Key events
A bit of half-time reading
Europa League half-times
AZ Alkmaar 2-1 Galatasaray
Mijnans 12, Parrott 36 pen; Sallai 20
Porto 0-1 Roma
Celik 45+5
PAOK 1-0 FCSB
Samatta 21
Twente 1-0 Bodo/Glimt
Ltaief 5
45+5 min: PAOK 1-0 FCSB (Taison sent off) PAOK are down to 10 men. Taison has been given a second yellow card for dissent, prompting unapologetic celebrations from some of the FCSB players!
GOAL! Porto 0-1 Roma (Celik 45+5 min)
Roma lead on the stroke of half time! Alexis Saelemaekers’ low cross from the right was half blocked at the near post and broke for Zeki Celik, who cracked it past Diogo Costa. Celik had been involved earlier in the move and just kept running.
45 min: AZ Alkmaar 2-1 Galatasaray “Troy Parrott isn’t on loan at AZ,” writes Jamie Smith. “Excelsior last season was a loan. He had a good season but they went down and AZ bought him from us (Spurs).
Ach, my mistake. Thanks for pointing it out.
A quick reminder of the teams who have already qualified for the last 16 of the Europa League: Lazio, Athletic Bilbao, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, Eintracht Frankfurt, Lyon, Olympiacos and Rangers.
39 min: Porto 0-0 Roma The luckless Paulo Dybala has gone off with what looks like a knee injury. He’s able to walk off but he’s pretty distressed and has the body language of a man who knows it’s more than just a knock. Tommaso Baldanzi replaces him.
35 min: PAOK 1-0 FCSB PAOK have had a goal disallowed for offside after making a mess of a three-on-one break. Samatta scored from an offside position but the chap who passed the ball to him (not sure who it was) was through on goal and could have scored himself.
GOAL! AZ Alkmaar 2-1 Galatasaray (Parrott 37 pen)
Baris Yilmaz concedes a penalty with a preposterous tackle on Seiya Maikuma. Republic of Ireland striker Troy Parrott, on loan for Tottenham, calmly sits Muslera down and passes the ball into the net.
32 min: FC Twente 1-0 Bodo/Glimt The Bodo/Glimt keeper Nikita Haikin has just made a stunning save, leaping to his right to brush a screamer from Daan Rots onto the crossbar. There won’t be a better save tonight.
Europa League latest
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AZ Alkmaar 1-1 Galatasaray
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Porto 0-0 Roma
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PAOK 1-0 FCSB
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Twente 1-0 Bodo/Glimt
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Fenerbahce 3-0 Anderlecht (FT)
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Ferencvaros 1-0 Plzen (FT)
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Midtjylland 1-2 Real Sociedad (FT)
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Union SG 0-2 Ajax (FT)
31 min: Porto 0-0 Roma “Lots of empty seats at Porto,” says Joe Pearson. “I don’t understand how they can’t fill the house for a European tie against Roma. Or am I out of touch with pricing and travel? Odd.”
I’m not certain but I think this is a fairly standard attendance for the Estadio do Dragao. Talking of which, Lorenzo Pellegrini has just missed a presentable chance for Roma.
26 min: AZ Alkmaar 1-1 Galatasaray Ernest Poku has missed an excellent chance to restore Alkmaar’s lead, lobbing the ball over Fernando Muslera and onto the roof of the net.
GOAL! PAOK 1-0 FCSB (Samatta 21)
The home side are ahead in Greece. Mbwana Samatta, who had a short spell at Aston Villa in 2020, has finished smartly from about 10 yards.
GOAL! AZ Alkmaar 1-1 Galatasaray (Sallai 20)
Another cracking goal in Alkmaar. Roland Sallai runs onto a loose ball, 20 yards out, and cuts across a sizzling strike that is too hot for the Alkmaar keeper Rome-Jayden Owusu-Oduro. He gets a hand to it but can only help it into the net.
Europa League latest
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AZ Alkmaar 1-0 Galatasaray
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Porto 0-0 Roma
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PAOK 0-0 FCSB
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Twente 1-0 Bodo/Glimt
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Fenerbahce 3-0 Anderlecht (FT)
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Ferencvaros 1-0 Plzen (FT)
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Midtjylland 1-2 Real Sociedad (FT)
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Union SG 0-2 Ajax (FT)
GOAL! AZ Alkmaar 1-0 Galatasaray (Mijnans 13)
A stunning free-kick from Sven Mijnans, totally unsaveable, has put Alkmaar ahead against Galatasaray. That was as near to the perfect free-kick as dammit: 25 yards out, slightly to the left of centre, curled into the top corner at the near post with his left foot.
