EUROPA LEAGUE QUALIFYING: DYNAMO SQUEEZE THROUGH ON PENALTIES AS SHERIFF, HAJDUK ESCAPE
The UEFA Europa League first qualifying round reached its conclusion on Thursday, showcasing a mix of thrilling encounters and nail-biting finishes. All six teams seeded in the draw from June have successfully advanced to the second qualifying round, albeit not without facing significant challenges along the way.
Dynamo Kyiv, a longstanding representative in European competitions, found themselves in a precarious situation, necessitating a penalty shootout against Universitatea Cluj after the second leg of their match ended in a stalemate, 0-0. Despite creating several scoring opportunities, they were unable to find the net, which ultimately led to the showdown from the penalty spot.
In Cluj-Napoca, tension mounted as Dorin Codrea and Alexandru Chipciu missed consecutive penalties for Universitatea, while Dynamo Kyiv converted all four of their attempts, ultimately triumphing 4-2 in the shootout. This victory sets the stage for a challenging encounter with Greece’s PAOK Thessaloniki in the next round.
Other teams also faced hurdles on Thursday. Moldova’s Sheriff Tiraspol edged past Slovenia’s Aluminij with a narrow 1-0 win, thanks to an early goal from Loukou Jaures-Ulrich. Despite having significantly more attempts at goal, the home side could not equalize, handing Sheriff a spot in the next round.
On a different front, Hajduk Split found themselves in a tight spot after losing 2-1 to Zilina. However, their aggregate score of 3-2 ensured their passage to the next stage, marking a notable achievement as it was their first successful two-legged tie in the Europa League since the 2018-19 season.
FERENCVAROS, QARABAG EASE THROUGH AS CSKA SOFIA PROGRESS DESPITE CROWD TROUBLE
While some clubs faced difficulty, others cruised through their fixtures with relative ease. Ferencvaros capitalized on an early red card issued to Vojvodina, ultimately winning 3-0 at home and securing a comprehensive 5-1 aggregate victory. Vojvodina struggled after losing a key player just nine minutes into the match, which hampered their quest to overcome a deficit from the first leg.
CSKA Sofia also progressed, defeating Derry City 2-1, though not without a dramatic interruption. The match was paused for 17 minutes after a violent clash ensued between fans, resulting in several supporters storming the pitch. Despite the upheaval, an own goal from Barry Cotter in stoppage time cemented Derry’s defeat and halted their four-match winning streak in European home games.
Qarabag emerged as another strong competitor, overpowering Vestri with a 3-0 away success, which mirrored their first-leg performance. They scored all three goals before the hour mark, showcasing their dominance over the Icelandic side.
Looking ahead, the second qualifying round will unfold over the next two Thursdays, welcoming an additional 12 teams eager to advance to the league phase. The six teams that faced elimination will not be left without European competition, as they drop into the Conference League to continue their continental journeys.
Fans can follow all UEFA Europa League qualifiers throughout the summer via Flashscore.
