Roundup of the Quarter-Final action as the 2025-26 UEFA Conference League hit the business end.
A lively round of Quarter-Final action saw 26 goals scored in total as one team completed a second-leg comeback to book their semi-final spot, whilst three teams crucially made their first legs at home count to secure their passage to the final four of this season’s UEFA Conference League.
Shakhtar Donetsk 5-2 AZ Alkmaar
Pedrinho’s opener and Alisson’s brace saw Shakhtar Donetsk snatch a 3-0 first-leg victory on neutral territory in Poland, owing to the fact that they are still unable to play European fixtures at home in Donetsk, Ukraine.
Luca Meirelles completed Shakhtar’s aggregate victory with a late equaliser in a 2-2 draw in the second leg, after Alisson Santana put them initially in front before Isak Jensen and Matej Sin turned AZ Alkmaar’s home leg around.
Crystal Palace 4-2 Fiorentina
Jean-Philippe Mateta, Tyrick Mitchell and Ismaila Sarr found the net as Palace cruised to a 3-0 first-leg victory at Selhurst Park.
Sarr’s 17th-minute headed opener in the away leg proved enough for Palace to progress 4-2 on aggregate despite a 2-1 second-leg loss, as Albert Gudmundsson’s penalty and Cher Ndour’s strike saw Fiorentina win at home from behind but Palace will now meet Shakhtar Donetsk in the semi-finals.
Rayo Vallecano 4-3 AEK Athens
Ilias Akhomach’s second-minute opener fired Rayo Vallecano on their way to a 3-0 first-leg win at home, before Unai Lopez and Isi Palazon wrapped up the win.
Palazon’s 60th-minute consolatory goal saw Rayo Vallecano ultimately progress 4-3 on aggregate despite a 3-1 second-leg defeat, as Zine’s brace and Razvan Marin’s penalty saw AEK Athens initially fight back to level the tie.
Mainz 05 2-4 Strasbourg
Kaishu Sano and Stefan Posch scored in the space of eight first-half minutes as Mainz stunned their French opposition with a 2-0 home win in the first leg.
Strasbourg however turned the tie around to progress 4-2 on aggregate following their 4-0 second-leg victory at home, in which Sebastian Nanasi and Abdoul Ouattara levelled the tie at half-time before Julio Enciso and Emmanuel Emegha struck to set up a semi-final against Rayo Vallecano.
Leave a Reply