Ajax staged a dramatic comeback to avoid a surprise defeat, while Sturm Graz were the big winners in the UEFA Europa Conference League knockout stage first leg.
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Sturm Graz achieved a clear victory, 4-1 with Slovan Bratislava, on Thursday evening, at home, in the first leg of the play-off for the round of 16 of the Europa Conference League in football.
Ajax Amsterdam made a sensational comeback with Bodo/Glimt, drawing 2-2 after being 2-0 down. Albert Groenbaek scored a double (17, 64) for Sepsi OSK's former opponent Sfântu Gheorghe in the play-off of the competition, but the “lancers” got the equalizer after the Scandinavians remained in ten. Branco van den Boomen (90+1 – penalty) and Steven Berghuis (90+7) scored for Ajax. Ajax are still without a win in their last seven matches in the knockout stages of the UEFA competition
Dinamo Zagreb defeated Betis Sevilla away 1-0, thanks to Bruno Petkovic's goal (76 – penalty). The visitors have lost their previous seven UEFA competition away matches against Spanish sides.
Molde was 3-0 against Legia after less than half an hour, but the Poles scored twice in the second half and keep chances to reach the last eight after this failure at the limit (2-3).
Eintracht Frankfurt led Union Saint-Gilloise 2-0 after ten minutes in Belgium, but the hosts came back and equalized. Union SG have only managed to score in one of their last 11 home games in UEFA competition.
Moroccan Ayoub El Kaabi (83) scored the goal by which Olympiakos Piraeus defeated Ferencvaros Budapest, 1-0.
Results:
Molde FK – Legia Warsaw 3-2 They scored: Fredrik Gulbrandsen 12, 19, Markus Kaasa 24, respectively Josue 64, Rafal Augustyniak 71.
Olympiakos Piraeus – Ferencvaros Budapest 1-0 Scored: Ayoub El Kaabi 83.
Sturm Graz – Slovan Bratislava 4-1 They scored: Mika Biereth 4, Jon Gorenc-Stankovic 27, Otar Kiteişvili 64 – penalty, Amady Camara 90+1, respectively Gerson Rodrigues 8. Red card: Vladimir Weiss (Slovan) 78.
Union Saint-Gilloise – Eintracht Frankfurt 2-2 They scored: Mathias Rasmussen 31, Gustaf Nilsson 68, respectively Fares Chaibi 3, Sasa Kalajdzic 10. Red card: Charles Vanhoutte (Union) 78.
Ajax Amsterdam – Bodo/Glimt 2-2 They scored: Branco van den Boomen 90+1 – penalty, Steven Berghuis 90+7, respectively Albert Groenbaek 17, 64. Red card: Odin Luras Bjortuft (Bodo/Glimt) 90.
Maccabi Haifa – KAA Gent 1-0 Scored: Frantzdy Pierrot 65.
Real Betis Sevilla – Dinamo Zagreb 0-1 Scored: Bruno Petkovic 76 – penalty.
Servette Geneva – Ludogorets Razgrad 0-0
The second leg matches will take place on February 21 and 22.
