UEFA Conference League round of 16: What to look out for in the second legs

Chelsea, Panathinaikos and Molde defend slender leads against Copenhagen, Fiorentina and Legia Warszawa respectively as the contest for quarter-final spots is settled.

UEFA.com previews all the action ahead of the second legs on Thursday 13 March.

Cercle Brugge vs Jagiellonia (0-3) (18:45 CET)

Afimico Pululu became the outright top scorer in this season’s Conference League when his 69th-minute penalty gave Jagiellonia the first of three unanswered goals against ten-man Cercle Brugge. The 25-year-old did not stop there, rounding out an emphatic home win with a stunning overhead kick nine minutes later. “I wanted to control it, but I didn't have enough time, so I tried to improvise. I took the shot and the ball went into the net,” explained a beaming Pululu. Cercle Brugge coach Ferdinand Feldhofer had described the tie as a “very balanced competition” pre-match, so his squad has plenty to prove in the second leg.

Did you know: The first leg marked Jagiellonia's third meeting with a Belgian opponent in UEFA competition and their first victory.

Djurgården vs Pafos (0-1) (18:45 CET)

Pafos journey to Stockholm with a one-goal advantage thanks to Muamer Tankovic, who tapped in on 65 minutes. Formerly of Djurgården’s domestic rivals Hammarby, there was added sweetness to the 1-0 victory for the Swedish forward: “I won't lie and say that it was a normal match. It was like a derby for me!” He will have sights set on reaching the quarter-finals in Pafos’ UEFA competition debut, but Djurgården coach Jani Honkavaara is confident they can disappoint the hopes of their old rival. “One-nil is something we can handle at home, I think our performance will be much better,” he said.

Did you know: Pafos have had more attempts (151) than any other Conference League side.

Lugano vs Celje (0-1) (18:45 CET)

Tamar Svetlin’s 23rd-minute header guided Celje to a 1-0 home win over Lugano in the first leg. Despite the important victory, coach Albert Riera revealed that there was not total satisfaction at full time, a mark of the high standards they have cultivated. “With this and the performances we are showing, we have created a monster from which much is always expected,” he explained. Opposition coach Mattia Croci-Torti, meanwhile, has stressed the need for calm across a two-legged tie. “We lost a small battle but with the 1-0 [scoreline] we can turn it around, we have to stay positive.”

Did you know: Celje midfielder Svit Sešlar tops the Conference League assist charts with seven.

SK Rapid vs Borac (1-1) (18:45 CET)

Level at 1-1 in the tie thanks to David Vuković’s stoppage-time penalty, Borac travel to Vienna with hopes of becoming the first team to best SK Rapid at their home ground in this Conference League season. After winning two and drawing one at Weststadion in the league phase, Robert Klauss hopes to draw on the home atmosphere in the knockout phase too. “The fans help us, especially on European evenings, they will push us again,” the SK Rapid coach said. Borac journey to the Austrian capital in high spirits, though, goalscorer Vuković praising a “team effort” which gave “something to hope for in Vienna.”

Did you know: Borac's Sebastijan Herera (19) and SK Rapid's Mamadou Sangaré (18) are two of the Conference League's top tacklers, ranking joint-fourth and sixth respectively.

Chelsea vs Copenhagen (2-1) (21:00 CET)

Chelsea return to Stamford Bridge with a one-goal lead after a 2-1 triumph, but they will remain wary after a first leg which highlighted the defensive mettle and attacking potential of opponents Copenhagen. The Danish side are full of belief as a result. “We need to do everything we can to create a little miracle,” resolved coach Jacob Neestrup, who reminded that Copenhagen overcame a one-goal deficit in their play-off second leg at Heidenheim. His counterpart Enzo Maresca agrees that the tie is far from over: “The return leg will be another tough game. They are a good team, with a skilled coach and many talented players.”

Did you know: Shumaira Mheuka is the youngest player to start for the Blues in a major European competition, leading the line at just 17 years and 137 days old in the first leg.

Fiorentina vs Panathinaikos (2-3) (21:00 CET)

Attack trumped defence as five goals settled the first leg in Athens, Tetê sealing a 3-2 Panathinaikos win with his second-half curler. Heading to Florence with the advantage, coach Rui Vitória believes the calm display after the break, rather than that of a frenetic four-goal first half, holds the key to success. “We know that we are creative going forward, but we must find what went wrong when we couldn’t block our opponents’ attack,” the Portuguese coach said. Noting a frustration in the Fiorentina dressing room at full time, coach Raffaele Palladino wants his team to channel that energy into the decisive second leg: “It’s not over, I see a team eager to overturn the result.”

Did you know: Only Chelsea (28) have scored more goals than Fiorentina (20) in the Conference League so far.

Legia Warszawa vs Molde (2-3) (21:00 CET)

Another five-goal thriller saw Molde take the advantage in this tie, despite Legia Warszawa’s second-half recovery. The Norwegian side hit three unanswered first-half goals, but the visitors pulled two back in a space of three minutes midway through the second to leave this return leg finely poised. “We will show what we are capable of at home,” said Kacper Chodyna, scorer of the Polish club’s first, though a look back to last season's round of 16 meeting would lend that confidence to Molde – the Norwegian club stormed to a 3-0 win in Warsaw to secure their quarter-final place.

Did you know: The first leg of last season's round of 16 match-up also finished 3-2 and followed a remarkably similar pattern – Legia Warszawa responding to three first-half goals with two in the second.

Vitória SC vs Real Betis (2-2) (21:00 CET)

Vitória return to Guimaraes with the tie level at 2-2 thanks to Nélson Oliveira’s late finish and their self-belief strengthened by a gutsy performance. “This is the mentality we’ve shown in every game during this competition,” said goalkeeper Bruno Varela after his team-mates twice responded to falling behind. Isco, who made it 2-1 in the 75th minute, voiced disappointment at ceding their advantage, but the Real Betis captain was quick to refocus on the second leg. “It will be a tough game. Nobody is going to gift us anything. We have to go there and compete and win the game,” the 32-year-old said.

Did you know: Real Betis remain undefeated in UEFA competition meetings with Vitória SC, drawing once and winning twice in their previous encounters.