Bournemouth v Sturm Graz, Benfica v Celtic, and extra: Europa League – stay
Key occasions
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GOAL! Benfica 4-1 Celtic (Pavlidis, 89 mins)
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GOAL! Hearts 1-1 Nordsjaelland (Rojkjaer, 86 mins)
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GOAL! Bournemouth 2-0 Sturm Graz (Rayan, 76 mins)
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GOAL! Brighton 4-0 Kauno Zalgiris (O’Riley, 67 mins)
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GOAL! Benfica 3-1 Celtic (Camilo Duran, 63 mins)
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GOAL! Brighton 3-0 Kauno Zalgiris (Rutter, 53 mins)
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Half-time scores
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GOAL! Brighton 2-0 Kauno Zalgiris (Hinshelwood, 45+2 mins)
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GOAL! Brighton 1-0 Kauno Zalgiris (Rutter, 41 mins)
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GOAL! Bournemouth 1-0 Sturm Graz (Evanilson, 43 mins)
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GOAL! Benfica 3-0 Celtic (Duran, 36 mins)
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GOAL! Hearts 1-0 Nordsjaelland (McEntee, 33 mins)
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GOAL! Benfica 2-0 Celtic (Bah, 23 mins)
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GOAL! Benfica 1-0 Celtic (Duran, 5 mins)
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Penalty to Benfica!
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Teams!
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Preamble
GOAL! Benfica 4-1 Celtic (Pavlidis, 89 minutes)
One for the highway? Evangelos Pavlidis crowns a largely dominant Benfica efficiency with a late fourth.
GOAL! Hearts 1-1 Nordsjaelland (Rojkjaer, 86 minutes)
Hearts are, sure, damaged within the ultimate minutes! They’ve had twice as many photographs on track because the guests, greater than twice as many photographs on track, however it’s now 1-1, Reus profoundly wrong-footed when Rojkjaer’s shot from 20 yards comes off the pinnacle of McCart.
9.44pm: Meanwhile in League One Mansfield have now equalised in opposition to Oxford and have 5 minutes or so to discover a winner, their pursuit aided by the truth that Oxford are all the way down to 9 males, with Kioso and O’Donkor each getting booked twice.
9.39pm: Oooh, that could be a good hit! Mahamadou Nagida equalises for Rennes in opposition to OFI with a stunning outside-of-the-boot roller that leaves the keeper greedy at skinny air!
GOAL! Bournemouth 2-0 Sturm Graz (Rayan, 76 minutes)
Bournemouth double their lead! And this time it’s a goalkeeping error – Khudyakov comes to assert a Bournemouth nook however fairly than punch it he tries to catch, fails, and the ball falls to Rocha Rayan, who manages to keep away from hitting the now-prone keeper and hits the web with a low shot!
GOAL! Brighton 4-0 Kauno Zalgiris (O’Riley, 67 minutes)
Another defensive error! Brighton hit the submit and Kauno ought to clear the ball, however as an alternative their defender takes three touches, operating alongside the byline away from his purpose, each giving him a bit much less house than he had beforehand, earlier than giving it away as an alternative. It’s crossed in, and Matt O’Riley heads in neatly!
9.30pm: Brann have equalised in opposition to Lincoln Red Imps, and in additional methods than one: it’s now 10-10 in gamers after Lincoln’s Gabri was despatched off after receiving a second yellow card, and 1-1 in targets after Niklas Castro sends a wonderful free-kick in off the woodwork.
9.25pm: I’ve now seen that Celtic purpose, a nice run throughout his marker by Duran and a silly determination to return for a cross by Anatoliy Trubin, the Benfica goalkeeper. He’s overwhelmed to it, and Duran’s process at that time couldn’t have been simpler.
GOAL! Benfica 3-1 Celtic (Camilo Duran, 63 minutes)
Celtic are on the scoresheet on the Estadio da Luz! And it’s the third purpose of the night to be scored by somebody known as Duran. This doesn’t depend as a hat-trick.
9.19pm: Juventus have equalised at Celta Vigo due to some actually puzzling decision-making from Marcos Alonso. The ball is swung in from the left, and it dips fairly nastily simply because it reaches him, however he decides that fairly than head it away from hazard he’ll simply chest it straight to Woltemade, who merely sweeps it in.