GOAL! Twente 1-0 Bodo/Glimt (Ltaief 5)
An early goal in Enschede. Sayfallah Ltaief showed serious pace to run onto a speculative long ball, hold off a defender and drag a precise shot back in to the far corner.
“Víkingur Reykjavík were well worth their 2-1 win over Panathinaikos in Helsinki,” writes Kári Tulinius. “With Icelandic weather being what it is, there were no grounds in suitable condition in Reykjavík. But they took a sizable contingent with them, who were in fine voice, even as the fans had to suffer through a couple of interminable VAR checks. At the end the Icelanders were much likelier to add a third than Panathinaikos equalising.”
The 8pm games are under way, including the tie of the round in Portugal: Porto v Roma. The Porto coach Martin Anselmi, 39, is 34 years younger than Roma head coach Claudio Ranieri.
Europa League results (5.45pm kick-offs)
Fenerbahce, Real Sociedad and Ajax are all in excellent positions going into the second leg. Highlights include a storming goal from Real’s Takefusa Kubo and a marvellous volley from another 16-year-old, Ajax’s Jorthy Mokio.
Full time: Molde 0-1 Shamrock Rovers
A goal from Michael Noonan, 16, has given Shamrock Rovers a famous victory in Norway! Noonan was also the player fouled when Valdemar Lund was sent off just before half-time. Extraordinary stuff.
These are the other results in the early Conference League playoffs.
90 min: Fenerbahce 3-0 Anderlecht Jose Mourinho is squatting theatrically on the touchline. Don’t ask me why.
85 min: Union SG 0-2 Ajax Davy Klaassen has just made a crucial goalline clearance to keep Ajax 2-0 in front. That would be a super result to take back to Amsterdam.
Europa League latest
There’s around 10 minutes to play in each game. And, yes, Shamrock Rovers still lead 1-0 away to 10-man Molde in their Conference League playoff.
“Just look at those match-ups!” coos Matt Dony. “Yes, the Champions League has the glamour, but tonight is a football hipster’s feverish dream! I think I’ll put on some vinyl, drink some ridiculously over-priced coffee, stroke my beard, and start googling prices for fixie bikes. Magnificent.”
All together now: A night online with your mates and it’s f– well, never mind.
(NB: Clip contains adult language. Yeah?)
GOAL! Union SG 0-2 Ajax (Mokio 71)
Ajax may have unearthed another gem. Jorthy Mokio, 16, has scored a gorgeous goal in Belgium. A corner was headed away to the edge of the area, where Mokio calmly steered a volley into the bottom corner as if it was the most routine thing in the world. Kevin De Bruyne would have been proud of that finish.
PAOK v FCSB team news
PAOK Kotarski, Jonny Otto, Kedziora, Michailidis, Baba, Meite, Schwab, Pelkas, Konstantelias, Taison, Samatta.
Substitutes: Balomenos, Tsiftsis, Camara, Chalov, Zivkovic, Colley, Sastre, Thymianis, Ozdoev, Shoretire, Thomas Llamas, Despodov.
FCSB Tarnovanu, Cretu, Ngezana, Mihai Popescu, Radunovic, Chiriches, Sut, Miculescu, Cisotti, Tanase, Birligea.
Substitutes: Udrea, Zima, Dawa, Stefanescu, Edjouma, Baluta, Pantea, Musi, Alhassan, Gheorghita.
Referee Lawrence Visser (Belgium)
Europa League latest
GOAL! Union SG 0-1 Ajax (Rasmussen 59)
Ajax lead in Belgium. A fine, end-to-end move was finished off beautifully by Christian Rasmussen, who clipped a first-time shot into the far corner from 19 yards.
GOAL! Fenerbache 3-0 Anderlecht (En-Nesyri 57)
It’s all going swimmingly for Jose Mourinho. Youssef En-Nesyri has put Fenerbahce 3-0 ahead with a mighty header from Sebastian Szymanski’s cross. He was about 15 yards out and powered it into the bottom corner at the near post.
GOAL! Molde 0-1 Shamrock Rovers (Noonan 57)
Michael Noonan, the 16-year-old debutant, has put Shamrock Rovers ahead in Norway! What a beautiful moment this is. Dylan Watts nicked the ball off Mats Moller Daehli in the Molde area and slid a low cross that was turned in to the empty net by Noonan. Oh, football, you old charmer.
Twente v Bodo/Glimt team news
Twente Unnerstall, van Rooij, Hilgers, Lagerbielke, Kuipers, Vlap, Sadilek, Rots, Steijn, Ltaief, van Wolfswinkel.
Substitutes: Karssies, Kjolo, Tyton, Booth, Lammers, Van Hoorenbeeck, Mesbahi, Kuster, Verschueren, Unuvar, Bruns.
