Roma, Sociedad, Fenerbahce and Ajax all fight through

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The eight remaining spots have been filled ahead of the Europa League last-16.

Eight second legs took place across Thursday evening and some of the competition’s favourites were dumped out at the first knockout stage.

In the key battles across the continent, Galatasaray were looking to fight back from a heavy deficit against Dutch side AZ Alkmaar.

Roma were fighting to make their home advantage count against Porto.

And Ajax simply needed to see out their match at home to progress.

Read on to see how the big games went down and every result in the Europa League.

Galatasaray 2-2 (3-6) AZ Alkmaar

Galatasaray and AZ Alkmaar played out a thrilling 2-2 draw in Turkey, but the Dutch side comfortably progressed on aggregate.

The visitors took the lead in the first half through Seiya Maikuma, albeit with a huge slice of luck. The AZ attacker was tackled inside the box, but the ball rebounded off his leg and trickled past the helpless goalkeeper.

Despite Galatasaray dominating possession, AZ’s counter-attacking threat remained a constant danger. The home side struggled to create clear-cut chances, with a Cuesta cross-shot going just over the bar in their best attempt before the break.

AZ doubled their advantage early in the second half when substitute Denso Kasius unleashed a stunning long-range strike. The goal all but ended Galatasaray’s hopes of a miraculous comeback, but the hosts refused to give up.

Victor Osimhen pulled one back in the 56th minute with a thunderous half-volley after a pinpoint long ball from Lucas Torreira. The Turkish side kept pushing forward, and they found an equaliser in the 70th minute. Baris Alper Yilmaz squared the ball across the box for Roland Sallai, whose low strike sneaked under the AZ goalkeeper.

Despite the draw, AZ’s first-leg advantage ensured their safe passage into the next round.

Roma 3-2 Porto (4-3)

Roma secured their place in the Europa League last 16 with a 3-2 victory over Porto at the Stadio Olimpico, sealing a 4-3 aggregate win.

Paulo Dybala was the star of the night, scoring twice to inspire his side past a lacklustre Porto, who finished the game with 10 men.

The match began with both teams cautiously feeling each other out, but it was Porto who struck first in the 27th minute.

Samu produced a moment of magic, executing a stunning overhead kick that soared into the top corner to give the visitors the lead. However, their advantage was short-lived, as Dybala responded just eight minutes later.

Combining brilliantly with Eldor Shomurodov, the Argentine applied a deft finish with the outside of his boot to level the score. Four minutes later, Dybala struck again, weaving past defenders before firing past Diogo Costa at the near post to put Roma ahead just before half-time.

Porto’s hopes of a comeback took a major blow in the 51st minute when Stephen Eustaquio received a straight red card for a violent push on Leandro Paredes.

Roma capitalised on their numerical advantage, dominating possession and creating several chances. Niccolo Pisilli sealed the win in the 83rd minute with a composed finish. Porto grabbed a late consolation goal as Devyne Rensch inadvertently turned the ball into his own net, but it was too little, too late.

Roma now turn their attention to the round of 16, where a clash against either Lazio or Athletic Club awaits.

Ajax 1-2 (3-2) Union St.Gilloise

Ajax secured a hard-fought victory over Royale Union Saint-Gilloise, winning 3-2 on aggregate after a dramatic 120 minutes in Amsterdam.

USG, trailing from the first leg, produced a stunning first-half performance to level the tie.

Kevin Mac Allister opened the scoring in the 16th minute with a well-placed header, before Promise David converted a penalty in the 27th minute following Davy Klaassen’s red card for handball on the goal line.

The Belgian side dominated possession, but Ajax held on to take the game into extra time.

USG continued to push forward, but they failed to capitalise on several promising opportunities, with Ajax’s Remko Pasveer making crucial saves to keep his side in the game.

The decisive moment came in the 93rd minute of extra time when Kenneth Taylor coolly slotted home a penalty after Burgess was penalised for handball, restoring Ajax’s aggregate lead.

USG launched a relentless late assault, with Pasveer making a brilliant last-second save and defenders scrambling to clear an effort off the line in stoppage time.

Anderlecht 2-2 (2-5) Fenerbahce

Fenerbahce secured their place in the last-16 of the Europa League with a 2-2 draw against Anderlecht, sealing a 5-2 aggregate victory.

The Turkish side struck first just five minutes in, capitalising on a defensive error from Lucas Hey. Edin Dzeko intercepted a weak pass before selflessly squaring the ball for Youssef En-Nesyri to finish into an empty net.

The goal all but ended Anderlecht’s hopes of a miraculous comeback. The match was briefly halted due to crowd trouble, but play resumed with the Belgian side chasing the game.

Anderlecht found a lifeline in the 19th minute when Fenerbahce goalkeeper Ertugrul Taşkıran botched a clearance, allowing Luis Vazquez to pounce and equalise.

The home side carried their momentum into the second half, and in the 55th minute, Thorgan Hazard’s clever play set up Vazquez for his second goal, briefly reigniting Anderlecht’s hopes.

However, Fenerbahce remained composed and delivered the decisive blow in the 63rd minute. Milan Skriniar’s header from a corner was nodded home by Yusuf Akcicek to restore parity and effectively kill the tie.

Europa League results in full

Bodo/Glimt 5-2 FC Twente (Bodo/Glimt win 6-4 on aggregate)

FCSB 2-0 PAOK (FCSB win 4-1 on aggregate)

Galatasaray 2-2 AZ Alkmaar (AZ Alkmaar win 6-3 on aggregate)

Roma 3-2 Porto (Roma win 4-3 on aggregate)

Ajax 1-2 Union St.Gilloise (Ajax win 3-2 on aggregate)

Anderlecht 2-2 Fenerbahce (Fenerbahce win 5-2 on aggregate)

Real Sociedad 5-2 FC Midtjylland (Real Sociedad win 7-3 on aggregate)

Viktoria Plzen 3-0 Ferencvaros (Viktoria Plzen win 3-1 on aggregate)




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