn’t.
Ndiaye comes off the bench to snatch what looks like a late winner for Marseille! 🔥#UEL pic.twitter.com/h4Fa4QBZ2M
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) February 15, 2024
GOAL AND FT: Shakhtar 2-2 Marseille
We thought there was late drama with the Iliman Ndiaye goal, but Shakhtar Donestk have pulled out an even later equaliser via Eguinaldo. The Brazilian has secured them a share of the spoils with a header deep, deep into added time!
Wowsers.
FT: Feyenoord 1-1 Roma
This was always a difficult tie to call and it ends all-square in Rotterdam. Roma will feel that Romelu Lukaku’s equaliser has given them a great chance of progressing. A good game, that one.
FT: Galatasaray 3-2 Sparta Prague
The full-time whistle sounds in Istanbul as well and it’s that Mauro Icardi strike that proves to be the difference between the two sides.
It’s been quite the performance from the former Inter and PSG striker tonight – he had a hand in all three goals against a spirited Sparta side.
Updated
FT: Young Boys 1-3 Sporting
The damage was done largely in the first half by the Portuguese outfit, who take a commanding first leg lead back to Lisbon. They’ll be huge favourites to land a spot in the last 16 now.
GOAL! Galatasaray 3-2 Sparta Prague (Icardi, 90+1)
And there’s late drama in the Galatasaray game, too!
Icardi (who else?) shows a remarkably cool head with a canny low finish left and into the corner.
GOAL! Shakhtar 1-2 Marseille (Ndiaye, 90)
Ndiaye will always love you!!
It’s Iliman Ndiaye who looks to have nicked it for Marseille at the death. Drama in Hamburg. The ball made its way through bodies after a good cutback from the left.
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And now they’ve hit the post! Roma are hanging on a touch towards the end of this game …
A great chance for Feyenoord substitute Giménez who forces a solid save from Svilar at his near post. It’s the hosts who are now looking the more likely as stoppage time approaches.
86 mins: A bit of off-the-ball nonsense from Bove gets him a yellow card and a ban for the second leg of this tie. Harsh or silly? A bit of both for me, Clive.
Another email from Peter Oh re one of Feyenoord’s teenage subs:
Milambo sounds like a nouveau riche British-born footballer showing off his new Italian sportscar.
Three of these games need a winner as we head towards the final five minutes plus added time. Or will sides be satisfied with a first leg draw? Galatasaray certainly aren’t … they’re pushing for a decisive third goal.
Should goalkeepers be getting cramp? Svilar of Roma seems to be suffering from it and needing a bit of help from his teammates. Hmmm.
Some of those goals here, in the preferred video format. Marseille and Shakhtar exchanged them quite quickly.
A clinical finish from Aubameyang to put Marseille in front against Shakhtar! 💥#UEL pic.twitter.com/0oqrwbdXgb
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) February 15, 2024
What a response from Shakhtar as Mykola Matviienko punishes a Marseille mistake 👀#UEL pic.twitter.com/BXiabf5ux3
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) February 15, 2024
Enter Givairo Read for Feyenoord, a 17-year-old making his senior professional debut. Antoni Milambo, 18, is also on, as Arne Slot turns to youth to change the momentum of this match late on.
This AC Milan lineup – for their clash with Rennes that kicks off soon – does not scream ‘Europa League playoff round exit’, does it? It’s packed with Champions League level quality.
The team news is in! 📋#UEL #ACMSRFC #SempreMilan pic.twitter.com/7RhGecUs70
— AC Milan (@acmilan) February 15, 2024
75 mins: Roma have bossed things, pretty much, since the Lukaku leveller and they look the more likely to find a winner. The De Rossi effect, eh?
Feel like this could relate to ALL football nowadays.
All eight teams have now scored and, with 20 minutes or so left in all these ties, pretty much anything could happen now.
There was me expecting a straightforward evening …
GOAL! Shakhtar 1-1 Marseille (Matvienko, 68)
Who ordered more second half goals?
Mykola Matviyenko has one for Shakhtar Donestk, who have hit back pretty much instantly against Marseille. It’s chaos at the back, Keystone Cops stuff from the French side as they fail to clear a set piece and the centre-back drills home with his left foot.
Romelu Lukaku always finds a way. Especially for Italian teams. And especially in the Europa League.
Roma have their equaliser! 🤩
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) February 15, 2024
Romelu Lukaku with 17 goals in his last 18 #UEL appearances! ⚽️ pic.twitter.com/uMliLpZ7a4
GOAL! Galatasaray 2-2 Sparta Prague (Kuchta, 65)
The goals are now flying in all over the place.
Sparta have equalised for a second time this evening at Galatasaray! Jan Kuchta scores and it’s yet another header. We’ve had a few of them tonight already.
GOAL! Feyenoord 1-1 Roma (Lukaku, 67)
And Lukaku delivers for Roma when needed! It looked initially like a deft header from the Belgian, but it actually came off his shoulder and went in after Spinazzola’s cross from the left.
Updated
GOAL! Shakhtar 0-1 Marseille (Aubameyang, 64)
The deadlock is finally broken and it’s a tidy finish from Aubameyang. He was found at the back post after an incisive Marseille move.
Roma have made an attacking change:
🟨🔁🟥
— AS Roma English (@ASRomaEN) February 15, 2024
A change in attack.
⬆️ Stephan El Shaarawy
⬇️ Nicola Zalewski
🔴⚪️ 1-0 🐺 (63)#FeyenoordRoma | #UEL pic.twitter.com/wdOuoUtxj6
GOAL! Galatasaray 2-1 Sparta Prague (Mertens, 61)
Dries Mertens restores the lead! And it’s a second assist of the night for Mauro Icardi.
Good hold-up play from the striker, who lays it back for Mertens to take a shot that gets a wicked deflection and flies in.
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61 mins: Shakhtar and Marseille continue to cancel out each other. The goalless draw benefits Marseille, you’d say, though they have enough quality to be a little more adventurous than this …
59 mins: Feyenoord haven’t offered a great deal since the resumption, but they’ve not been seriously threatened either. Calvin Stengs looks a cut above for them. He’s a name I’d be watching in relation to a possible Premier League move in the next few years.
This is the goal that has left it all-square between Galatasaray and Sparta Prague.
Ángelo Preciado with a pinpoint strike! 🚀
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) February 15, 2024
He levels it up with this beautiful finish for Sparta Prague against Galatasaray 😮💨#UEL pic.twitter.com/DBORlKLWig
55 mins: Roma were very direct and very narrow in that first half. They’ve certainly trying to vary their attack now and show a little more patience. Dybala has been everywhere.
53 mins: Roma are making most of the running once more in Rotterdam, largely through the advanced wing-back Spinazzola down their left.
Feyenoord would probably take the 1-0 and take their chances in Rome, based on their tentative start to the second period.
GOAL! Young Boys 1-3 Sporting (Inácio, 48)
It hasn’t taken long for Sporting to re-establish their two-goal cushion and it’s that man Goncalo Inácio who has done it! Another goal this evening that has come from a set-piece, with an unmarked Inácio heading home.
We’ll do very well to see a better strike in this round than that effort from Preciado. Thunderous.
GOAL! Galatasaray 1-1 Sparta Prague (Preciado, 47)
A leveller for Sparta in Istanbul and the home supporters fall silent. This wasn’t really in the script, but tell that to Ángelo Preciado. It’s an absolute thunderbolt from the right-back as the ball bounced out from a corner.
48 mins: Stengs laid it off for Ueda but it was blocked in the end by the onrushing Roma defenders.
47 mins: A great free-kick opportunity for Feyenoord early in the second half …
Second half: We’re back under way in most of these Europa League playoffs now.
More goals, please. Always more goals.
I’m on 3 out of 4 for my predictions so far. We’re only a quarter of the way through these ties, of course.
Don’t forget that our coverage will stretch to the 8pm kick-offs, so you’re covered for an entire evening’s Europa action. You lucky lot.
Aaaaand breathe. Here’s that Feyenoord goal:
Feyenoord take the lead right before half-time! 💫
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) February 15, 2024
Daniele De Rossi's Roma need a big second half! 🔥#UEL pic.twitter.com/RFXPQY7nfd
HALF TIME
Feyenoord 1-0 Roma at the break. Daniele De Rossi is unchartered territory, having made a superb start to his tenure in the Italian capital, but Arne Slot’s side made the most of their best spell. A loud roar greets the half-time whistle, with the Dutch side leading a very tight game.
There’s no such breakthrough from either Shakhtar or Marseille, which is locked at 0-0 as the whistle sounds for the break.
It’s also half-time in the other two matches, with Galatasaray deservedly leading Sparta Prague 1-0; meanwhile Young Boys 1-2 Sporting is providing plenty of entertainment. The visitors looked to be in complete control but that Ugrinic goal on 42 minutes has opened up the game.
GOAL! Feyenoord 1-0 Roma (Paixão, 45)
That is a superb move and a fantastic header from Igor Paixão, down and low, to give the hosts the lead against Roma!
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GOAL! Young Boys 1-2 Sporting (Ugrinic, 42)
Young Boys are back in it and I’m clearly watching the wrong two games …
Filip Ugrinic hits back immediately to give the Swiss side some hope before the interval. It was all a bit of a scramble but the home fans don’t care.
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Kit clashes – annoying aren’t they? Joe Pearson agrees with me:
“Hi Dom. I couldn’t agree more with your comments about the kits in the Feyenoord v Roma match,” he says. “It’s almost as if they already exchanged shirts. Roma’s black tops would go better with Feyenoord’s black shorts; as would Feyenoord’s red and white tops with Roma’s white shorts. What is wrong with people!?”
GOAL! Young Boys 0-2 Sporting (Gyökeres, 41 pen)
A penalty from Viktor Gyökeres doubles the Sporting lead just before half-time.
An emphatic spot-kick low and to the left from the man who is enjoying a prolific season in Portugal, to put it mildly.
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You can see why Marseille are eighth in Ligue 1 and why Gennaro Gattuso is under a fair bit of pressure. They’ve been very sloppy so far, allowing Shakhtar to set the tone in Hamburg.
Zubkov has been very impressive for the Ukrainians, with Aubameyang largely marginalised in this game so far.
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38 mins: Eguinaldo has just squandered the best chance of the match so far for Shakhtar, somehow skewing his shot high and not-so handsome after being found in acres of space on the 18-yard line.
36 mins: The high tempo that began the Feyernoord versus Roma clash has subsided somewhat, with both sides’ inability to find an early goal meaning they’re apporaching things with a little bit more caution now. The Dutch side are chiefly threatening from long range.
It was Marcus Edwards’ cutback from the right that was inadvertently turned into his own goal by Amenda. He’ll have to make Amends after that. No? Ok, sorry.
GOAL! Young Boys 0-1 Sporting (Amenda OG, 31)
The Portuguse side have the lead in Switzerland and it’s an own goal. Aurèle Amenda, the promising 20-year-old defender, has put it into his own net.
Updated
At least half an hour has gone in these games now, with the Galatasaray contest running a bit behind. Just the one goal so far …
30 mins: Oh, Romelu, why have you never learned to stay onside? If anyone can solve the enigma that is the (still on loan from Chelsea) striker, please email me.
Updated
28 mins: It’s still pretty even Stevens between Shakhtar and Marseille. The French side have been rather disjointed so far, but their defence is holding firm.
25 mins: Roma have been guilty of overplaying it when they get to the final third. Dybala and Lukaku are looking ominous, though, as Feyenoord fight hard to keep them at bay.
GOAL! Galatasaray 1-0 Sparta Prague (Demirbay, 19)
We have the first goal of the evening and it’s been scored by Kerem Demirbay!
He was afforded a ridiculous amount of space to coast down the left flank and hammer home at the near post, to cue the kind of celebrations you’d imagine from a home crowd in Istanbul.
Updated
Since Roma are playing in Rotterdam, Peter Oh has some recommended listening for you all:
An important question from Ian Batch on email:
Thanks for your predictions, can you also tell us what that would do for the race for a 5th team in the CL next year? I’d read somewhere that France are 7th currently, but if all their teams go through in this round of matches, they’d be first? Say it isn’t so.
Now that is a good question, Ian. The Italian and English leagues are in pole position for the extra Champions League places, as I understand it. The French league is currently sixth.
18 mins: Flares from the crowd mean the stadium is full of smoke at Shakhtar v Marseille, so much so that you’d struggle to see someone on the opposite flank for a switch of play …
Updated
16 mins: You honestly wouldn’t know Roma were the away side, the way they’re strutting their stuff in this game so far. Who’d have thought replacing Jose Mourinho with an inexperienced club legend would elicit such a spell of form?
Lukaku aims a header at goal, which is easily saved.
13 mins: Geoffrey Kondogbia is a vital player for Marseille and he’s helped them win the ball off Donestk plenty of times already, with the white-shirted visitors looking to stream forward on the counterattack whenever possible.
10 mins: So close for Dybala and so nearly 1-0 to Roma! Pellegrini latches onto a pass that splits the Feyenoord defence in half, with Wellenreuther beaten, as Dybala follows up and shoots just over.
