Roma fell 1-2 to Viktoria Plzen, PAOK defeated Lille 4-3
The Europa League matches on the morning of October 24th saw many shocking results: Nottingham Forest beat Porto 2-0, Salzburg lost 2-3 to Ferencvarosi, Maccabi Tel Aviv suffered a 0-3 defeat to Midtjylland. A total of 53 goals were scored in 18 matches, including 6 away wins.
A night of turmoil in Europe. In the 2025/26 UEFA Europa League – qualifying round, Roma lost 1-2 at the Olimpico against Viktoria Plzen, Lille entered the 7-goal chase but fell 3-4 to PAOK, and Porto succumbed 0-2 at Nottingham Forest. At the same time, Red Bull Salzburg lost 2-3 to Ferencvarosi and Maccabi Tel Aviv lost 0-3 when hosting Midtjylland. Those results shaped a round of 18 matches with 53 goals (average 2.94 goals/match) and 6 wins for the away teams.
Europa League developments and highlights
The 23:45 and 02:00 time slots both recorded three away wins, with the big “boosts” coming from PAOK at Lille (4-3), Viktoria Plzen at Roma (2-1) and Midtjylland at Tel Aviv (3-0). Nottingham Forest kept a clean sheet to beat Porto 2-0, while Brann thrashed G.Rangers 3-0 and Feyenoord defeated Panathinaikos 3-1 in emotional encounters.
Of the 18 matches, 7 ended with a difference of 2 goals or more and 9 teams kept a clean sheet. The rest were tight matches with minimal scores, showing caution and effectiveness in defense in many matches.
Remarkable results
- Roma 1-2 Viktoria Plzen: a significant home defeat for the Italian side.
- Lille 3-4 PAOK Thessaloniki: the match with the most goals in the round.
- Nottingham Forest 2-0 Porto: victory and clean sheet for the English representative.
- Red Bull Salzburg 2-3 Ferencvarosi: another home stumble.
- Maccabi Tel Aviv 0-3 Midtjylland: big win for the away team.
Europa League score overview
| Match | Score | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Brann - G.Rangers | 3-0 | Home team won, kept a clean sheet |
| FCSB - Bologna | 1-2 | Away team wins |
| Fenerbahce - Stuttgart | 1-0 | Home team won, kept a clean sheet |
| Feyenoord - Panathinaikos | 3-1 | Home team wins |
| Go Ahead Eagles - Aston Villa | 1-2 | Away team wins |
| KRC Genk - Real Betis | 0-0 | Draw, both sides kept clean sheets |
| Lyon - Basel | 2-0 | Home team won, kept a clean sheet |
| Red Bull Salzburg - Ferencvarosi | 2-3 | Away team wins |
| Braga - Crvena Zvezda | 2-0 | Home team won, kept a clean sheet |
| Roma - Viktoria Plzen | 1-2 | Away team wins |
| Celta Vigo - Nice | 2-1 | Home team wins |
| Celtic - Sturm Graz | 2-1 | Home team wins |
| Lille - PAOK Thessaloniki | 3-4 | Away team wins |
| Maccabi Tel Aviv - Midtjylland | 0-3 | The away team won and kept a clean sheet. |
| Malmo - Dinamo Zagreb | 1-1 | Peace |
| Nottingham Forest - Porto | 2-0 | Home team won, kept a clean sheet |
| Freiburg - Utrecht | 2-0 | Home team won, kept a clean sheet |
| Young Boys - Ludogorets Razgrad | 3-2 | Home team wins |
Conference League: unexpectedly extended
The 2025/26 UEFA Conference League – the qualifying round was also full of events. AEK Athens beat Aberdeen 6-0, while Crystal Palace surprisingly lost 0-1 to AEK Larnaca. Legia Warsaw won 2-1 at Shakhtar Donetsk, Lincoln Red Imps beat Lech Poznan 2-1 and Samsunspor beat Dinamo Kiev 3-0. Rapid Wien lost 0-3 to Fiorentina, while AZ Alkmaar beat Slovan Bratislava 1-0. The Rijeka - Sparta Praha match was postponed. There were 36 goals in 16 matches (2.25 goals/match).
Number angle and impact
- Europa League: 18 matches, 53 goals, average 2.94 goals/match.
- 6 away wins, split evenly between 23:45 and 02:00.
- 7/18 matches had a difference of 2 goals or more; 9 teams kept a clean sheet.
In the qualifying format, every point counts: away wins like those of PAOK, Viktoria Plzen or Midtjylland are crucial in the race for places. Conversely, slip-ups like those of Roma, Porto, Salzburg or Lille mean they need to react strongly in the next rounds.
Notable in other continents
AFC Champions League 2025/26: Hanoi Police drew 1-1 with Macarthur FC, bringing home 1 point in the group stage.
