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

Aston Villa's battle of the UEFA Europa Conference League titans with Ajax is a good way off being settled, while Maccabi Haifa and Molde are looking to break new ground and reach the last eight.

In this piece presented by Enterprise Rent-A-Car, we pick out some key talking points ahead of the second legs. Remember: Every mission matters.

18:45 CET
Viktoria Plzeň vs Servette (0-0)
Fenerbahçe vs Union SG (3-0)
PAOK vs Dinamo Zagreb (0-2)
Fiorentina vs Maccabi Haifa (4-3)

21:00 CET
Aston Villa vs Ajax (0-0)
Club Brugge vs Molde (1-2)
LOSC Lille vs Sturm Graz (3-0)
Maccabi Tel-Aviv vs Olympiacos (4-1)

Villa and Ajax in for the long haul

Unai Emery has warned his Aston Villa side that they needed to prepare for the prospect of extra time and penalties as they welcome Ajax, having got little change out of the youthful Dutch outfit in a 0-0 draw in Amsterdam. The coach rotated his squad, but could find little purchase on their opponents' five-man defence. "We will try to do something different, because now we know them better," said the coach.

Ajax boss John van 't Schip took moderate satisfaction from the goalless draw – "We are halfway through a double-header; I can live with the first half" – with his midfield general Jordan Henderson now girding his side up for a return to his home country. "Another tough game awaits," said the ex-Liverpool man. "We knew it would be tough, but we also have quality. We can take those positive things with us."

Maccabi Haifa keep believing at Fiorentina

Having recovered from conceding a second-minute goal in the first leg against last season's Conference League finalists, Maccabi Haifa led Fiorentina 2-1 and then 3-2 before a red card and two late goals gave the Viola a 4-3 win in Budapest. However, there was plenty of cause for optimism, not least a splendid strike from Anan Khalaili, a 19-year-old winger regarded as the big rising star of Israeli football.

The first meeting was wide open, and the return fixture could also have plenty of goals. Maccabi defender Maor Kandil knows a win in Florence is a big ask, but his side have hope. "We will go into the rematch ready to give our all," he said. "Since the beginning of the season we have been playing against strong teams in Europe and have shown that we belong at this level. We play our game, give it 100%, press, believe. We're not giving up."

Molde flying the flag for Norway

Bodø/Glimt were poster boys of the new Conference League when they scrapped their way to the quarter-finals in 2021/22, and fellow Norwegians Molde are among the sensations of this campaign. They head into their decider at UEFA Champions League regulars Club Brugge holding a 2-1 lead, with one of Norway's most respected coaches Åge Hareide saying: "Molde can match top teams from other nations, and Belgium is not a bad footballing nation."

Success is all the more impressive since Molde are still in pre-season: the 2024 Norwegian league does not kick off until 1 April. "Showing this level of perseverance and willpower at the beginning of March is a measure of our strength," said coach Erling Moe. However, at least one compatriot will not be cheering Molde on in Belgium; Club Brugge are coached by Norwegian boss Ronny Deila.

Where is the 2024 Europa Conference League final being played?

SPORTSFILE

The 2023/24 Conference League season is set to conclude at the AEK Arena in Athens, Greece, on Wednesday 29 May 2024.

Opened in September 2022, the new stadium stands on the site of the Nikos Goumas Stadium, which had been home to AEK Athens since 1930 but sustained serious damage during an earthquake in 1999. With a capacity of over 30,000, the new stadium in the north-western suburb of Nea Filadelfia stages Greece international home games as well as AEK matches.