European Super Football

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...

 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...

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...

 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...

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 ...

 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...

 Roma 1 - 0 Feyenoord José Mourinho became the first coach to win all three current men's UEFA club competitions. Let's explore how that happened. You can watch the highlights by watching the video at the bottom of the page. This is the match report from UEFA's official website. Spurred on by their supporters, Feyenoord swiftly looked to reply, forcing Rui Patrício to deal with a succession of threats – Orkun Kökçü's rifled effort the most dangerous of the bunch. In a rapid start to the second half, Mancini diverted onto his own post, before Rui Patrício sprawled to tip Tyrell Malacia's long-range effort onto the woodwork. Danger averted, Mourinho's men could take a breath. Feyenoorders, bedankt voor jullie support dit seizoen in de #UECL . Van Pristina tot Tirana, mede dankzij jullie was het een onvergetelijke reis. ❤️🤍🖤💚 #MakingMemories pic.twitter.com/pWx8boBZyw — Feyenoord Rotterdam (@Feyenoord) May 26, 2022 As the stadium rocked, momentum conti...

 Fiorentina 1 - 2 West Ham It has been 43 long years since West Ham United last lifted major silverware. That wait has now come to the most sensational of endings. Every single final has its hero. After Saïd Benrahma’s penalty on 62 minutes had been cancelled out by Giacomo Bonaventura’s well-taken finish just five minutes later. It would be Jarrod Bowen who would write his name into Hammers history forever. Bowen made no mistake when it mattered most, latching onto Paquetá's clever pass through the ACF Fiorentina defence and smartly scoring. The manner of victory was rather sweet for West Ham and all their fans. The celebrations of the Premier League team were something to behold. Click here for more West Ham news and stories. The victory ends a wait of more than forty years for major silverware. It also means they have won a European trophy for the second time in their history following the club's UEFA Cup Winners' Cup triumph in 1965. The victory also guarantees the...

FK Panevėžys 0 - The New Saints The New Saints took a firm grip on their Europa Conference League play-off with a 3-0 victory over Lithuanian side FK Panevėžys in Vilnius. We'll have reaction to this match coming soon. European Super Football ( https://t.co/3cLJ3IbFkJ ) https://t.co/NQPIJ1RA4A — European Super Football (@ESFootballNews) August 23, 2024 After a closely contested first half, Danny Davies broke the deadlock shortly after the restart. A corner was flicked on twice, and the centre-back was perfectly positioned at the back post to head in from a tight angle. Dan Williams then doubled the Welsh side's advantage, picking up the ball wide on the right, weaving past two defenders, and gliding into the area before slotting the ball coolly into the far bottom corner. As the hosts pushed forward in search of a goal, substitute Ben Clark sealed the win with a strike in stoppage time, putting Saints firmly in control of the tie. UEFA Europa League and Conference League ...

Dutch side Vitesse Arnhem earned a deserved win in the Europa Conference League. With players such as Harry Kane and Son Heung-min rested, Tottenham fielded a different starting eleven to the one who beat Newcastle in the Premier League on Sunday and they lacked rhythm in a poor performance. Vitesse finished fourth in the Eredivisie last season and created the better opportunities. This sell-out crowd when Wittek finally made their dominance count. You can watch the highlights in the video below.  The Spurs boss Nuno told the media after the match: "The Europa Conference League is like this; there are always tough moments. "We have got two home games left and I truly believe they can help us solve the group." Click here for more Tottenham news This was the second game in this busy period and it was clearly given a lower priority in an important week. This was proven by the relatively inexperienced team chosen. They go to rivals West Ham in the Premier League on Sunday...

Cercle Brugge 1 - 0 Kilmarnock (Cercle Brugge won 2-1 on aggregate) Before the match, Bruges was awash in blue and white as 2,500 Kilmarnock fans flocked to the city. However, there was no European triumph for the Ayrshire men, who fell to a 1-0 defeat against Cercle Brugge, losing 2-1 on aggregate in their Europa League second qualifying round tie. The matchwinner for the hosts was Thibo Somers, who capitalised on a defensive mix-up by Liam Donnelly and Lewis Mayo to score in a scrappy affair at the Jan Breydelstadion. Despite the defeat, the travelling fans had something to cheer about early in the second half when Robby McCrorie saved a Kevin Denkey penalty. Kilmarnock, despite their efforts, couldn’t find a breakthrough and will now move to the Europa Conference League, facing Norwegian side Tromso in the third qualifying round, with the home leg at Rugby Park next Thursday. Derek McInnes made two changes to the side from the first leg, with last season's top scorer Marley ...

It has been an interesting few days at the London Stadium West Ham have parted ways with manager Julen Lopetegui after just six months at the helm, with reports suggesting Graham Potter is in discussions to replace him. Author - William G   The former West Ham boss after a defeat to Villa earlier in the season The 58-year-old former Wolves boss was appointed in May after David Moyes’ departure but only officially began his tenure on 1 July. During Lopetegui’s time in charge, the Hammers managed just six Premier League wins. Saturday’s 4-1 defeat to Manchester City marked their ninth loss in 20 league games this season, leaving the club 14th in the table, just seven points above the relegation zone. Talks have reportedly taken place with Graham Potter, the ex-Chelsea and Brighton manager, over taking the job on a short-term basis. How did we reach this point? West Ham's next match is an FA Cup third-round clash against Aston Villa on Friday. The pressure on Lopetegui began to mou...

