Unlike the UEFA Europa League, where eliminated teams can drop down to the Conference League, there was no safety net on Thursday. In the UEFA Europa Conference League, it was do-or-die — the losers are out of Europe altogether.

And the casualties were significant. Some well-established names have bowed out earlier than expected: Austria Wien, Sheriff Tiraspol, HNK Hajduk Split, Partizan Belgrade, and Silkeborg IF all saw their European journeys come to a disappointing end.

But the biggest headline of the night? That belongs to San Marino’s very own football fairy tale.

Virtus AC, a club from one of Europe's smallest footballing nations, stunned FC Milsami of Moldova to reach the next round — an unprecedented achievement in the history of Sammarinese club football.

2025-26, Conference League

Day : 2025-08-14

"Egnatia" - "Olimpija Ljubljana" 2:4 (1:1)
Goals : Lushkja, 6 (1:0); Jelenkovic V., 32 (1:1); Marin A., 78 (1:2); Lushkja, 86 (2:2); Durdov, 99 (2:3); Blanco A., 107 (2:4)
Yellow Cards : Aliyev Z. 23 - Brest 60; Urbančič 104

"A.C. Virtus" - "Milsami" 3:0 (0:0)
Goals : Scappini, 58 (1:0); Buonocunto, 65 (2:0); Buonocunto, 79 (penalty) (3:0)
Yellow Cards : - Yoda A. 88

"Levadia" - "Differdange 03" 1:3 (0:0)
Goals : Buch A., 89 (0:1); Tambedou, 92 (1:1); Buch A., 105 (1:2)

"Linfield FC" - "Vikingur Gota" 2:0 (2:0)
Goals : Offord, 22 (1:0); Olsen A., 38 (own goal) (2:0)
Yellow Cards : - Olsen A. 13; Gregersen 27; Svensson 90

"Dundee United" - "Rapid Wien" 2:2 (2:0), shoot-out 4:5
Goals : Watters M., 25 (1:0); Watters M., 42 (penalty) (2:0); Antiste, 63 (own goal) (2:1); Kara E., 77 (2:2)
Yellow Cards : Keresztes 83; Kucherenko 86 - Raux Yao 41; Sangaré 68; Kara E. 86; Demir F-n 91; Grgic L. 115

"Ararat-Armenia" - "Sparta Prague" 1:2 (1:1)
Goals : Rrahmani Al., 23 (0:1); Palacios, 31 (penalty) (1:1); Krasniqi Er., 90 (1:2)
Yellow Cards : Palacios 79 - Rynes 28; Uchenna 61
Red cards : João Queirós 87' -

"Vaduz" - "AZ Alkmaar" 0:1 (0:0)
Goals : Parrott, 88 (penalty) (0:1)
Yellow Cards : Mack L. 13; Hoxha F. 86 - Daal 2; Buurmeester 46
Red cards : - Daal 7'

"NK Celje" - "Lugano" 2:4 (1:1)
Goals : Grgic, 13 (penalty) (0:1); Kovacevic Fr., 22 (1:1); Kvesić, 66 (2:1); Papadopoulos A., 69 (2:2); Steffen, 81 (2:3); Alioski, 84 (penalty) (2:4)
Yellow Cards : Karničnik 59 - Steffen 58; Grgic 62; Bislimi 74

"Neman" - "Klaksvik" 2:0 (0:0), shoot-out 5:4
Goals : Borubaev, 80 (1:0); Pantia, 84 (2:0)
Yellow Cards : Kozlov M. 76; Sadovnichiy 94; Evdokimov O. 97 - Rólantsson 88; Mikkelsen 107; Johannesen P. 120
Red cards : - Mikkelsen 113'

"Beitar Jerusalem" - "Riga FC" 3:1 (2:0)
Goals : Atzili, 6 (1:0); Muzi, 23 (2:0); Contreras, 86 (2:1); Kangani, 90 (3:1)
Yellow Cards : Mendy Ar. 34; Cohen 57 - Reginaldo 58; Galo 68; Ngom 70

"Brøndby IF" - "Vikingur" 4:0 (1:0)
Goals : Vallys, 45 (1:0); Vallys, 52 (2:0); Bundgaard F., 57 (3:0); Köhlert, 71 (4:0)
Yellow Cards : Binks 31; Wass 43; Divkovic 80 - Thorkelsson 45; Gunnarsson K-F. 62
Red cards : Bischoff 18' -

"Dinamo Tirana" - "HNK Hajduk" 3:1 (1:0)
Goals : Zabergja, 14 (1:0); Karacic, 99 (1:1); Qardaku, 109 (2:1); Berisha H., 111 (3:1)
Yellow Cards : - Sanyang 22, 78; Kalik 26; Rebic 105
Red cards : - Sanyang 78'

"Sheriff" - "Anderlecht" 1:1 (0:0)
Goals : Saliba, 72 (0:1); Odede, 81 (1:1)
Yellow Cards : Diarra Mam. 1; Dyulgerov 37; Bayala 79 - Stroeykens M-o 29; Degreef 55; Saliba 65; Hey Lu. 83; De Cat 90