GOAL! Brighton 3-0 Kauno Zalgiris (Rutter, 53 minutes)
A pleasant cross releases Osman into the left facet of the world, and he picks out a pull-back that leaves Rutter with one thing very near a tap-in, with the Kauno goalkeeper Svedkauskas fully out of place!
9.14pm: Ararat have conceded a frankly pathetic purpose. Goalkeeper passes to defender, who passes to a different defender, who miscontrols calamitously, and Ousmane Sow is left with a simple process from the sting of the world.
9.09pm: Celtic might not have scored however a former Celtic participant has: Mohamed Elyounoussi has given Copenhagen a 1-0 lead over Braga within the Conference League.
9.03pm: Play is restarting or, in a couple of fortunate locations, has already restarted. Strap yourselves in, it’s going to get hectic.
Half-time studying: right here’s a report on one they performed earlier:
And a little bit of an early-game round-up:
Half-time scores
Your half-timely scores in full on what has to date been a very good night time for the alphabetically earliest house groups in every European competitoin:
Europa League
Benfica 3-0 Celtic
Bournemouth 1-0 Sturm Graz
Celta Vigo 1-0 Juventus
Dinamo Zagreb 0-0 Anderlecht
Ferencvaros 0-0 Plzen
Hoffenheim 0-0 Besiktas
Jagiellonia Bialystock 2-1 Ararat Armenia
Marseille 0-1 Olympiacos
NEC 0-1 Levski Sofia
Rennes 0-1 OFI
Conference League
Atalanta 3-0 AE Pafos
Brann 0-0 Lincoln Red Imps
Brighton 1-0 Kauno Zalgiris
Copenhagen 0-0 Braga
Freiburg 1-1 Jablonec
Hearts 1-0 Nordsjaelland
Sint-Truiden 1-0 Iberia 1999
Twente 0-0 Thun
Sky Bet League One
Mansfield 0-1 Oxford Utd
GOAL! Brighton 2-0 Kauno Zalgiris (Hinshelwood, 45+2 minutes)
Goalless after 40 minutes, Brighton go in at half-time two up after Jack Hinshelwood’s purpose survives a VAR test to see if the ball went out of play within the build-up. They’ve had 10 photographs to date, three on track; Kauno are but to have an on-target shot of any type.
8.48pm: It is roughly half-timeish throughout Europe, half-time scores incoming.
GOAL! Brighton 1-0 Kauno Zalgiris (Rutter, 41 minutes)
Can’t lie, I’ve no thought what occurred right here. Look, you attempt watching 38 video games without delay.
GOAL! Bournemouth 1-0 Sturm Graz (Evanilson, 43 minutes)
What a header that’s! The ball is crossed in from the precise and met by Evanilson, on the close to facet of the close to submit, who by some means power-flicks it excessive, looping over the keeper and in on the far submit!
8.43pm: “If Benfica’s Duran Duran tribute act retains churning out the hits you may Save a Prayer for Celtic’s possibilities,” essays Peter Oh, whose earlier effort about Reflex saves was maybe higher however received misplaced in a barrage of targets, so is rewarded for persistence. Talking of which …
8.40pm: Sinisalo is in the precise place this time, although, to cease Prestianni’s shot.
GOAL! Benfica 3-0 Celtic (Duran, 36 minutes)
Celtic give the ball away on midway, two fast passes ship Duran operating into the world, and he pushes the ball fairly vast earlier than benefiting from Viljami Sinisalo’s puzzling positioning and ineffective star-jump to show the ball in with a low shot! This is wanting fairly grim for Martin O’Neill’s facet.
GOAL! Hearts 1-0 Nordsjaelland (McEntee, 33 minutes)
Hearts take the lead! A nook is swung into the world, hilariously miskicked by Mendy, headed goalwards, after which turned in from shut vary by Oisin McEntee!
6.34pm: Bournemouth hit the submit now, and it seems like a purpose could be very a lot coming in that one.
