The first leg of the Europa League playoffs yesterday, delivered a high-stakes evening of European football as sixteen teams battled for a foothold in the competition’s next stage. With the introduction of these elimination ties, the intensity reached a new peak across venues from Istanbul to Glasgow, producing clinical away performances and hard-fought draws that set the stage for a dramatic set of return fixtures. The night was defined by teams seizing critical road advantages, as several clubs now return home with significant cushions while others are left contemplating the steep climb required to keep their continental dreams alive.
11. Celtic 1-4 Stuttgart
Stuttgart took a commanding lead in this play-off tie with a clinical display at Celtic Park, largely fueled by a standout performance from Bilal El Khannouss. El Khannouss opened the scoring in the 15th minute and, after Benjamin Nygren briefly leveled for the hosts in the 21st minute, restored the visitors’ advantage shortly before the half-hour mark. The German side continued to capitalize on defensive lapses in the second half, with Jamie Leweling extending the lead in the 57th minute before substitute Tiago Tomás added a fourth in stoppage time to leave the Scottish side facing a massive deficit for the second leg.
2. Fenerbahce 0-3 Nottingham Forest
Vítor Pereira enjoyed a perfect debut as Nottingham Forest manager, leading his side to a dominant three-goal victory in the hostile atmosphere of Istanbul. The scoring opened in the 21st minute when Murillo unleashed a spectacular long-range effort that found the net, followed by an Igor Jesus header just before the break to put Forest in a comfortable position. Morgan Gibbs-White effectively settled the contest in the 50th minute, finishing a well-worked move to ensure the Premier League side returns to the City Ground with one foot firmly in the Round of 16.
3. Lille 0-1 Crvena Zvezda
Crvena Zvezda made history by securing their first-ever victory on French soil in a major European competition, edging out Lille in a tightly contested affair. The decisive moment arrived in first-half stoppage time when Franklin Tebo Uchenna bundled the ball home following a well-orchestrated set-piece routine. Despite Lille dominating possession and significantly out-shooting their opponents, they were unable to find a way past a resolute Serbian defense, leaving the Ligue 1 side with significant work to do in Belgrade next week.
4. Panathinaikos 2-2 Viktoria Plzeň
In the only first leg to end in a draw, Panathinaikos and Viktoria Plzeň played out a seesaw battle at the Athens Olympic Stadium. Denis Visinsky gave the visitors an early lead in the 11th minute, but Andrews Tetteh became the hero for the home side, netting twice, including a header in the 31st minute and a second strike in the 61st, to briefly put Panathinaikos ahead. However, Viktoria Plzeň rescued a crucial draw when Tomás Ladra found the top corner from outside the box in the 80th minute, ensuring the tie remains perfectly balanced.
5. Dinamo Zagreb 1-3 Genk
Genk established a significant advantage in Croatia, striking twice in the opening twenty minutes to shell-shock the home supporters. Bryan Heynen opened the scoring with a 15th-minute header, followed quickly by Zakaria El Ouahdi’s first of the night to double the lead. While Dion Drena Beljo pulled one back for Dinamo Zagreb just before halftime to offer a glimmer of hope, El Ouahdi struck again in the 90th minute to restore the two-goal cushion and put the Belgian side in a commanding position.
6. Ludogorets 2-1 Ferencváros
Ludogorets utilized their home advantage at the Huvepharma Arena to edge past Ferencváros in a match characterized by alternating periods of pressure. Kwadwo Duah gave the Bulgarian champions the lead in the 23rd minute, but the advantage lasted only four minutes before Bamidele Yusuf equalized for the visitors. The match was ultimately decided in the 67th minute when Francisco Son fired a powerful left-footed shot into the top corner, providing Ludogorets with a slender lead to defend when they travel to Hungary for the return leg.
7. PAOK 1-2 Celta Vigo
Celta Vigo ended a difficult winless run by securing a vital away victory at the Toumba Stadium, led by the evergreen Iago Aspas. Aspas opened the scoring in the 34th minute and then turned provider for Williot Swedberg, who doubled the Spanish side’s lead just before the interval. Although Alexander Jeremejeff pulled a goal back for PAOK in the 77th minute to set up a tense finale, Celta held firm to take a narrow lead back to Galicia.
8. Brann 0-1 Bologna
In freezing conditions in Norway, Bologna secured a professional away win thanks to an early moment of quality from Santiago Castro. Castro struck the only goal of the game in the 9th minute, rifling a low shot home after being set up by a disguised pass from Niccolò Cambiaghi. Brann pushed hard for an equalizer and had a penalty appeal turned down, but Bologna’s defense remained organized to see out the victory and take a crucial one-goal lead back to Italy.
As the dust settles on these opening legs, the attention of the footballing world now turns toward the decisive second legs scheduled for February 26. With three teams, Stuttgart, Nottingham Forest, and Genk, holding multi-goal advantages, the pressure shifts to the trailing sides to produce historic European comebacks in front of their own fans. The winners of these eight ties will proceed to join the league phase’s top eight finishers in the Round of 16, where the pursuit of the trophy will intensify even further. The margins for error have vanished, and the upcoming return fixtures promise to deliver more of the high-stakes drama that defined this opening night of the knockout phase.
