Underdogs Steal the Show on a Wild Europa League Night
The UEFA Europa League served up another thrilling night as away victories stole the headlines. Lille silenced Roma in Italy, while Midtjylland spoiled Nottingham Forest’s homecoming to European football. Aston Villa, Braga, Porto and others also delivered statement wins in a packed Matchday 2.
Lille punish Roma’s early slip
Roma’s strong home record in the Europa League came crashing down with a 1-0 loss to Lille. Hákon Arnar Haraldsson took advantage of a defensive error inside six minutes to give the visitors the lead. Roma pushed for an equaliser and even had a late lifeline with a penalty, but Berke Özer stood tall to deny Matías Soulé twice from the spot.
Forest fall to Danish underdogs
At the City Ground, Midtjylland shocked Nottingham Forest in a five-goal thriller. Ousmane Diao struck first for the visitors, only for Dan Ndoye to quickly level. A corner saw Mads Bech restore the Danish side’s advantage before Valdemar Andreasen added a third on the counter. Chris Wood’s late penalty wasn’t enough to save Forest, as Midtjylland held on for a famous 3-2 win.
Villa strong at De Kuip
Aston Villa left Rotterdam smiling after a 2-0 victory over Feyenoord. Emiliano Buendía curled in a superb opener just after the hour mark, and captain John McGinn doubled the lead following a driving run from Donyell Malen. Feyenoord had earlier chances but couldn’t find a way past stand-in keeper Marco Bizot.
Braga too sharp for Celtic
Braga made it two wins from two with a clinical display in Glasgow. Ricardo Horta opened the scoring with a long-range strike in the 20th minute, and though Celtic pressed hard after halftime, they couldn’t beat Lukáš Horníček. The Portuguese side sealed victory late on when Gabri Martínez bundled in from close range.
Elsewhere around Europe
Fenerbahçe edged Nice 2-1 thanks to a double from Kerem Aktürkoğlu, with his second goal marking the club’s 400th in European competition. Go Ahead Eagles celebrated their first-ever Europa League win, turning the tables on Panathinaikos with two quick goals from Milan Smit. Porto struck late again, Rodrigo Mora netting in the 89th minute to sink Crvena Zvezda. Viktoria Plzeň, Real Betis, Young Boys, Lyon, Dinamo Zagreb, Basel and Sturm Graz were also among the winners on a night full of drama.
