Europa Conference League: Basel, Fiorentina and Poznan all go through thanks to home wins
Basel - Trabzonspor 2-0
A first-half strike from Zeki Amdouni and a speculative goal from Andi Zeqiri allowed FC Basel to eliminate Trabzonspor at St. Jakob-Park, securing their progression to the next round of the Europa Conference League via a 2-1 win on aggregate.
Trabzonspor looked better in the early stages of the contest, and Anastasios Bakasetas represented the team’s biggest threat in the final yards, but their supremacy meant nothing when Basel broke the deadlock inside the opening 15 minutes. Zeki Amdouni was the hero for the home crowd, as he took advantage of an excellent cross from Michael Lang to find the back of the net and put the RotBlau on top.
The hosts had the perfect chance to even things up when Bakasetas stepped up to take a penalty, but his effort flew wide with Basel’s goalkeeper Marwin Hitz absolutely beaten.
The visitors might have had ample possession and created the bulk of the real chances, though Basel were more dangerous when it mattered. They came close to doubling their lead before the halfitime break, but Amdouni’s header from close range went inches away, keeping the tie on a knife edge.
Trabzonspor upped the intensity after the break, and their approach nearly paid off a couple of times, before the Super Lig outfit were given a penalty just four minutes into the second half. However, referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz reversed the call following a VAR check.
The referee would be at centre stage once again soon after when Stefano Denswil apparently equalised for Trabzonspor in the 61st minute, but the goal was ruled out due to an offside after another VAR check.
Despite being made to sweat, Basel finished the tie when Zeqiri slotted home a rebound from close range just 15 minutes from time. Zeqiri’s 10th goalscoring appearance of the season turned the tables on the aggregate score completely and allowed Basel to advance to the next round, while Trabzonspor’s wait for a maiden European trophy in 55 years of existence goes on.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Zeki Amdouni (Basel)
Fiorentina - Braga 3-2
Fiorentina came from behind to beat Braga 3-2 on the night, as La Viola won their knockout play-off round tie 7-2 on aggregate.
As Brage temporarily left behind the iconic Estadio Municipal de Braga and the quarry it was built into, they were faced with a mountain to climb if they were to overturn the heaviest European home defeat in their history.
There were a combined 15 changes from the first leg, and Andre Castro, one of nine incoming Braga players, displayed wonderful technique with his strike from outside the box to open the scoring 17 minutes in and offer the Portuguese outfit some hope.
Fiorentina looked deeply unsettled, and having already seen one ambitious effort saved, Alvaro Djalo hit an absolute beauty that flew past Salvatore Sirigu on the goalkeeper’s first competitive appearance of the season.
However, just as thoughts of a Braga comeback became somewhat realistic, Rolando Mandragora latched onto Giacomo Bonaventura’s ball to conjure a shot that spun off Joe Mendes and trickled into the net. Two impressive headers from Sikou Niakate and Tiago Sa’s save to stop Nicolas Gonzalez ensured Braga at least remained ahead on the night going into the break.
In a bizarre turn of events after the restart, goal-line technology suggested that Arthur Cabral’s instinctive finish had crossed the line, but referee Benoit Bastien adjudged that Sa had done enough to make a heroic save following a lengthy VAR check.
Riccardo Saponara ensured there was no doubt when he applied a composed finish to a sweeping move fronted by Bonaventura, with three of the 31-year-old’s four goals this season having arrived in 2023.
Bonaventura completed his hat-trick of assists as Cabral finally got his fourth goal in three appearances and put Fiorentina ahead on the night, as La Viola enter the draw for the Round of 16 and recorded their sixth consecutive UECL win.
Meanwhile, Braga restore some honour after their first-leg capitulation and will now push for the Primeira Liga’s second automatic Champions League group stage spot, having only lost one of their last six across all competitions.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Giacomo Bonaventura (Fiorentina)
Lech Poznan - Bodo/Glimt 1-0
Lech Poznan progressed to their first appearance in the last 16 of any UEFA-organised competition since the 1990/91 European Cup campaign, following a 1-0 victory over FK Bodo/Glimt.
