Fenerbahce, Ajax, and AS Roma advanced to the Europa League round of 16 after hard-fought victories in their knockout playoff ties on Thursday.
Turkish side Fenerbahce sealed their qualification with a 5-2 aggregate win over Anderlecht. Their second-leg match in Belgium ended 2-2 after being briefly halted due to crowd disturbances. The players left the pitch early in the game but returned 20 minutes later to complete the fixture.
Ajax Amsterdam narrowly progressed against Union Saint-Gilloise. The Dutch side trailed early and went down to 10 men after Davy Klaassen’s red card, but a 93rd-minute penalty from Kenneth Taylor secured a 3-2 aggregate victory in extra time.
AS Roma overcame Porto with a 3-2 home win, featuring a Paulo Dybala brace, to advance 4-3 on aggregate. Meanwhile, Czech side Viktoria Plzen defeated Ferencvaros 3-0 (3-1 aggregate), and Real Sociedad cruised past Midtjylland with a 5-2 win on the night, securing a 7-3 overall victory.
Elsewhere, AZ Alkmaar eliminated Galatasaray 6-3 on aggregate following a 2-2 second-leg draw, while Steaua Bucharest beat PAOK 2-0 at home to complete a 4-1 aggregate triumph.
Norway’s Bodo/Glimt continued their impressive run with a dramatic 5-2 extra-time win over FC Twente, progressing 6-4 on aggregate.
The Europa League last 16 is now set, with several exciting matchups on the horizon.
