Europa Conference League round-up: Villa seal comeback, Frankfurt through
Thursday, November 9, 2023
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Four sides secured a top-two placing as the 2023/24 UEFA Europa Conference League group stage starts to take shape.
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Aston Villa clinched another late home victory, while a quartet of clubs can begin to plan for the knockouts on an engaging Matchday 4 of the 2023/24 UEFA Europa Conference League group stage.
UEFA.com rounds up the Thursday night action.
Who is through?
Through to knockouts: Viktoria Plzeň, PAOK, Frankfurt, Club Brugge
The eight group winners automatically go through to the last 16. Additional knockout round play-offs will then be played before the round of 16, pitching the eight group runners-up against the third-ranked teams from the UEFA Europa League groups.
HJK Helsinki 0-1 Frankfurt
Frankfurt ensured their progress from Group G thanks to a narrow victory.
Niki Mäenpää produced a stunning double save to deny the visitors an early opener but Fares Chaïbi broke the deadlock with a sublime curling effort into the top corner just after the half-hour.
HJK threatened after the break, but could not find an equaliser in the grandstand finish, with skipper Miro Tenho having a diving header ruled out for offside.
Key stat: HJK are without a win in five UEFA group stage home games (D1 L4).
Aston Villa 2-1 AZ Alkmaar
Ollie Watkins' late goal proved decisive as Aston Villa came from a goal down to see off AZ Alkmaar and move onto nine points in Group E.
Clément Lenglet's early header was ruled out for offside in the build-up, with AZ striker Vangelis Pavlidis also having a first-half effort disallowed.
Pavlidis did put the visitors ahead, running through to finish smartly before Diego Carlos equalised with his first Villa goal.
Both sides had chances to win it before Watkins nodded in a brilliant Douglas Luiz pass.
Key stat: Aston Villa have won 15 of their last 16 home matches in all competitions.
Ferencváros 1-1 Genk
These sides shared the spoils for the second time in a fortnight.
Aleksandar Pešić put the home team in front shortly after the interval, quickest to react after Maarten Vandevorrdt was unable to hold Mohammed Abu Fani's shot.
Daniel Muñoz levelled in similar fashion soon after the hour, following in after Dénes Dibusz could only parry Matías Galarza's powerful strike.
Key stat: Ferencváros are now six matches unbeaten against Belgian clubs.
Beşiktaş 1-2 Bodø/Glimt
Faris Moumbagna struck either side of half-time as Bodø/Glimt boosted their chances of reaching the knockout stage.
Moumbagna scored his first with his knee when he stole in to convert Sondre Sørli's cross, and grabbed his second when he clipped in Amahl Pellegrino's through ball.
Jackson Muleka hit the crossbar for the home side before a fine finish from Tayfur Bingöl reduced the arrears, but the visitors held on. Home skipper Necip Uysal was dismissed in added time for a second yellow card.
Key stat: Bodø/Glimt are unbeaten in five away games this season (W3 D2), having been winless on the road in Europe last season.
Slovan Bratislava 1-1 LOSC Lille
Aleksandar Čavrić came off the bench to score his fourth goal in as many UEFA Conference League games and earn Slovan Bratislava a point.
Guram Kashia's header hit the crossbar for the hosts in an otherwise quiet first half but it was the visitors who broke the deadlock when Angel Gomes nipped in to dink the ball in.
Slovan grabbed their share of the spoils when Čavrić turned in Jaromír Zmrhal's cut-back.
Key stat: Slovan Bratislava have lost just one of their last 12 home European games – but seven of them have been draws.
Best of the rest
• Viktoria Plzeň maintained the only perfect record left in the competition with a narrow home success over Dinamo. Tomáš Chorý's first-half spot kick made it four wins from as many Group C outings for Miroslav Koubek's men, who sealed a place in the round of 16 in the process.
• A topsy-turvy 2-2 draw with Aberdeen was enough for PAOK to ensure they, along with Frankfurt, cannot finish outside the top two in Group G. Goals from Taison and substitute Mbwana Samatta swung the game in the hosts' favour after an early Luis Lopes opener, and not even Jamie McGrath's leveller could dampen spirits in Thessaloniki.
• Fenerbahçe, having won their opening 19 matches of the campaign across all competitions, were beaten for a second game running, losing 2-0 to Ludogorets in Razgrad. Jakub Piotrowski opened the scoring and Rwan Seco came off the bench to clinch the win in added time as Georgi Dermendzhiev's men moved to within three points of their opponents.
All the Matchday 4 results
Group A: Slovan Bratislava 1-1 LOSC Lille, Olimpija Ljubljana 2-0 KÍ Klaksvík
Group B: Breidablik 2-3 Gent, Zorya Luhansk 1-3 Maccabi Tel-Aviv
Group C: Astana 0-0 Ballkani, Viktoria Plzeň 1-0 Dinamo Zagreb
Group D: Beşiktaş 1-2 Bodø/Glimt, Club Brugge 2-0 Lugano
Group E: Legia Warszawa 2-0 Zrinjski, Aston Villa 2-1 AZ Alkmaar
Group F: Ferencváros 1-1 Genk, Čukarički 0-1 Fiorentina
Group G: PAOK 2-2 Aberdeen, HJK Helsinki 0-1 Frankfurt
Group H: Nordsjælland 1-1 Spartak Trnava, Ludogorets 2-0 Fenerbahçe
All the Matchday 5 fixtures (30 November)
Group A: Olimpija Ljubljana vs LOSC Lille (18:45), KÍ Klaksvík vs Slovan Bratislava (18:45)
Group B: Gent vs Zorya Luhansk (18:45), Breidablik vs Maccabi Tel-Aviv (21:00)
Group C: Astana vs Dinamo Zagreb (16:30), Ballkani vs Viktoria Plzeň (18:45)
Group D: Bodø/Glimt vs Lugano (18:45), Beşiktaş vs Club Brugge (18:45)
Group E: AZ Alkmaar vs Zrinjski (18:45), Aston Villa vs Legia Warszawa (21:00)
Group F: Fiorentina vs Genk (21:00), Čukarički vs Ferencváros (21:00)
Group G: HJK Helsinki vs Aberdeen (18:45), Frankfurt vs PAOK (21:00)
Group H: Nordsjælland vs Fenerbahçe (21:00), Spartak Trnava vs Ludogorets (21:00)