"Astana" - "Lausanne-Sport" 0:2 (0:0)
Goals : Lekweiry, 48 (0:1); Diakite G., 66 (0:2)
Yellow Cards : Bašić І. 15; Vorogovskiy 41; Ebong 51, 86; Beisebekov 75 - NDiaye Papa 90
Red cards : Ebong 86' -

"Santa Clara" - "Larne" 0:0
Yellow Cards : Matheus Nunes 37; Costa J. P. 45; Ferreira Pe. 55 - McKendry 31; Bent D. 43

"AEK" - "Aris Limassol" 3:1 (0:0)
Goals : Marin R., 51 (penalty) (1:0); Kvilitaia, 62 (penalty) (1:1); Kutesa, 104 (2:1); Jovic, 109 (3:1)

"Omonia" - "Araz" 5:0 (4:0)
Goals : Semedo W., 9 (1:0); Jovetic S., 23 (2:0); Ewandro, 30 (3:0); Ewandro, 45 (4:0); Musialowski, 79 (5:0)
Yellow Cards : Kousoulos 70 -

"Shamrock Rovers" - "Ballkani" 4:0 (1:0)
Goals : Gaffney, 45 (1:0); Gaffney, 48 (2:0); Honohan, 55 (3:0); Burke, 67 (4:0)
Yellow Cards : Mândroiu 31; Healy M. 50; Nugent 74 - Halili 23

"Maccabi H" - "Raków" 0:2 (0:1)
Goals : Baráth, 45 (0:1); Diaby M.L., 76 (penalty) (0:2)
Yellow Cards : Eissat 31, 55; Haziza 41; Azoulay 85; Goldberg 90 -
Red cards : Eissat 55' -

"Győri ETO" - "AIK" 2:0 (1:0)
Goals : Gavric, 34 (1:0); Csongvai, 59 (own goal) (2:0)
Yellow Cards : - Beširović 40; Thychosen 43

"Jagiellonia" - "Silkeborg" 2:2 (2:0)
Goals : Imaz, 29 (1:0); Imaz, 35 (2:0); Berger S., 87 (2:1); Gammelby, 90 (2:2)
Yellow Cards : Wojtuszek 22; Romanczuk 44 - Freundlich 90

"Hibernian" - "Partizan" 2:3 (0:2)
Goals : Vukotić, 17 (0:1); Milosevic J., 44 (0:2); Bowie, 59 (1:2); Kostić A., 90 (1:3); Cadden, 100 (2:3)
Yellow Cards : Campbell Jo. 47; Obita 67; Iredale 114 - Ugresic 22; Simić 45, 63
Red cards : - Simić 63'

"Austria Wien" - "Banik" 1:1 (0:1)
Goals : Prekop, 45 (penalty) (0:1); Wiesinger, 67 (1:1)
Yellow Cards : Wiesinger 39; Guenouche 58; Fischer M. 84; Plavotić 90 - Holzer 53; Kpozo 83; Holec 90; Latal 90

"Hammarby" - "Rosenborg BK" 0:1 (0:0)
Goals : Islamović, 59 (0:1)
Yellow Cards : Winther F. 56; Pinas 84; Vagic 90; Tounekti 90 - Saeter 58; Islamović 89

"Besiktas" - "St Patrick`s Athletic" 3:2 (1:2)
Goals : Carty, 3 (penalty) (0:1); McLaughlin R., 34 (0:2); Tıknaz, 43 (1:2); Abraham T., 49 (2:2); Joao Mario, 79 (3:2)
Yellow Cards : Günok 90 - Grivosti 86

"Arda" - "Kauno Žalgiris" 2:0 (2:0)
Goals : Velkovski Di., 8 (1:0); Kovachev, 12 (2:0)
Yellow Cards : - Benchaib 12; Chogadze 24, 45; Georgijevic 58; Bah-Traore Haymenn 90
Red cards : - Naah 34', Chogadze 45'

"Paksi FC" - "Polissya" 2:1 (1:0)
Goals : Szabó J., 39 (1:0); Tóth B., 48 (2:0); Talles Costa, 96 (2:1)
Yellow Cards : Szekszardi 8; Osvath 89 - Beskorovaynyi 19; Kravchenko M. 38; Volynets 80

"Spartak Trnava" - "Universitatea Craiova" 4:3 (1:1)
Goals : Baiaram, 32 (0:1); Kratochvíl, 36 (1:1); Nwadike, 63 (2:1); Azango, 68 (3:1); Kudlicka, 80 (4:1); Băluţă T.C., 101 (4:2); Labe, 117 (4:3)
Yellow Cards : Mikovic 93; Kudlicka 99 - Screciu 13; Romanchuk O.B. 66

"Sabah FC" - "Levski" 0:2 (0:1)
Goals : Kirilov, 40 (0:1); Soula, 87 (0:2)
Yellow Cards : Сольве 19; Parris 60; Aliyev Kh. 79 -