The Europa LeagueEuropa League returned on Thursday, October 2, with a night of drama, controversy, and shocking results across Europe.
From Lille’s stunning heroics in Rome to Aston Villa’s assured win in Rotterdam, Matchday 2 produced twists that show that the competition remains one of football’s most unpredictable stages.
At the Stadio Olimpico, Lille goalkeeper Berke Ozer etched his name into tournament folklore as he saved not one, but three late penalties to preserve a 1-0 win over Roma.
Icelandic midfielder Håkon Arnar Haraldsson had given the French side an early lead, and despite relentless pressure, Gian Piero Gasperini’s Roma were left stunned by Ozer’s extraordinary resilience between the posts.
In England, Nottingham Forest suffered a shock home defeat to Danish side Midtjylland, who triumphed 3-2 in a game full of attacking flair and defensive lapses.
READ ALSO:
Forest trailed at first, but found the equaliser on the 22nd minute, but Ange Postecoglu’s men conceded two more goals before later scoring a late penalty to make it 3-2.
In another match, Aston Villa showed their growing European maturity with a 2-0 victory away at Feyenoord. Goals from Emiliano Buendía and captain John McGinn capped off a controlled performance that strengthens Unai Emery’s side’s ambitions of a deep run in the tournament.
Scottish champions, Celtic endured a frustrating night at home as they fell 2-0 to Portuguese visitors Braga.
A long-range strike from Ricardo Horta and a late goal from Gabri Martínez sealed the win, but controversy erupted when Celtic striker Kelechi Iheanacho saw what he thought was an equaliser ruled out by VAR for handball. Manager Brendan Rodgers described the decision as “harsh” in his post-match comments.
In Istanbul, Fenerbahçe edged past Nice 2-1, thanks to a brace from Kerem Aktürkoglu. The French side pulled one back through a penalty by Kevin Carlos, but the hosts held firm in front of a raucous home crowd.
Spanish side Real Betis continued their strong start with a 2-0 away victory at Ludogorets, guided by the creative influence of Giovani Lo Celso. One of the goals came courtesy of an own goal, sealing a comfortable win for Manuel Pellegrini’s team.
Other results from the evening included:
- Viktoria Plzeň 3-0 Malmö
- Bologna 1-1 Freiburg
- Panathinaikos 1-2 Go Ahead Eagles
- FCSB 0-2 Young Boys
- Brann 1-0 Utrecht
- Basel 2-0 Stuttgart
- Porto 2-1 Red Star Belgrade
- Genk 0-1 Ferencváros
- Maccabi Tel Aviv 1-3 Dinamo Zagreb
- Lyon 2-0 Salzburg