8.32pm: “Evening Simon,” writes Simon McMahon. “Celtic are all the time able to scoring, however I fear about them defensively. Well, I say fear, however I find it irresistible actually, as do most followers of different Scottish golf equipment, who for years have seen the self styled ‘Bhoys’ purchase their finest gamers for a pittance, win every thing domestically, after which blame ‘lack of competitors’ for his or her European failure. The proven fact that they’re nonetheless reminiscent of 1967, undoubtedly a big achievement on the time, but in addition almost 60 years in the past, solely confirms how far they’ve fallen.” You can’t actually blame Celtic for the very fact they discover it a bit arduous to win main European trophies nowadays, although, the entire planet of soccer has shifted in opposition to them.
8.30pm: Bournemouth have the ball within the web after a little bit of a post-corner scramble, however the referee harshly disallows it for some form of push or different (really, on reviewing, most likely a handball).
8.28pm: Celtic hassle the woodwork! Hogh hits one submit and, from the rebound, Duran hits the opposite one!
GOAL! Benfica 2-0 Celtic (Bah, 23 minutes)
Nice work down the left from Benfica, who play the ball round lengthy sufficient for your complete Celtic defence to fall totally asleep, whereupon the chip it into the field and onto the precise foot of Alexander Bah, whose run has gone unnoticed by the snoozing Celtic backline, and he volleys it in!
8.21pm: And it’s Celta Vigo 1-0 Juventus, Hugo Alvarez ultimately poking in after the ball was performed from the right-hand facet of the penalty space to the left.
8.20pm: And now they’re flying in! Atalanta double their lead by way of a penalty, Freiburg go a purpose up in opposition to Jablonec by way of Vincenzo Grifo’s glorious free-kick, and Sint-Truiden really do go 1-0 up in opposition to Iberia, their earlier opening purpose having been dominated out for offside.
8.18pm: Jagiellonia equalise! Kamil Jozwiak reaches the unfastened ball first to show within the rebound after his shot is saved.
8.15pm: More targets to report, as Sint-Truiden go 1-0 up in opposition to Iberia 1999 whereas Ararat take the lead at Jagiellonia Bialistyock, who’re undone by a purpose down the center and Zidane Banjaqui pokes it by way of the advancing goalkeeper’s legs simply earlier than the 2 of them collide.
8.12pm: OFI take the lead in opposition to Rennes, who play themselves into hassle as they’re pressed arduous. OFI nick the ball, cross it into the field and Taxiarchis Fountas is totally unmarked as he heads it again throughout the keeper and in.
8.10pm: Duran heads vast as Benfica go seeking a second.
GOAL! Benfica 1-0 Celtic (Duran, 5 minutes)
And Duran makes no mistake from the spot, lifting a cheeky Panenka over Sinisalo! Pretty harsh that penalty name, I worry.
Penalty to Benfica!
8.04pm: A ghastly begin for Celtic, who’ve conceded a penalty with not even 4 minutes on the clock after Jhon Duran hits the deckbbc. And in the meantime Atalanta have taken the lead in opposition to Pafos within the Conference League, Eljif Elmas capping a pleasant transfer by sweeping the ball house from the sting of the world.
8.01pm: Peeeeep! They’re off!
The gamers are on their method out! Kick-off is roughly 4 minutes, a number of handshakes, an anthem and numerous preambulatory actions away.
Pre-match studying: Here’s Jeff Rueter on Feyenoord’s Gjivai Zechiël, who is outwardly fairly good.
Nailing the pronunciation of Gjivai Zechiël could also be a problem for some, nevertheless it’ll be well worth the effort. The Dutch G is a guttural one, not struck with a tongue a lot as residing below one’s uvula like a congested H: kHEE-vye. The surname is a little more simple: ZEH-kee-el, a pure decrescendo of emphasis with each syllable.
Used in a sentence: Gjivai Zechiël is likely one of the hottest midfielders in Europe, having fun with arguably probably the most fast emergence of any high-level participant in 2026.
Much extra right here:
Martin O’Neill has a chat:
The supervisor [Marco Silva] got here right here as a result of he needed to win issues, and also you’ve received probability while you’re at Benfica. We should earn the precise to play, do plenty of issues off the ball, however most significantly while you’re on it, have the boldness. We’ll have the chance to play, and that’s precisely what you need: confidence in your self, and confidence in your teammates.
