European Super Football

Rangers 1 - 1 Braga Rangers claimed their first point of this Europa League campaign but will reflect on a wasted chance after a mistake from Nasser Djiga cost them victory in a draw with 10-man Braga. Author | Mark Lee Stadium | Ibrox James Tavernier put the Scottish Premiership side in front from the penalty spot deep into first-half stoppage time, and their position strengthened when Rodrigo Zalazar was sent off for appearing to move his head towards Nicolas Raskin. Yet Djiga’s misjudged header from a throw into the Rangers area dropped invitingly for Gabri Martinez, who swept in the equaliser and left Danny Rohl’s side without the win they badly needed. The result brings an end to their run of seven consecutive European defeats, but with daunting trips to Ferencvaros and Porto to come, either side of a home meeting with Ludogorets, their prospects of progressing remain slim with just one point from five matches. A further setback arrived in stoppage time when Mohamed Diomande w...

Strasbourg 2 - 1 Crystal Palace Crystal Palace’s impressive run came to an end as they slipped to defeat against Strasbourg in the Conference League. Author | James Lees Stadium | Stade de la Meinau Tyrick Mitchell broke the deadlock after 35 minutes with a crisp finish across goal, latching on to a clever pass from Jean Philippe Mateta. Palace, unbeaten in five, should have added a second on the stroke of half time but Ismaila Sarr struck the post from distance after Strasbourg keeper Mike Penders had surrendered possession, leaving his goal unguarded. The French side were level eight minutes into the second half when Emanuel Emegha, who is set to join Chelsea next summer, steered in a low ball from Diego Moreira. Penders was soon exposed again, caught out of position as Adam Wharton clipped the crossbar from range. The goalkeeper redeemed himself moments later with a sharp stop to deny Yeremy Pino at close quarters, yet Palace’s wastefulness proved costly. Julio Enciso’s free...

Nottingham Forest 3 - 0 Malmo Forest swept past Malmo in the Europa League to tighten their hold on a play-off spot. Author | Frank L Stadium | The City Ground Players and fans celebrate Goals from captain Ryan Yates, Arnaud Kalimuendo and Nikola Milenkovic completed a routine victory in a fixture that echoed the 1979 European Cup final, when Forest overcame the Swedish champions. It marked a third straight win for Forest, their best run since the turn of the year. A slump in form during the latter half of last season explains why they find themselves in the Europa League rather than the Champions League. Analysis  | Sean Dyche has steadied a turbulent situation since taking charge Nuno Espirito Santo departed the club after clashing with global sporting director Edu and owner Evangelos Marinakis, while Ange Postecoglou lasted only 39 days in the aftermath. Saturday’s 3-0 win at a struggling Liverpool moved Forest out of the Premier League relegation zone. Their latest success at ...

Aston Villa 2 - 1 Young Boys Donyell Malen struck twice as Aston Villa moved a step closer to securing automatic qualification for the Europa League knockout stage with a straightforward victory over Young Boys. Author | Jay Dean Stadium | Villa Park Villa try to score Both goals arrived in a first half overshadowed by disorder in the away section. Malen was struck by a plastic cup while celebrating his opener midway through the half, and further disruption followed when he added a second just before the interval. Play was paused for several minutes as seats were torn out in the visitors’ end and more objects were thrown towards the pitch. The contest settled after the break and Villa eased to a seventh consecutive home win, continuing a revival that has gathered pace after a difficult start to the campaign in which they failed to win any of their opening six matches. Malen has been central to the turnaround. He climbed to head in Youri Tielemans’ precise cross for the first goal, then...

Feyenoord 1 - 3 Celtic Celtic produced a stirring response in Rotterdam, overturning an early setback to secure a notable Europa League victory over Feyenoord. Author | Sean M Stadium | De Kuip Celtic corner It marked their first away success in European competition since November 2021, ending a run of 15 matches without a win on the road. Ayase Ueda had put the hosts in front with a composed finish, yet the Scottish champions recovered impressively as Yang Hyun jun and Reo Hatate struck before the interval. Benjamin Nygren added a powerful third late on to settle any lingering tension among the travelling support. The result offered a timely lift after their heavy defeat by Midtjylland in the previous round. Martin O'Neill’s side were forced to absorb pressure at times but held their shape well and made their chances count, strengthening their position as the Northern Irishman's interim spell edges towards its conclusion. Feyenoord have now been beaten in four of their five gr...

How many English sides will be in Europe next season? England and Germany are on track to secure the two additional Champions League places available for next season. Author | Josh T Champions League night | City v Leverkusen The competition expanded from 32 to 36 teams at the start of the 2024-25 campaign, prompting UEFA to introduce two extra qualifying spots for the nations with the strongest overall performance across European competitions in the previous season. UEFA determines this through association rankings, which allocate points for wins and draws in the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League. The two nations with the highest totals are each awarded an extra Champions League berth for the following season. Clubs collect two points for a win and one for a draw across the three competitions, with bonus points awarded for progressing through the rounds. Sides in the Champions League receive greater bonuses than those in the Europa League or Conference League. Po...

Olympiacos 3 - 4 Real Madrid Kylian Mbappé delivered a devastating four-goal display as Real Madrid edged past Olympiacos in a gripping Champions League contest. Author | Jack L Stadium | Stadio Georgios Karaiskáki The home side stunned Madrid with an early strike from Francisco Chiquinho, who drove in a crisp effort from 20 yards. That advantage lasted only until Mbappé seized control of the evening, scoring three times in seven minutes to register the second fastest hat-trick in the competition’s history. He began by racing on to Vinicius Junior’s measured through-ball and finishing with composure, before rising to meet Arda Güler’s cross with a firm header. His third came when he timed his run perfectly to latch on to Eduardo Camavinga’s pass and steer the ball beyond the goalkeeper. Vinicius briefly thought he had added another after being played in by Mbappé, yet the effort was ruled out for offside against the French forward. Aurélien Tchouaméni struck the bar as Real...