Matchday 4 represented a crucial juncture in the UEFA Europa League League Phase, with teams vying for vital points as the competition passed the halfway mark. The results from this single day would significantly shape the qualification race, with dramatic moments and decisive scorelines across the continent. The day featured the usual 18 matches, producing a mix of dominant victories, thrilling goal-fests, and hard-fought stalemates.
FC Midtjylland 3-1 Celtic
The Danish side proved dominant with a decisive three-goal burst in a frantic eight-minute spell just before halftime. Goals from Erlic in the 33rd minute, Gogorza in the 35th and Franculino in the 41st effectively won the game, with Reo Hatate scoring a consolation penalty for Celtic in the 81st minute.
Dinamo Zagreb 0-3 Celta Vigo
Celta Vigo secured a commanding lead early on, starting with Pablo Durán opening the scoring very early in the 4th minute. An unfortunate own goal by Sergi Domínguez doubled the lead in the 28th minute, and Durán scored his second just before halftime to secure the victory.
Nice 1-3 Freiburg
Freiburg completed a significant three-goal turnaround before the break. After Nice had initially taken the lead via Kevin Carlos in the 25th minute, Johan Manzambi quickly equalized 4 minutes later , followed by Vincenzo Grifo converting a penalty in the 39th minute and Derry Scherhant scoring in the 42nd to put the German side in control.
FK Crvena Zvezda 1-0 Lille
This was a vital, narrow victory for the Red Star, achieved by a late penalty awarded and converted by veteran Marko Arnautović in the 85th minute.
Malmö FF 0-1 Panathinaikos
The Greek side snatched a dramatic late winner through Filip Djuričić in the 85th minute of a tight, low-scoring affair.
Basel 3-1 FCSB
Xherdan Shaqiri was instrumental, converting an early penalty for the opener in the 19th minute and then restoring Basel’s lead with his second goal in the 73rd minute after Darius Olaru had pulled FCSB level. Ibrahim Salah sealed the victory late on for Basel in the 88th minute
Sturm Graz 0-0 Nottingham Forest
The match ended in a frustrating goalless draw, highlighted by the key missed moment of Morgan Gibbs-White missing a penalty in the 35th minute, denying Forest a crucial away win.
FC Utrecht 1-1 FC Porto
After a scoreless first half, Miguel Rodríguez broke the deadlock for Utrecht three minutes after the break, but Borja Sainz equalized for FC Porto in the 66th minute to share the points.
Red Bull Salzburg 2-0 Go Ahead Eagles
This match was scoreless at halftime but Yorbe Vertessen gave the home side the lead in the 59th minute, and Aleksa Terzic sealed the win for Salzburg in the 80th minute.
Braga 3-4 Genk
This was a thrilling, seven-goal encounter where Genk came from behind to win. Zalazar opened the scoring for Braga in the 30th minute. Genk then scored on either side of halftime through Daan Heymans in the 45th minute and Yira Sor three minutes after the restart to take the lead. Genk scored again in the 59th minute through Oh Hyeong-Gyu to make it 3-1 and after Zalazar scored his second for Braga in the 71st minute, Genk quickly responded with a goal from Yaimar Medina a minute later, making the score 2-4, which proved too much for Braga’s late goal in the 86th minute to overcome.
PAOK 4-0 Young Boys
After a goalless first half, PAOK exploded with Second-Half Domination, scoring four goals in 21 minutes to seal an emphatic win. The goals came from Bianco in the 54th minute, Giakoumakis in the 67th, Konstantelias in the 72nd , and Baba in the 75th.
Rangers 0-2 AS Roma
Roma comfortably controlled the game to secure the away win. Matías Soulé gave Roma an early lead in the 13th minute, and Captain Lorenzo Pellegrini doubled the advantage before halftime in the 36th minute.
Aston Villa 2-0 Maccabi Tel Aviv
Aston Villa ensured a comfortable victory. Ian Maatsen scored a crucial goal right before the interval and Donyell Malen converted a penalty in the 59th minute, doubling Villa’s lead.
Real Betis 2-0 Lyon
Real Betis scored two quick goals midway through the first half via Abde Ezzalzouli in the 29th minute and Antony 6 minutes later. Their defense held firm for the remainder of the match.
Ferencváros 3-1 Ludogorets
A solid home win for Ferencváros, with Gabi Kanichowsky scoring the opener in the 31st minute and Cadu doubling the lead in the 53rd. After Ludogorets pulled one back in the 78th minute, Lenny Joseph scored late, 9 minutes later, to secure the three points.
Stuttgart 2-0 Feyenoord
This match featured late drama as it remained goalless until the final minutes. Bilal El Khannouss broke the deadlock with a late header in the 84th minute , and Deniz Undav added a second in the 90th minute to seal the victory.
Bologna 0-0 Brann
Bologna put in a heroic effort down to 10 men for over an hour after Charalampos Lykogiannis received a straight red card for a controversial foul in the 23rd minute, resulting in a hard-fought goalless draw.
Viktoria Plzeň 0-0 Fenerbahçe
A tight, defensive affair between two solid teams ended in a goalless draw, with both sides keeping a clean sheet.
Matchday 4 was characterized by significant second-half surges from PAOK and Stuttgart as well as dramatic late winners from Crvena Zvezda and Panathinaikos. Goal-fests like the Braga-Genk thriller stood in sharp contrast to the two heroic goalless draws from Sturm Graz and Bologna, where penalties and red cards played a pivotal role in the narrative.
The results have significantly intensified the race for qualification, with several teams securing crucial wins to position themselves well, while those who drew or lost now face must-win scenarios in the remaining matchdays.