More crew information, this time from Bournemouth. If the title of the referee rings a bell, it could be as a result of he was the VAR who angered the whole of Egypt at this summer’s World Cup and prompted Marca to run through his “long history of controversies” (really not lengthy):
Bournemouth: Petrovic, Smith, Silva, Diakite, Soler, Tavernier, Cook, Adams, Doak, Rodriguez, Evanilson. Subs: Di Gregorio, Allan, Truffert, Hill, Brooks, Christie, Kluivert, Adli, Toth, Rayan.
Sturm Graz: Khudyakov, Malic, Quarshie, Petrovic, Balbo, Heil, Stankovic, Matoshi, Hodl, Seidl, Beganovic. Subs: Helac, Lorenz, Vallci, Kayombo, Diakite, Mate Grgic, Koller, Peinhart, Weinhandl, Halwachs, Petritsch.
Referee: Jerome Brisard (France).
Teams!
Team information is beginning to land and I’m going to pour all of it in right here, beginning with Benfica v Celtic and information that not solely is Camilo Durán however Jhon Durán begins for Benfica, making this very a lot a Durán v Durán affair, and if that isn’t an excuse for having fun with some nice 80s music I don’t know what’s.
Benfica: Trubin, Bah, Araujo, Lenglet, Dahl, Aursnes, Joao Palhinha, Lukebakio, Sudakov, Prestianni, Duran. Subs: Soares, Circati, Pavlidis, Manu, Barreiro, Schjelderup, Rafa Silva, Echeverri, Indio, El Karouani, Anisio Cabral, Freitas.
Celtic: Sinisalo, Donovan, Murray, Trusty, Tierney, McGregor, Baur, Duran, Sorensen, Tounekti, Hogh. Subs: Johnstone, Lotomba, Scales, Nygren, McCowan, Osmand, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Hassan, Forrest, Ralston, Clearie, Kennedy.
Referee: Nikola Dabanovic (Montenegro).
Preamble
Hello planet! We have 10 late Europa League video games to get our enamel into tonight, plus eight within the Conference League and a token effort from Mansfield and Oxford in League One, any of which we’d get distracted by if they give the impression of being thrilling sufficient. Bournemouth’s Marco Rose is hoping his crew get better from the “actual slap” they suffered by the hands of Chelsea on the weekend in opposition to Sturm Graz, whereas Celtic’s followers wait to seek out out if Camilo Duran’s little one has been born in time for the Colombian to make it to Lisbon to play Benfica. Elsewhere, two basic names of European membership soccer face one another as Anderlecht, former Uefa Cup and Cup Winners’ Cup winners, head to Dinamo Zagreb, former Fairs Cup winners and Cup Winners’ Cup semi-finalists, for what surprisingly is simply a fifth assembly, whereas Celta Vigo and Juventus play for the third time, with each earlier encounters having led to house wins.
Tonight’s fixtures in full, then (all 8pm until they clearly aren’t):
Europa League
Benfica v Celtic
Bournemouth v Sturm Graz
Celta Vigo v Juventus
Dinamo Zagreb v Anderlecht
Ferencvaros v Plzen
Hoffenheim v Besiktas
Jagiellonia Bialystock v Ararat Armenia
Marseille v Olympiacos
NEC v Levski Sofia
Rennes v OFI
And the sooner 5.45pm BST kick-offs:
AZ v Hapoel Beer Sheva
CM Celje v Omonia Nicosia
Lech Poznan v Bayer Leverkusen
Lyon v Crystal Palace
Red Bull Salzburg v Milan
Sparta Prague v Lillestrom
Torreense v Sunderland
Union Saint Gilloise v Real Sociedad
Conference League
Atalanta v AE Pafos
Brann v Lincoln Red Imps
Brighton v Kauno Zalgiris
Copenhagen v Braga
Freiburg v Jablonec
Hearts v Nordsjaelland
Sint-Truiden v Iberia 1999
Twente v Thun
And the sooner, 5.45pm kick-offs:
CSKA Sofia v Monaco
Egnatia v Midtjylland
Gent v AGF
Hajduk Split v Ajax
KuPS v Trabzonspor
Lugano v Red Star Belgrade
Mjallby AIF v Inter D’Escalde
Panathinaikos v Borac
Riga v Kairat
Universitatea Craiova v Getafe
Sky Bet League One
Mansfield v Oxford Utd
