The Europa League’s second-ever “league phase” served up a chaotic Thursday night, headlined by Lille’s gritty 1–0 win at Roma and Aston Villa’s statement victory away to Feyenoord. The revamped format features 36 clubs in one table playing eight opponents across the phase, with matchday 2 completed on October 2.
What happened
- Roma 0–1 Lille — An early strike from Hákon Arnar Haraldsson stood up thanks to a remarkable finale: Lille keeper Berke Özer saved three consecutive penalties (two retakes for encroachment) to preserve the points at the Olimpico.
- Feyenoord 0–2 Aston Villa — Unai Emery’s side earned an assured away win, with Emiliano Buendía and John McGinn on the scoresheet to cap a controlled display.
- Nottingham Forest 2–3 Midtjylland — Forest’s set-piece frailties proved costly as the Danes snatched a wild away win at a tense City Ground.
- Celtic 0–2 Braga — A milestone road win for Braga in Glasgow kept their strong start intact.
- Porto 2–1 Crvena Zvezda — The Portuguese giants took care of business at home.
- Panathinaikos 1–2 Go Ahead Eagles — The Dutch side nicked it in Athens to continue an eye-catching European campaign.
- Lyon 2–0 Salzburg, Basel 2–0 Stuttgart, Ludogorets 0–2 Real Betis, Fenerbahçe 2–1 Nice, Genk 0–1 Ferencváros, Maccabi Tel-Aviv 1–3 Dinamo Zagreb, and more rounded out a busy slate across the continent. For the full official list of results, see UEFA’s match centre.
One big storyline
Rangers’ defensive woes deepen. A 2–1 defeat at Sturm Graz left Rangers matching an unwanted club record: 22 straight matches without a clean sheet, a run dating back to the Victorian era. The pressure ratchets up on Russell Martin after a winless Europa start.
What’s next
The league phase resumes on October 23 (Matchday 3) and continues on November 6, November 27, December 11, then into January 2026 before the knockout brackets are set. The final is on May 20, 2026 at Beşiktaş Park in Istanbul.
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