Failing to register a shot on target in last week’s first-leg clash, Lech Poznan still looked far from thawed out from their jaunt into the Arctic Circle early on, as Bodo goalkeeper Julian Faye Lund remained untroubled in the opening quarter-hour.
Meanwhile, Bodo/Glimt – still rather rusty in only their second competitive match of 2023 – had to wait until the 21st minute to register their first meaningful attempt on goal, as Faris Moumbagna fired his effort disappointingly wide.
With halftime on the horizon, referee Nikola Dabanovic found himself the busiest man on the pitch, amid a lack of significant goalscoring opportunities at either end of the pitch. Both sides put in several undisciplined challenges in what was quickly shaping up to be another forgettable affair between these two sides.
Unbeaten at home throughout their seven-match European journey of 2022/23, the hosts should have been ahead early after the break, only for Lund to pull off a sublime save to prevent Adriel Ba Loua from breaking the deadlock.
However, Bodo’s number one was helpless to prevent Lech Poznan from finally taking the lead five minutes later, as Mikael Ishak authoritatively slotted home Joel Pereira’s pin-point cross for his fifth goal across this season’s UECL campaign.
Staring at the prospect of exiting the competition unless his side could find the back of the net in the final quarter-hour of regular time, Bodo manager Kjetil Knutsen rolled the substitutional dice by introducing Runar Espejord and Nino Zugelj into the fray. However, Knutsen’s changes proved ultimately to be in vain, as Lech Poznan remained in pole position to register the victory.
The defending Polish league champions will not have to wait long to find out who they will face in the next round, as the draw is scheduled to take place in Nyon tomorrow afternoon.
In contrast, Bodo/Glimt missed the opportunity to make successive appearances in the last 16 of the UECL, after extending their winless European away record to 10 matches.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Mikael Ishak (Lech Poznan)
Gent - Qarabag 1-0 (5-3 pen.)
Gent defeated Qarabag on penalties after a 1-0 victory in the second leg of their play-off tie to qualify for the last 16 of a continental competition for the first time in six years.
Qarabag came into the game unbeaten in their last six matches and made a strong start to the game, almost taking the lead inside the first two minutes. Defender Bahlul Mustafazada was the man who nearly grabbed the all-important second goal of the tie, but was denied a first European goal by the crossbar.
The first half had few chances for either side, with neither outfit able to properly test the opposition goalkeeper, meaning it was still all to play for after the interval.
Last season, Gent exited this competition after losing the first leg 1-0 in the round of 16, and they were therefore looking to avoid a similar turn of events here. The Belgian outfit started the second half on a much more positive note, and they almost got their reward when Laurent Depoitre played in Nurio Fortuna, but he drilled his powerful effort narrowly wide of the near post.
The home side continued to press in search of their first goal of the tie and came within inches of it when Depoitre rose highest to head towards the goal from Sven Kums' cross, but his header went narrowly over the bar.
Gent's persistence paid off in the end when they took the lead with twenty minutes to play. Substitute Gift Orban came on to poke home from inside the six-yard box just minutes after coming on, getting on the end of a wonderful header across goal from Michael Ngadeu-Ngadjui following Kums free-kick.
After 90 minutes, the score across the two legs remained level at 1-1, so the game headed into extra time. However, the scrappy nature of the game continued throughout the additional half-hour and, as nothing continued to separate the two teams, a penalty shoot-out ensued.
Both sides executed their penalties in clinical fashion until Yassine Benzia saw his spot-kick saved by Davy Roef, leaving the deciding penalty to 22-year-old Cederick Van Daele. Despite his inexperience, the forward stepped up and fired into the side netting to send extend the Belgians’ European journey this campaign.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Julien De Sart (KAA Gent)