Roma and Aston Villa lost 1-2, Nottingham won historic
Europa League 2025/26 Round 3: Roma and Aston Villa lose 1-2 to Plzen and Go Ahead Eagles; Nottingham Forest beat Porto 2-0, first European win since 1996.
A night of drama in the Europa League saw both English and Italian contenders suffer bitter defeats, while the City Ground exploded after nearly three decades of waiting. AS Roma fell 2-1 to Viktoria Plzen at the Olimpico despite Paulo Dybala reaching 200 career goals from the penalty spot. In the Netherlands, Aston Villa took the lead but lost 2-1 to Go Ahead Eagles after a missed penalty. Nottingham Forest, on the other hand, beat Porto 2-0 in a perfect debut for manager Sean Dyche, marking his first European victory since 1996.
Roma and Aston Villa both stumble at the threshold of pressure
Roma 1-2 Viktoria Plzen: Dybala's 200th goal couldn't save Olimpico
Olimpico were quiet in the first half. Viktoria Plzen created a big shock with two quick goals from Prince Kwabena Adu and Cheick Souaré, leaving Roma chasing. Dybala rekindled hope with a successful penalty – his 200th career goal – but that was all the home team could muster against a resilient and disciplined Plzen defense.
From a tactical perspective, Roma were forced to push up after the break, but Plzen's dense defensive layers meant that central combinations lacked dynamism. The Italian side's effectiveness in the final third of the pitch dropped, while Plzen managed the game well, preserving their advantage by closing down space and limiting errors in the penalty area.
Go Ahead Eagles 2-1 Aston Villa: Leading then collapsing due to psychological hinge
Aston Villa started on the right note with Guessand opening the scoring. But the second half was a Go Ahead Eagles comeback: Mathis Suray equalised, before captain Mats Deijl sealed a 2-1 win. The turning point came at the penalty spot – Buendía missed a golden opportunity, which broke Villa’s momentum.
The game changed dramatically after the missed penalty: Villa had to push forward, leaving space behind. Go Ahead Eagles took full advantage of the transitional moments to punish. Mentally, the defeat exposed the fragility of the pressure control phase, when Villa could not finish off the opponent when in a position of advantage.
Nottingham Forest 2-0 Porto: City Ground explodes, Dyche makes perfect debut
Two penalties, one disciplined display
Returning to Europe after nearly three decades, Nottingham Forest chose a simple but effective approach: discipline and taking advantage of opportunities. In the 20th minute, Morgan Gibbs-White opened the scoring from the 11m mark after Bednarek handled the ball. In the 77th minute, Igor Jesus closed the match, also with a cool penalty kick. Porto were almost powerless to create clear chances against the solid defensive structure of the home team.
In terms of game management, Sean Dyche’s side maintained good line spacing, forcing Porto into multiple attacks and little threat to the box. The City Ground not only celebrated a 2-0 result, but also witnessed a clear identity in the new manager’s debut.
Key statistics and important developments
- AS Roma 1-2 Viktoria Plzen: Adu, Souaré scored in the first half; Dybala reduced the gap from the penalty spot (200th career goal).
- Go Ahead Eagles 2-1 Aston Villa: Guessand open the scoring for Villa; Suray, Deijl come back; Buendía misses penalty.
- Nottingham Forest 2-0 Porto: Gibbs-White penalty 20th minute; Igor Jesus penalty 77th minute; Porto deadlocked in front of disciplined defense.
- Fenerbahce 1-0 Stuttgart: Kerem Akturkoglu scored the only goal from the penalty spot; the Turkish representative temporarily leads the group.
| Match | Score | Goal scorer | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| AS Roma - Viktoria Plzen | 1-2 | Dybala (pen); Adu, Souaré | Plzen's two goals came in the first half |
| Go Ahead Eagles - Aston Villa | 2-1 | Guessand; Suray, Deijl | Buendía missed the penalty |
| Nottingham Forest - Porto | 2-0 | Gibbs-White (20' pen), Igor Jesus (77' pen) | Forest win first European trophy since 1996 |
| Fenerbahce - Stuttgart | 1-0 | Kerem Akturkoglu (pen) | Temporarily leading the table |
Impact and prospects
For Roma, defeat at the Olimpico showed that the decline has not stopped, especially in the ability to break down a low block. Aston Villa, after a bright start, need to quickly address weaknesses at pivotal moments – from the 11m mark to transitional defense. Nottingham Forest, on the other hand, sent a strong message of return: a disciplined structure, sharpness on penalties and the ability to control risks against experienced opponents like Porto.
Elsewhere, Fenerbahce secured a crucial 1-0 win over Stuttgart to temporarily top the group, increasing the pressure on their rivals. The third round of matches therefore not only caused a stir with unexpected results, but also reshaped the pace of the race in the Europa League 2025/26.
