European Super Football

Chelsea v Real Betis This is the place for the best news and stories from the 2025 Conference League Final Author | Lauren W Keep reading for updates from throughout the day and match. Chelsea fans display before kick off. The Chelsea party can start now  | Real Betis 1-4 Chelsea A fantastic second-half performance by Chelsea that has seen them score four goals. Moises Caicedo - who has started all 38 Premier League games this season - had a shot from the edge of the box that took a slight deflection on its way into the net. That has to be game over now  | Real Betis 1-3 Chelsea With seven minutes of left to play, Jadon Sancho has extended Chelsea's lead.  It was a goal delivered by the substitutes bench as Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall's ball bobbled into the path of Jadon Sancho. The player, who is still on loan from Manchester United, curled the ball beyond Adrian, probably sealing Chelsea's spot in the history books. They will be the only team to have won all four ma...

FC Copenhagen 1 - 2 Chelsea Chelsea took a significant step towards the Europa Conference League quarter-finals with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Copenhagen in Denmark. Author - Lauren W Stadium - Parken Enzo Maresca’s side were uninspiring in the first half, failing to register a shot on target, but they burst into life immediately after the break. Marc Cucurella, introduced at half-time for the injured Malo Gusto, made an instant impact by surging down the left and cutting the ball back for captain Reece James, who lashed a superb low drive into the bottom corner from 30 yards out. Copenhagen came agonisingly close to an equaliser moments later when Viktor Claesson’s angled strike cannoned off the inside of the post and fell kindly into the hands of relieved Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez. The Blues made their hosts pay for that missed opportunity in the 65th minute. Cucurella, once again influential, won possession high up the pitch before Christopher Nkunku played in T...

Real Betis 1 - 4 Chelsea  Enzo Maresca’s bold tactical reshuffle and astute use of personnel steered Chelsea to victory over Real Betis in the Conference League final. Author | Lewis W Stadium | Stadion Wrocław The opening 45 minutes had offered little encouragement for the Premier League side. Betis were deservedly in front at the interval, with Isco orchestrating the first half and providing a no-look assist for Abde Ezzalzouli, who surged through to fire the Spaniards ahead inside nine minutes. But the match flipped after the break. Cole Palmer was afforded greater freedom and, capitalising on the injury-enforced withdrawal of Betis left-back Ricardo Rodríguez, delivered a commanding display that earned him player of the match honours. Palmer's teasing, dipping delivery from a central area was then expertly glanced in by Enzo Fernández just after the hour mark. READ MORE | A recap of our live coverage from the night READ MORE | Chelsea fan reaction on London Super News ...

Fredrikstad 0 - 0 Crystal Palace (Palace won 1-0 on aggregate) Crystal Palace secured their place in the league phase of the Conference League despite a laboured performance in the second leg of their play-off tie against Fredrikstad. Author | James Lees Stadium | Nye Fredrikstad Stadion Jean-Philippe Mateta’s strike in the first leg at Selhurst Park ultimately settled the contest on aggregate, though Palace offered little in Norway. The French forward had the clearest chance to add to his tally in stoppage time, breaking clear only to be denied by the outstretched leg of goalkeeper Martin Borsheim. A closer look at what happened Fredrikstad once again defended diligently, but unlike in south London they looked to carry more threat. Their attacking intent, however, rarely troubled Dean Henderson. Stiane Molde spurned the home side’s best opportunity when he failed to turn into an almost empty net after Henderson misjudged a ball in the six-yard box, while substitute Henrik Skogvol...

 It has been announced that David Moyes will stay on as West Ham manager after winning the Europa Conference League. Moyes and Declan Rice celebrate with the Conference League trophy. Photo belongs to  Football Pictures | Flickr His future had been the subject of huge speculation throughout the season. On three occasions, Moyes appeared to be only one game from the sack, however, each time, West Ham won and eventually secured their Premier League future with two games to spare. Back in December, it appeared he was really close to the sack. At the time, one West Ham fan told us:  "He has to go!" Premier League: Pressure builds on David Moyes (eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com) Before that magical night in Prague, it been 43 long years since West Ham fans saw their team lift major silverware.  It has now been decided Moyes will stay in his job as West Ham looks forward to European football for the third successive season for the first time in their history.  UECL...