 AC Milan 1 - 1 Feyenoord (Feyenoord won 2-1 on aggregate) AC Milan’s Champions League campaign came to a crushing end as they were held to a draw by Feyenoord in the second leg of their knockout play-off at the San Siro. Author - Jack L Stadium - San Siro The Rossoneri had the perfect start, overturning their 1-0 first-leg deficit within just 36 seconds. Santiago Giménez, facing his former club, scored the fastest goal of this season’s Champions League, reigniting Milan’s hopes of progression. However, their chances took a major hit when Theo Hernández was sent off in the 51st minute after picking up a second yellow card. Feyenoord capitalised on their numerical advantage, with substitute Julián Carranza heading in the decisive goal in the 73rd minute, sealing a 2-1 aggregate victory for the Dutch side. The last-16 draw on Friday will determine whether Feyenoord will face Inter Milan or Arsenal next month. Champions League: 2024/2025 More news from Feyenoord can be found here ...

St Mirren 2 - 1 Rangers  Caolan Boyd-Munce’s last-gasp screamer ensured Rangers finished Boxing Day 12 points behind league leaders Celtic. Author - Mark Lee The visitors endured a dismal first half, with Jack Butland clumsily fouling Greg Kiltie, allowing Oisin Smyth to calmly slot the resulting penalty past the former England goalkeeper. Stephen Robinson’s St Mirren impressed with their aggression, intensity, and defensive organisation, but the half-time introductions of Nicolas Raskin and Danilo injected much-needed energy into Rangers’ performance. Brazilian striker Danilo equalised from close range moments after being denied at a similar distance by goalkeeper Ellery Balcombe. However, Philippe Clement’s side couldn’t capitalise, and their hopes of rescuing a point were dashed when substitute Boyd-Munce rifled in a stunning 93rd-minute strike from 20 yards. No title for Rangers in 2025? This defeat halts Rangers’ recent momentum and leaves their faint title hopes hanging b...

Tottenham Hotspur 3 - 0 Qarabag Tottenham kicked off their Europa League campaign with an impressive win against Qarabag, despite being reduced to 10 men just seven minutes into the match. This was great preparation as Spurs will face an important few weeks in different competitions. For this match, there was a 35-minute delay to the start due to various travel disruptions across London. A closer look at what happened Spurs suffered an early setback when defender Radu Dragusin was sent off for a last-man foul on Juninho, who was through on goal. Nevertheless, five minutes later Brennan Johnson found the net, capitalising on Qarabag's sloppy attempt to play out from the back. Dominic Solanke set up the 23-year-old, who calmly slotted the ball into the bottom corner, marking his third goal in as many games. Tottenham doubled their lead in the 52nd minute through Pape Sarr, who controlled a loose ball at the far post before firing it home. Qarabag were awarded a penalty just three...

Viktoria Plzeň 1 - 0 Hearts After overcoming a shaky start and edging towards a commendable goalless draw in the Czech Republic, Hearts' hopes were dashed when Daniel Oyegoke accidentally turned a late cross into his own net. Plzen's Cadu delivered a dangerous ball into the box, which caught Oyegoke off guard. The Hearts defender could only watch in dismay as the ball struck his thigh and sailed into the corner of the net. It was a bitterly frustrating conclusion, especially as Hearts had grown into the match, standing toe-to-toe with their more seasoned Czech opponents , who were competing in Europe for the 15th consecutive season. Lawrence Shankland came close with two shots from the edge of the box just before half-time, and Kenneth Vargas missed two opportunities when a cooler head was needed. However, solid goalkeeping and resilient defending kept Hearts in the game and nearly secured them a vital draw. UEFA Europa League and Conference League (eurosuperfootball.blogsp...

Shamrock Rovers 0 - 1 Molde (Finished 1-1 on aggregate) Molde won 5-4 on penalties Shamrock Rovers’ European adventure came to a cruel end at Tallaght Stadium as they suffered a 5-4 defeat on penalties to Molde in the play-off round of the UEFA Conference League. Author - Greg S The decisive moment came when Aaron Greene, taking Rovers’ third penalty, saw his effort saved – the only miss of the shootout. Molde, who had played the entirety of extra time with 10 men following Isak Amundsen’s red card, held their nerve from the spot to progress. Earlier, Magnus Wolff Eikrem had scored the only goal of the night, cancelling out Rovers’ slender 1-0 advantage from the first leg. Sixteen-year-old Michael Noonan had been the hero in Norway, but his strike ultimately wasn’t enough to carry the Irish side through. Rovers’ lead lasted just 10 minutes as a disastrous defensive mix-up gifted Molde an equaliser. A hopeful ball over the top was left to bounce, and hesitation between Lee Grace and goa...