Who fancies scoring the first goal of the round, then? All four ties are goalless as it stands. There’s no shortage of intent, especially from the away sides thus far.
There’s a healthyish crowd inside Hamburg’s Volksparkstadion for the clash between Shakhtar Donetsk and Marseille, with the Ukrainian side starting the more brightly in the opening seven minutes or so.
5 mins: Delightful stuff from Roma, with Lukaku playing a delicious backheel into the path of Bove, but it doesn’t quite run for the 21-year-old midfielder in the end. The visitors look very sharp, mind.
2 mins: Ugh, there’s a bit of a kit clash going on in Feyenoord versus Roma. Red, white and black plays … black and white with red numbers. How does that still happen in modern football?
Roma have the likes of Chris Smalling, Houssem Aouar, Stephan El Shaarawy and Renato Sanches on their bench. It’s been a purposeful start from both teams in Rotterdam.
KICK OFF
Right, we’re ready to rock and roll in these four 5.45pm (GMT) games. Let’s go!
In case you’ve been living in a cave in which nobody has heard of Kylian Mbappé …
I’m not really a betting man, but here are my picks/predictions, the eight teams who I believe will join Liverpool, Brighton, West Ham, Rangers, Leverkusen, Atalanta, Slavia Prague and Villarreal in the Europa League last 16 proper:
Feyenoord
Galatasaray
Marseille
Sporting
AC Milan
Benfica
Freiburg
Braga
Feel free to pin post/come back to me when I’ve got all eight predicitons wrong …
Potentially unpopular opinion … this ball is top notch. A scorcher.
🟠 It's nearly time...#UEL pic.twitter.com/GPUd1f2Z0b
— UEFA Europa League (@EuropaLeague) February 15, 2024
Speaking of Bayern and this week’s European thrills and spills, enjoy Football Daily – hot off the press – with your Thursday evening shandy.
At least there was one surprise result in the four opening Champions League last 16 first legs earlier this week, thanks to Bayern Munich doing their best Spurs impression with defeat at Lazio. Poor old Hazza Kane.
What would constitute a surprise in this Europa League playoff round? Galatasaray and Sporting have to be considered big favourites to progress beyond these ties; while later the heavyweights of AC Milan and Benfica will be expected to cruise through too. There’s not much between many of the other sides, though.
More team news: North London rejects Davinson Sanchez and Lucas Torreira start for Galatasaray – who are spearheaded by Euro veterans Mauro Icardi and Dries Mertens – against Sparta Prague.
There’s another one in the Marseille lineup against Shakhtar Donestk, as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang starts for the French side. Les Olympiens also have former Spurs backup goalkeeper Pau López between the sticks.
Sporting’s team is a hive of exciting young talent. Keep an eye on Gonçalo Inácio (22), Daniel Bragança (24) and, of course, Marcus Edwards (still only 25), the same age as red-hot striker Viktor Gyökeres.
Team news
Here are the Feyenoord and Roma team news graphics via Elon. The Italian outfit look pretty strong from where I’m sitting.
𝐗𝐈 𝐅𝐄𝐘𝐄𝐍𝐎𝐎𝐑𝐃 🔴⚪️⚫️#feyrom • #UEL pic.twitter.com/aglLSdR2hB
— Feyenoord Rotterdam (@Feyenoord) February 15, 2024
📋 Ecco la formazione scelta da mister De Rossi per #FeyenoordRoma 🐺
— AS Roma (@OfficialASRoma) February 15, 2024
🔥 DAJE ROMA DAJE! 🔥#ASRoma #UEL pic.twitter.com/B4souc3eii
Preamble
European footy is well and truly back for February and these days the Europa League really feels like a pretty big deal, even if we’re effectively at the round of 32 stage with the knockout round playoffs, which begin this evening with four first legs kicking off at 5.45pm (UK time).
There are no British teams in this round. Liverpool, Brighton, West Ham and Rangers all topped their groups to get a direct route to the last 16, with Feyenoord v Roma – a repeat of last year’s Europa League quarter final, and of the 2022 Europa Conference League final – the pick of the action this early evening. Shakhtar Donetsk v Marseille takes place in Hamburg and looks pretty tasty, while Galatasaray v Sparta Prague and Young Boys v Sporting are pretty high-quality ties as well.
There are also four more 5.45pm kick-offs in the Europa Conference League’s very own knockout round, featuring the likes of Olympiakos and Eintracht Frankfurt. So stay tuned and soak in as much European soccerball as you can muster.