Hibernian 1 - 2 Midtjylland (Midtjylland won 3-2 on aggregate) Hibernian suffered European heartache as Junior Brumado's sensational goal for Midtjylland in the last moments of extra-time knocked them out of Europa League qualifying. Author | Sean M Stadium | Easter Road A bumper crowd inside Easter Road were silenced by the piece of brilliance from the Brazilian, whose winner came as the game looked destined for a penalty shootout. The second-round tie was finely poised at 1-1 after the first leg, and it took until four minutes into extra-time in Edinburgh before Dario Osorio's powerful strike from distance opened the scoring in the second. Rocky Bushiri responded to draw Hibs level as bedlam ensued in the stands, but Brumado would have the final say with a magical finish. Hibernian now drop into Conference League qualifying where they will face Partizan Belgrade next week. More analysis of what happened After holding their own in Denmark against seasoned European camp...

The second season of UEFA's third competition is about to start Clubs qualify for the UEFA Europa Conference League based on their performance in their national leagues and cup competitions. It is the third tier of active European club football competitions, after the Champions League and the Europa League. England's representation in the upcoming season will be West Ham. They finished 7th in the Premier League. First contested in the 2021–22 season, the competition serves as the bottom level of the Europa League, which was reduced from 48 to 32 teams in the group stage. It was eventually won by A.S. Roma after an fascinating season. UECL: Roma win Europa Conference League (eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com) The draw for the first qualifying round of the 2022/2023 competition. Let's have a look at who will be playing who. Bala Town (WAL) vs Sligo Rovers (IRL) A relatively short trip for both of these sides will have been welcomed.  Sligo's Rovers record in European com...

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...

 UEFA Europa Conference League Semi-final first leg: West Ham United 2 - 1  AZ Alkmaar West Ham's dreams of a first major trophy since 1980 are still alive. They came from behind to secure a Europa Conference League semi-final first-leg win over AZ Alkmaar at their London Stadium. Pre match - the West Ham fans created an incredible atmosphere The Hammers' hopes of reaching the final in Prague on 7 June were hanging by a thread when Alphonse Areola made a mess of saving Tijjani Reijnders' low shot four minutes before the break. However, David Moyes' side turned the tie on its head after half-time. <Click here for more news from the London Stadium> The Hammers had former Brighton goalkeeper Mat Ryan to thank for offering them a way back into the contest when he recklessly punched Jarrod Bowen in the face as he arrived late to challenge for a high ball the England man actually headed over. After Ryan took an age to take his position for the penalty, Said Benrahm...

Shelbourne 3 - 1 Linfield Shelbourne take a two-goal lead into the second leg of their Uefa Conference League play-off after a pulsating over 10-man Linfield. Author | Liam Philips Stadium |  Tolka Park The Dublin contest delivered drama throughout, with four goals, three penalties and a red card. Harry Wood put the hosts ahead from the spot just before half-time, moments after Linfield had been reduced to 10 men.  Less than a minute into the second half Mipo Odubeko extended the advantage, making amends after missing a first-half penalty when the match was still goalless. Kieran Offord gave the visitors hope with a well-taken finish after the break but later missed a chance to draw level from the penalty spot. Evan Caffrey stepped off the bench to seal the win for Shels , finishing from close range 13 minutes from time. READ MORE |  Conference League 25/26 season READ MORE |  Shelbourne knock Linfield out of Champions League Drama again between these two si...

