2023-24 Europa Conference League: Play-off round

[Polak]

Phew is all I have to say right now. Deserved win for Legia. It wouldn't have been right if both Danish teams went through with lucky deflected goals. And at last we can rejoice with two clubs in the group stages again and hopefully pick up those coefficients.

[Juliusz]

Second legs attendances

Frankfurt - Levski 46,000
Aston Villa - Hibernian 39,467
Beşiktaş - Dynamo Kyiv 33,376
Legia - Midtjylland 27,312
Adana Demirspor - Genk 24,986
Club Brugge - Osasuna 24,206
Fiorentina - Rapid Wien 24,135
Twente - Fenerbahçe 22,500
PAOK - Hearts 19,032
Brann - AZ Alkmaar 14,355
APOEL - Gent 14,100
Ferencváros - Žalgiris Vilnius 12,073
Viktoria Plzeň - Tobol 11,069
Rijeka - Lille 7,852
Bodø/Glimt - Sepsi Sfantu Gheorghe 6,799
HJK - Farul Constanța 6,671
Partizani - Astana 6,000
Dnipro-1 - Spartak Trnava 5,266
Partizan - Nordsjælland 2,916
Celje - Maccabi Tel Aviv 2,612
Breidablik - Struga 1,450
BATE Borisov - Ballkani 0 (behind closed doors)

[Jua Ferreira]

It was a very tiring summer. We watched matches from Santa Coloma's stadium between the rocks, as well as from Villa Park Stadium.

I'm announcing the awards now.

The biggest surprise: Klaksvik of Faroe Islands, the mighty.

The team that does not like to play 11v11 matches: Dnipro-1

The team that does not want to score and upset their opponent: Paide Linnameeskond of Estonia (couldnt score in their last 6 European games)

The team that earns the most money "not from football": Arsenal Tivat (Nothing official yet, of course, but there are reasonable doubts.)

[Juliusz]

Legia qualified for group stage despite conceding 13 goals in 6 matches. This is the new record (the previous was 8; not counting teams eliminated from CL or EL).

[Greyn]

Congrats to Legia and all the Poles!

I have a bad message for you, bugy. I did not count points yet, but I believe I had a good day in the Gimli Cup.

Good for you. Congratulations! Main thing you have 2 teams in Europe!

Yes. Before the qualifiers started I wrote somewhere here on the forum that I would be satisfied if 2/4 Polish clubs will qualify for the GS football. I was almost sure that Pogoń will not make it, so 3 Polish clubs were remaining - Raków, Legia and Lech. I gave much better chance to Raków&Lech duo, than Raków&Legia, but of course I have nothing against the fact that Legia replaced Lech.

[Polak]

It could have been 3. Lech really messed up an opportunity. I think that would have been the first time ever we would have 3 teams in the groups. It wasn't to be though. I agree though I'm satisfied with two, since usually it's 1, or none.

[Greyn]

Legia qualified for group stage despite conceding 13 goals in 6 matches. This is the new record (the previous was 8 ).

And went out before GS after conceding 1 goal in 6 qualifying matches 4 years ago.

[Polak]

I see no Spanish team again. 3 seasons of Conference League. Twice the Spanish team didn't qualify, and once they fielded their B team throughout.

[Sillu1991]

Lille score in 110.

Jonathan David. He should have been at Arsenal.

Why?

[bugylibicska]

Lille score in 110.

Jonathan David. He should have been at Arsenal.

Why?

I've read a few days ago that Arsenal got interested in signing him and I've thought he might travel to London instead of Rijeka.

[Pete Wisdom]

Legia qualified for group stage despite conceding 13 goals in 6 matches. This is the new record (the previous was 8 ).

And went out before GS after conceding 1 goal in 6 qualifying matches 4 years ago.

Eight matches.

[MercedesBenz240]

Just returned from Elbasan. Painful but if you told me we'd be so close to the ECL GS after the BATE loss I wouldn't have believed you. Two equally poor teams in terms of playing football, in the end it was all about psychology. After the 1st half Partizani looked like they would easily win with 2-3 goals difference, Astana made us look like Man City. I don't know what the coach told them in the dressing rooms but they managed to score immediately after showing no signs of life in the first 45 minutes. From that moment Partizani players shut down mentally and Astana had much more confidence and control. We struggle scoring even when we are in control of the game, let alone in the opposite scenario, only a miracle could give us a goal which predictably did not happen. 6 years since the last Albanian participation in European group stage. God knows who will be next...

[Jua Ferreira]

any country restriction for GS draw apart from same association?

[hooligan83]

when we observe total matches, only surprise of these rounds is sparta prag and maybe lenggia warsow (a little bit)..all other teams who pass the rounds are as expacted...

[matt]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NlRiyJatH7g

The Sepsi goal disallowed look onside. How can this be offside to VAR?

The second Bodo goal looks offside, while some doubts remain for the first Bodo goal (disallowed).

Bodo's keeper almost gifted the qualification to Sepsi at the end of the regular time, also on the two Sepsi goals he was really bad.
Just a bad day or Bodo does not have a better keeper?