Bodo/Glimt Haikin, Sjovold, Nielsen, Gundersen, Bjorkan, Evjen, Berg, Saltnes, Blomberg, Hogh, Hauge.
Substitutes: Lund, Brondbo, Wembangomo, Auklend, Fet, Helmersen, Maatta, Sorli, Bro Hansen, Mikkelsen, Kjaer.
Referee Sebastian Gishamer (Austria)
Porto v Roma team news
Porto Costa, Djalo, Nehuen Perez, Otavio, Joao Mario, Stephen Eustaquio, Varela, Moura, Borges, Mora, Aghehowa.
Substitutes: Claudio Ramos, Marcano, William, Vieira, Pepe, Sanusi, Cardoso Sousa, Loader, Andre Franco, Tomas Perez, Gul, Ze Pedro.
Roma Svilar, Celik, Mancini, N’Dicka, Saelemaekers, Kone, Cristante, Pellegrini, Angelino, Dybala, Dovbyk.
Substitutes: De Marzi, Gollini, Abdulhamid, Shomurodov, Hummels, Paredes, Soule, Nelsson, Baldanzi, Pisilli, Sangare, El Shaarawy.
Referee Tobias Stieler (Germany).
AZ Alkmaar v Galatasaray team news
AZ Alkmaar Owuso-Oduro, Maikuma, Goes, Penetra, Wolfe, Clasie, Mijnans, Koopmeiners, Poku, Parrott, Lahdo.
Substitutes: Verhulst, Zoet, Martins Indi, Dekker, Smit, Buurmeester, Kasius, de Wit, Daal, van Duijn.
Galatasaray Muslera, Ayhan, Cuesta, Bardakci, Jelert, Mertens, Kutlu, Gabriel Sara, Sallai, Morata, Baris Yilmaz.
Substitutes: Guvenc, Jankat Yilmaz, Demirbay, Demir, Subasi, Lus, Kocak, Balta, Akman, Baltaci.
Referee Joao Pedro Pinheiro (Portugal)
Conference League
Shamrock Rovers have a chance of a shock win in Norway. They’re drawing 0-0 at half-time, but Molde are down to 10 men after Valdemar Lund received a straight red card for a last-man foul on 16-year-old Michael Noonan.
Half-time scores
Fenerbahce and Real Sociedad, two contenders to win the Europa League, are in good positions after a quarter of their playoff ties.
Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce have had some hairy moments against a lively Anderlecht but lead 2-0 through Dusan Tadic and Edin Dzeko. In truth it could easily be 2-2.
Sociedad lead in Denmark against Midtjylland, as do Robbie Keane’s Ferencvaros at home to Viktoria Plzen. Sociedad’s second goal, slammed in by Takefusa Kubo, was a thing of beauty.
Ajax’s match away to Union SG is goalless, though Ajax came within millimetres of taking an early lead after a goalmouth scramble. The goalline technology showed the ball was exceptionally close to crossing the line..
Fenerbahce 2-0 Anderlecht
Tadic 11, Dzeko 43
Ferencvaros 1-0 Plzen
Abu Fani 23
Midtjylland 1-2 Real Sociedad
Buksa 38; Mendez 11 (pen), Kubo 31
Union SG 0-0 Ajax
Read Ben McAleer’s previews
Porto v Roma, 8pm
This is probably the standout tie of the round, but neither team has been at their best this season. Porto will hope to improve on a run of one win in their last eight games when they welcome Roma to the Estádio do Dragão. The Portuguese side are now under the management of the 39-year-old Argentinian Martín Anselmi, who has sought to implement a three-man backline since taking over from Vítor Bruno last month.
Porto are out of contention in the Primeira Liga and out of the Taça de Portugal, so are looking to the Europa League to save their season. Marko Grujic, Iván Marcano and Martim Fernandes will miss the Roma game with injury, but the main blow to their chances is Nico González’s €60m move to Manchester City on deadline day.
Roma have no injury or suspension worries but they have been poor on the road this season. Their narrow 1-0 victory at Venezia at the weekend was justtheir second away win in all competitions in 2024-25. It has been a tough year for the club, who have employed four managers in the last 14 months. Claudio Ranieri came out of retirement to lead his boyhood club in November and would dearly love to finish his career with some European silverware. Prediction: Roma to progress.
Preamble
Good evening and welcome to a proud moment in Guardian News & Media history: our first Europa League playoff clockwatch of the 2024-25 season.
It doesn’t quite have the heavyweight feel of the Champions League games earlier in the week but there are still some big games involving potential winners of the competition. These are tonight’s games, with the second legs to follow a week tonight.
5.45pm kick-offs
8pm
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Alkmaar v Galatasaray
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FC Porto v AS Roma
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PAOK v FCSB
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Twente v Bodo/Glimt