Nottingham Forest 0 - 1 Chelsea Chelsea secured their place in next season’s Champions League with a narrow, hard-fought win at Nottingham Forest Author | Kieran M Stadium |  The City Ground The result confirmed a fourth-place finish for Enzo Maresca’s side and dashed any lingering hopes Forest had of qualifying for Europe’s premier competition. The decisive moment came five minutes after the break, when Levi Colwill bundled home from close range. It was enough to ensure Chelsea met the expectations set for them at the start of the campaign.  Maresca admitted afterwards that their summer transfer plans were shaped by which European competition they would be in. The win also provides timely momentum ahead of Chelsea’s appearance in the Europa Conference League final against Real Betis in Poland on Wednesday. For Forest, who battled to survive on the final day last season, this campaign represents significant progress. Despite falling short of a Champions League spot, sevent...

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...

Astana 1 - 3 Chelsea Former Barcelona player Marc Guiu made a big impression as Chelsea secured their spot in the UEFA Conference League knockout stage with a victory over Astana in freezing Kazakhstan. Author - Lauren W The Blues embarked on the 3,600-mile journey to Almaty, where they faced challenging conditions, including biting temperatures of -11°C. However, a heavily rotated Chelsea side showed their mettle, wrapping up the win with three first-half goals. Eighteen-year-old Spanish youth international Guiu was among several young players given an opportunity to shine, and he seized it. In the 14th minute, he opened the scoring with an impressive solo run, calmly finishing to put Chelsea ahead. Just four minutes later, Guiu's effort from Pedro Neto's cross was deflected in by Aleksandr Marochkin, doubling the lead and putting Chelsea firmly in control. Renato Veiga added a third just before half-time with a well-taken header – his second goal of the season. Spurs 3 - ...

Ajax 0 - 1 Panathinaikos It finished 1-1 on aggregate with Ajax winning 13-12 on penalties Ajax beat Panathinaikos on penalties after an epic shootout featuring 34 spot-kicks to reach the Europa League qualifying play-off round. Ajax Goalkeeper Remko Pasveer saved five penalties and scored one, while defender Anton Gaaei scored the winning kick for Ajax. The Dutch side won despite Netherlands striker Brian Brobbey missing two spot-kicks, with Bertrand Traore and Youri Baas were also off target for the home side.  This was the second-highest penalty shootout score in a European competition, just behind Glentoran's 14-13 loss to Gzira United in last season's Conference League qualifiers. The match went to penalties after the Greek team secured a 1-0 win in Amsterdam, bringing the overall score to 1-1. Tete's goal in the 89th minute forced extra time. The match ultimately ended without any further goals. Best reaction William, a Liverpool fan from Bradford, watched the...

 Aston Villa 2 - 1 Brighton & Hove Albion Aston Villa beat Brighton at Park to secure a return to European football.  The home needed to win to finish seventh in the Premier League and earn a spot in the playoffs for the Europa Conference League. Villa flew out of the blocks and forged ahead when Douglas Luiz scored after eight minutes. Premier League news (eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com) The architect of the first goal, Jacob Ramsey played creator once again when he unselfishly teed up Ollie Watkins to make it 2-0 with 28 minutes played. As he did for the first goal, Jacob Ramsey played creator again. He unselfishly teed up Ollie Watkins to make it 2-0 with 28 minutes played. In the 38th minute, a VAR decision went Undav's way when he scored following a quickly taken free-kick by Pascal Gross. The assistant referee had initially flagged for offside, but this decision was overruled.  Click here to watch the highlights via the Aston Villa Facebook page.  The ...

Crystal Palace 1 -  0 Fredrikstad Jean-Philippe Mateta delivered Crystal Palace’s first goal in European competition as they opened their Conference League campaign with a win over Fredrikstad. Author | James Lees Stadium | Selhurst Park The French forward settled a contest that mixed dominance with frustration for Palace, heading inside the far post after Will Hughes ’s deflected strike dropped kindly in the area. Eberechi Eze, the match-winner in last season’s FA Cup final , was absent with his move to Arsenal expected to be completed in the coming days. Without him, Palace controlled possession but often found themselves thwarted by Fredrikstad ’s deep defensive line, which forced them into long-range efforts and attacks from the flanks. Palace still carved out chances to extend their lead, with Mateta striking the post in the first half and Daniel Muñoz heading against the woodwork after the break. The Norwegian visitors offered fleeting reminders of their counter-at...

