A night of raw emotion and unexpected heroes across Europe's second-tier competitions
The Europa League and Conference League served up a Thursday night of football chaos—where icy pitches in Norway, controversial goals in France, and emotional confessions in Greece reminded us why these competitions hold a special place in the sport's heart. Here's the story behind the scores.
Thessaloniki heartbreak: Lucescu's PAOK pay for first-half sins
In Greece, PAOK Thessaloniki fell 2-1 to Celta Vigo in a rematch of their league-phase encounter—and the result had a haunting familiarity about it. The Spanish side once again proved the tormentors, with Iago Aspas and Williot Swedberg delivering the decisive blows before PAOK's Jeremejeff offered a late lifeline.
The Greek press was unforgiving. Local journalists wrote that PAOK "paid for their poor first half and the ruthless counterattacks of the Spaniards," noting that Răzvan Lucescu's men were "exposed defensively" as Celta "taught a lesson in fast football".
But beyond the tactical analysis, there was something deeper at play. Lucescu, suspended from the touchline after his red card against Lyon, could only watch as his team struggled. Yet in the days before the match, the Romanian coach had offered a window into his soul about what this club truly means—words that put Thursday's defeat into perspective.
"PAOK is my life," Lucescu had revealed. "I discovered a world here that lives at an emotional level you cannot imagine. PAOK is not a football team with fanatical supporters behind it—no. For them, it is much more than being a fan; it is their entire life. I cannot explain it better than that. You have to live here to fully realise what PAOK represents."
He spoke of a region where people struggle, where possibilities are limited—and how the club becomes their oxygen. "When PAOK wins, they are extremely happy. When it doesn't happen, there is an incredible sadness. I have never seen anything like this before".
Those words hung in the cold Thessaloniki air after the final whistle. One goal down, but hope is still alive for the return in Vigo.
Zagreb masterclass: Genk's Belgian brilliance
Genk delivered a statement performance in the Croatian capital, with Zakaria El Ouahdi netting twice and Bryan Heynen adding another in a commanding 3-1 victory at Dinamo Zagreb. The Belgian side looked every bit the part of Europa League contenders.
Dinamo's perspective on the night? Their official channels were notably quiet about this European setback—perhaps still processing the magnitude of the defeat. But Genk's approach was clear from their pre-match mindset. Coach John van den Brom had laid out the philosophy simply: "Of course we respect Dinamo, we've watched enough of their matches, but we are convinced that how this tie ends depends on us".
Turns out, he was right.
Lille's night of shame: The "Pietgoal" that shocked France
Perhaps the most astonishing result of the evening came in northern France, where Lille—yes, that Lille, the giant-killers, the team that gave Europe's elite nightmares—suffered a humiliating 1-0 home defeat to Red Star Belgrade.
But it wasn't just the loss. It was how they lost.
Deep into first-half stoppage time, with Lille pushing and Red Star defending, the unthinkable happened. A chaotic scramble in the box, bodies everywhere, and then—thud. The ball found its way into the net via the most unlikely of sources.
"They call that a 'Pietgoal'," observed Belgian commentator Filip Joos, using the delightful Flemish slang for a goal scored with one's private parts. Yes, you read that correctly. Franklin Tebo became an unlikely hero, his anatomy proving more effective than Lille's entire attacking unit on the night.
The reaction from the Lille camp? Muted disbelief. Young Belgian defender Nathan Ngoy, a rock at the back despite the defeat, could only watch as his teammates' European ambitions took a bizarre and painful twist. "In the absence of the injured Thomas Meunier, he was the rock in the defence of a Lille that was looking for something different". But even rocks can't stop what football fans will now forever remember as the night Lille were undone by a goal that defied all tactical analysis.
Norwegian nightmare: Castro conquers the cold
In Bergen, Bologna travelled to face Brann on a pitch that looked better suited for polar bears than professional footballers. The conditions were, to put it clearly, challenging. The surface was heavy, the air cold, and the home crowd hostile.
Enter Santiago Castro. The Argentine forward, all youth and fire, squeezed home from the tightest of angles to give Bologna a 1-0 victory that felt like a triumph against the elements.
After the match, the quotes flowed like warm espresso in a freezing Italian piazza.
Coach Vincenzo Italiano was philosophical about the conditions: "We adapted to the pitch conditions. It was hard to do more because our priority was to avoid taking unnecessary risks. Now we have to do the same at the Dall'Ara, but we'll already have our one-goal advantage then".
