UEFA Europa Conference League: Thursday’s Playoff Drama Unfolds

The final hurdle before the UEFA Europa Conference League group stage began with high stakes and even higher emotions across the continent. But for Ukrainian fans, Thursday night ended in frustration as Shakhtar Donetsk were held to a draw and Polissya Zhytomyr suffered a disappointing defeat.

However, the biggest shock came in Sweden, where Romanian side CFR Cluj endured a night to forget, collapsing to a stunning 2-7 thrashing at the hands of BK Häcken.

Elsewhere, familiar names returned to the spotlight. Hamrun Spartans and RFS — both former opponents of Dynamo Kyiv — battled in a tightly contested affair. Just one goal separated them, with the Maltese club claiming a crucial 1-0 victory to keep their European dream alive.

2025-26, Conference League

Day : 2025-08-21

"Ħamrun Spartans" - "FK RFS" 1:0 (0:0)
Goals : Thioune, 55 (1:0)
Yellow Cards : Thioune 34; Ederson 45; Garcia M-s 81; Camenzuli 90 - Lipušček 85; Mareš P. 90

"Shelbourne" - "Linfield FC" 3:1 (1:0)
Goals : Wood H., 45 (penalty) (1:0); Odubeko, 46 (2:0); Offord, 53 (2:1); Caffrey, 77 (3:1)
Yellow Cards : - McClean K. 90
Red cards : - Fitzpatrick 18'

"Breiðablik" - "A.C. Virtus" 2:1 (1:1)
Goals : Scappini, 11 (penalty) (0:1); Valgeirsson, 31 (1:1); Thomsen T., 55 (penalty) (2:1)

"Drita" - "Differdange 03" 2:1 (1:0)
Goals : Dabiqaj, 30 (1:0); Buch A., 65 (1:1); Krasniqi Bes., 80 (penalty) (2:1)

"Olimpija Ljubljana" - "FC Noah" 1:4 (0:2)
Goals : Jakolis M., 36 (0:1); Oulad Omar, 39 (0:2); Oulad Omar, 52 (penalty) (0:3); Durdov, 56 (1:3); Oulad Omar, 64 (1:4)
Yellow Cards : Mitrovski 65; Marin A. 65 -

"Strasbourg" - "Brøndby IF" 0:0
Yellow Cards : Doukouré Is. 8 - Tahirovic 75; Vallys 85

"Jagiellonia" - "Dinamo Tirana" 3:0 (2:0)
Goals : Imaz, 12 (1:0); Pululu, 34 (2:0); Wojtuszek, 50 (3:0)

"Shakhtar" - "Servette" 1:1 (0:1)
Goals : Fomba, 8 (0:1); Bondar V., 73 (1:1)
Yellow Cards : Vinicius Т. 59 - Njoh 58

"Anderlecht" - "AEK" 1:1 (1:0)
Goals : Dolberg, 21 (1:0); Eliasson, 74 (1:1)
Yellow Cards : Llansana 11; Augustinsson 39 - Relvas 8; Mantalos 56, 90
Red cards : - Mantalos 90'

"Istanbul Basaksehir" - "Universitatea Craiova" 1:2 (0:1)
Goals : Cicâldău, 45 (0:1); Mora Car., 61 (0:2); Ebosele, 87 (1:2)
Yellow Cards : Şengezer 61; Özdemir B.A. 90 - Isenko 41; Romanchuk O.B. 57; Bancu 75; Cicâldău 89

"Crystal Palace" - "Fredrikstad FK" 1:0 (0:0)
Goals : Mateta, 54 (1:0)

"NK Celje" - "Banik" 1:0 (1:0)
Goals : Poplatnik, 8 (own goal) (1:0)
Yellow Cards : Kvesić 11; Poplatnik 46; Leban 90 - Kpozo 45; Munksgaard 60; Pojezný 75

"Raków" - "Arda" 1:0 (1:0)
Goals : Pienko, 28 (1:0)

"Hibernian" - "Legia" 1:2 (0:2)
Goals : Nsame, 35 (penalty) (0:1); Wszolek, 45 (0:2); Mulligan J., 86 (1:2)
Yellow Cards : Campbell Jo. 7; Levitt 37; Chaiwa 69; Bushiri 90 - Kapustka 18; Bichakhchyan 70; Ziolkowski 75

"Levski" - "AZ Alkmaar" 0:2 (0:0)
Goals : Sadiq I., 56 (0:1); Parrott, 62 (0:2)
Yellow Cards : Rildo 23; Dimitrov K. 90 - Jensen I. 44; Sadiq I. 65

"Polissya" - "Fiorentina" 0:3 (0:2)
Goals : Kudryk, 8 (own goal) (0:1); Gosens, 32 (0:2); Gudmundsson A., 69 (0:3)
Yellow Cards : Korniichuk 57 - Gosens 39
Red cards : - Kean M. 44'

"Győri ETO" - "Rapid Wien" 2:1 (0:0)
Goals : Gavric, 46 (1:0); Wurmbrand, 61 (1:1); Gavric, 82 (2:1)
Yellow Cards : - Dahl Petter 75; Seidl M. 90

"Neman" - "Rayo Vallecano" 0:1 (0:0)
Goals : Álvaro García, 77 (0:1)
Yellow Cards : Pushnyakov 15; Kozlov M. 81 -

"Lausanne-Sport" - "Besiktas" 1:1 (0:1)
Goals : Rashica, 45 (0:1); Okoh B., 83 (1:1)
Yellow Cards : - Uduokhai 31; Rashica 67; Abraham T. 88

"Santa Clara" - "Shamrock Rovers" 1:2 (1:1)
Goals : Lopes Vinicius, 20 (1:0); Grant D., 43 (1:1); Mândroiu, 66 (1:2)
Yellow Cards : Araujo S. M. 65 - Cleary 48; Grant D. 48; O'Neill G. 86

"Rosenborg BK" - "Mainz 05" 2:1 (1:1)
Goals : Amiri N., 26 (0:1); Islamović, 43 (penalty) (1:1); Saeter, 90 (2:1)
Yellow Cards : - Bell S. 34; Kohr 36

"Sparta Prague" - "Riga FC" 2:0 (1:0)
Goals : Kuchta J., 22 (1:0); Rrahmani Al., 90 (2:0)
Yellow Cards : Rynes 20; Suchomel 85 - Černomordijs 7; Galo 58; Contreras 58

"BK Häcken" - "CFR Cluj" 7:2 (4:1)
Goals : Gustafson, 2 (1:0); Andersen, 18 (2:0); Svanback, 24 (3:0); Gustafson, 34 (4:0); Korenica, 38 (4:1); Brusberg, 49 (5:1); Cordea, 50 (5:2); Dembe, 61 (6:2); Dembe, 70 (7:2)
Yellow Cards : - Korenica 89

"Wolfsberger AC" - "Omonia" 2:1 (1:1)
Goals : Coulibaly S-u, 15 (0:1); Nwaiwu, 30 (1:1); Zukic, 87 (2:1)
Yellow Cards : Nwaiwu 17; Zukic 90 - Kitsos 9; Panagiotou N. 90