 Jose Mourinho is set to become the new manager of Fenerbahce The 61-year-old will take over from Ismail Kartal, who left Fenerbahce after they finished second in the league to city rivals Galatasaray.  Despite losing just one game and recording 99 points last season, Fenerbahce finished as runners-up. How much of an impact will have Mourinho in Turkey? The club hinted at Mourinho's appointment in a video featuring the Portuguese manager directly addressing the fans with the words "See you tomorrow". Are you ready for tomorrow? 🔥😄 pic.twitter.com/PgbdiegcjE — Fenerbahçe English (@Fenerbahce_EN) June 1, 2024 Mourinho, who has previously managed Chelsea, Real Madrid, and Manchester United, is the only manager to have won the Champions League, Europa League, and Europa Conference League .  Over his 24-year managerial career, he has won 21 major honors, beginning in his home country of Portugal at Benfica and including stints at Porto, Inter Milan, and Tottenham.  M...

West Ham United 3 - 1 Viborg FF Gianluca Scamacca scored his first West Ham goal as they beat Danish side Viborg in their Europa Conference League play-off first leg at London Stadium. The Italian forward, a £30.5m signing from Sassuolo, was handed his first start and took just 24 minutes to make an impact when he headed in following neat play on the left from fellow new arrival Maxwel Cornet. West Ham players celebrate - Picture from  Football Pictures | Flickr It set the hosts on their way to a first victory this season, having lost their opening two Premier League games without scoring a goal. Jarrod Bowen zipped a second into the bottom corner from distance with 26 minutes to go. However, the visitors hit back immediately through Jakob Bonde's header. That almost made life uncomfortable for the Hammers until Said Benrahma and Michail Antonio combined for the latter to tap into an empty net and secure a healthy advantage going into the second leg. That second leg will take p...

AEK Larnaca 0 - 0 Aberdeen Aberdeen claimed their first point of the Conference League campaign after battling to a goalless draw against AEK Larnaca in Cyprus. Author | Chris Thomas Stadium | AEK Arena George Karapatakis Jimmy Thelin’s side had endured a tough start to the group, losing 3-2 to Shakhtar Donetsk before a heavy 6-0 defeat to AEK Athens. Larnaca, meanwhile, came into the game buoyed by victories over AZ Alkmaar and FA Cup holders Crystal Palace. Despite that contrast in form, Aberdeen produced a composed and disciplined performance, limiting their hosts to few clear chances and threatening on the break. The home side came closest in the first half when defender Hrvoje Milicevic struck the base of the post from distance before curling another effort narrowly wide moments later. Aberdeen carved out opportunities of their own through Jack Milne, who dragged a shot wide and later headed over, while Jesper Karlsson’s deflected strike also flew just past the post. The secon...

Hibernian 2 - 3 Partizan Belgrade (Hibernian won 4-3 on aggregate) Hibernian survived a major scare against 10-man Partizan Belgrade as Chris Cadden’s extra-time strike sealed an aggregate win and a place in the Conference League play-off round. Author | Sean M Stadium |  Easter Road Hibs players and fans celebrate After rotating his squad at the weekend, David Gray reverted to a more familiar starting eleven, with Jamie McGrath the only change from the first leg in Serbia. The Irish midfielder failed a late fitness test, handing Josh Campbell a place in the side. Easter Road crackled with energy at kick-off, the stands packed as Martin Boyle led out the team to a raucous reception. A closer look at what happened on the match Partizan wiped out the advantage with two goals in the first half, both the result of errors from goalkeeper Jordan Smith . He failed to hold Milan Vukotic ’s long-range strike, then allowed Jovan Milosevic ’s tame shot to slip under him. Kieron Bowie r...