Then came the praise for his young match-winner: "I want to congratulate Castro; he's young and fierce. It's a pleasure to work with players like him".
Castro himself was humble, speaking to Sky after the match: "I'm happy for the victory and happy for my first goal in Europe, but the tie isn't over, and we know it won't be easy at home. With this pitch, we couldn't do much more—we played the right game and brought home an important victory".
But then came a hint of dressing-room drama—the kind that makes football so beautifully human. "We stayed united in difficulty," Castro revealed. "Many things were said that weren't true, and now we have to restart together".
What exactly was said? He wouldn't elaborate, but the implication was clear: this Bologna squad has faced internal storms and emerged stronger. "Where can I improve? I'm young, I still need to improve everything and listen to the more experienced players who always give me advice. The coach always tells me that the striker makes the team play well".
Teammate Lukasz Skorupski added: "We secured a crucial victory on difficult ground, both in terms of the atmosphere and the pitch conditions. We fought until the end and won with heart".
Remo Freuler summed up the renewed belief: "Over these two quite difficult months, we've asked ourselves what wasn't working and made some small adjustments on the pitch, and they're paying off. It's our second win in a row. These kinds of victories motivate you to keep winning".
Bulgarian joy, Hungarian sorrow: Ludogorets edges Ferencvaros
In a clash of Eastern European powers, Ludogorets emerged 2-1 victors against Ferencvaros—a result that will taste sweeter in Bulgaria than in Budapest.
But the real story came from a previous meeting between these sides, when Robbie Keane—yes, that Robbie Keane, the Irish legend—delivered a post-match dressing-room speech for the ages after Ferencvaros had defeated Ludogorets 3-1.
The Irish manager, now plying his trade in Hungary, couldn't resist some playful banter aimed at his own player, Cebrail Makreckis. After the Latvian defender had missed a sitter despite an incredible sprint that left Ludogorets' defence in his dust, Keane addressed the squad with a mix of pride and pointed humour.
"Let's hope we don't play them again," Keane joked, "especially because of Cebrail, because it seems he can't score against them. He could have scored at least four goals against them so far. Anyway, his sprint was at least as fast as Usain Bolt's!"
Then came the sincere praise: "But honestly, I can only congratulate you. Incredible result!"
On the losing side that night, Ludogorets' interim coach Todor Zhivondov offered a bafflingly positive assessment that left journalists scratching their heads. "I congratulate Ferencvaros on today's victory," he began politely, before adding, "We had a plan to take risks sooner or later. But we have to admit that we are not ready to play from the first minute the way we did in the last quarter-hour".
Then came the eyebrow-raiser: "There were many duels, something like this we expected. There were things we could have done better, but we completed the task that was before us".
Completed the task? They lost 3-1. Football managers, never change.
Polish hopes and Italian stars: Fiorentina's statement in Białystok
In the Conference League, two-time finalists Fiorentina showed exactly why they're considered favourites, dispatching Jagiellonia Bialystok 3-0 on their own turf. The Italians left nothing to chance, despite whispers that they might.
Polish football expert Maciej Makuszewski had warned before the match: "Logic says Fiorentina is the favourite. However, Jagiellonia is a team that has shown in European competitions that they can stand up to the biggest companies".
He noted that Fiorentina had left stars like David de Gea and Moise Kean in Italy—a potential sign of disrespect or simply a matter of squad management? "We'll see if they underestimate Jagiellonia. They're probably approaching this match hoping not to concede a goal in Białystok, or at most one. Then in the return leg, they'll field a strong squad and hope to score two or three at home".
The final score suggests they needn't have worried.
Makuszewski had also praised the Polish champions' development: "This is a different team than a year or two ago. Organised and stable. Stability—that's the perfect word to describe today's Jagiellonia".
Stability, however, was no match for Florentine firepower on this freezing Polish night.
The human element
What Thursday night reminded us, across eight different cities and countless individual battles, is that football at this level is never just about tactics and formations. It's about Lucescu explaining that a football club can be an entire community's reason for living. It's about Castro scoring his first European goal on a frozen pitch in Norway and thinking of the doubters he's proving wrong. It's about a goal scored with such an unlikely body part that they've invented a special name for it in Flemish.
The Europa League and Conference League may be the second- and third-tier European competitions. But for the players, coaches, and fans who live and breathe these moments, they're everything.
The return legs await. The drama is only beginning.
