Europa League Roundup: Plzeň Draw, Czech Players Shine & Key Results

Braga secured a crucial victory on the road, defeating Nice 1-0, while several other teams navigated dramatic contests in the 6th round of the Europa League on Thursday, November 30th. The results are shaping up the playoff picture as the group stage nears its conclusion.

In France, Lukáš Horníček registered his fourth clean sheet of the season, anchoring Braga’s defense as Victor’s goal proved to be the difference. Meanwhile, a thrilling encounter in Razgrad saw PAOK Soluň and Ludogorec share the spoils in a 3-3 draw. Jiří Pavlenka was in goal for PAOK, a match that featured a flurry of late goals.

FC Porto, slated to face Viktoria Plzeň in January, continued their strong form with a 2-1 win over Malmö. A brace from 21-year-old Spanish forward Aghehowa propelled the Portuguese league leaders to their fourth victory, positioning them eighth in the group standings. Malmö, who previously eliminated Olomouc’s Sigma in qualifying, remain near the bottom of the table with just one point.

Lyon continued their dominance in Group A, overcoming Deventer 2-1. Šulc found the back of the net for Lyon, adding to his tally with his first European goal since March when he scored against Lazio while playing for Plzeň. Moreira opened the scoring for Lyon early, but Smit quickly equalized, capitalizing on a mistake by the opposing goalkeeper.

Šulc restored Lyon’s lead after the goalkeeper could only parry the initial shot. The win keeps Lyon at the top of their group. Midtjylland are close behind, securing their fifth win with a 1-0 victory over Genk, thanks to a goal from Cho Kyu-song.

Elsewhere, Aston Villa continued their impressive run of form, defeating Basel 2-1, marking their eighth consecutive win. Goals from Guessand and a late strike from Tielemans sealed the victory for the English side, who are considered strong contenders for the title. This result extends their lead in the group.

Betis Sevilla also claimed a decisive victory, routing Dinamo Zagreb 3-1. A quickfire three-goal burst in the first half, including an own goal, put Betis firmly in control. The win solidifies their position in the competition.

Freiburg and Salzburg played to a 1-0 scoreline, with Freiburg benefiting from an own goal by Diabaté. The match was played with Salzburg down a man for much of the second half after Ratkov was sent off for an elbow.

Ferencváros Budapešť secured a 2-1 win over Glasgow Rangers, with Ötvös and Varga finding the net for the Hungarian side. Varga’s goal was his fourth of the competition, keeping Ferencváros in contention for a direct spot in the round of 16.

Young Boys Bern edged past Lille 1-0, with Males scoring the decisive goal after Bedia missed a penalty. Dominik Pech played 72 minutes in midfield for Young Boys.

AS Roma continued their strong form with a dominant 3-0 victory over Celtic Glasgow, with Ferguson scoring twice and an own goal completing the scoring. The result marks a difficult start for Celtic’s new manager, Wilfried Nancy.

In other matches, FCSB defeated Feyenoord Rotterdam 4-3 in a high-scoring affair, while Bologna overcame Celta Vigo 2-1, with Bernardeschi scoring both goals. Talisca of Fenerbahce was the standout performer of the round, netting a hat-trick in a 4-0 win over Brann Bergen.

Europa League – Matchday 6 Results:

Dinamo Zagreb – Betis Sevilla 1:3 (0:3), Ferencváros Budapešť – Glasgow Rangers 2:1 (1:1), Ludogorec Razgrad – PAOK Soluň 3:3 (1:1), Midtjylland – Genk 1:0 (1:0), Nice – Braga 0:1 (0:1), Štýrský Hradec – CZ Bělehrad 0:1 (0:0), Stuttgart – Maccabi Tel Aviv 4:1 (2:0), Utrecht – Nottingham 1:2 (0:0), Bern – Lille 1:0 (0:0), Basilej – Aston Villa 1:2 (1:1), Brann Bergen – Fenerbahce 0:4 (0:3), Celta Vigo – Bologna 1:2 (1:0), Celtic Glasgow – AS Řím 0:3 (0:3), FC Porto – Malmö 2:1 (2:0), FCSB – Feyenoord Rotterdam 4:3 (1:2), Freiburg – Salcburk 1:0 (0:0), Lyon – Deventer 2:1 (2:1), Panathinaikos Atény – Viktoria Plzeň 0:0 (0:0).

Standings: