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- Urs Fischer’s Mainz 05 qualified directly for the round of 16 of the Conference League thanks to a 2-0 win against Samsunspor.
- Dereck Kutesa was among the scorers in AEK Athens‘ dramatic 3-2 win against Universitatea Craiova.
- Lausanne surprised against Fiorentina and narrowly missed direct qualification for the round of 16.
Mainz 05 – Samsunspor 2:0
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Mainz 05 continues to move in two worlds. While coach Urs Fischer’s team is at the bottom of the table in the Bundesliga, things are still going smoothly in Europe. Thanks to their fourth win in their sixth league game, Mainz have qualified directly for the round of 16 and are in the knockout phase of a European competition for the first time in the club’s history. Captain Silvan Widmer also took center stage against Samsunspor. The national team player, who had been missing recently, scored 1-0 shortly before half-time. Just a few minutes after the restart, Nadiem Amiri increased the score to 2-0 with a penalty.
AEK Athens – Universitatea Craiova 3:2
Dereck Kutesa’s substitution had an immediate effect on AEK Athens, at least at first glance. The Swiss striker came into the game in the 64th minute, and in the 65th minute his teammate Domagoj Vida scored to make it 1-2. However, Kutesa did not have his feet involved when he scored. But the Swiss international had saved his goal for the end. In the 8th minute of stoppage time he scored the much celebrated 2-2 equalizer and shot his team straight into the round of 16. In the 105th (!) minute, Luka Jovic went one better from the spot.
Crystal Palace – KuPS Kuopio 2:2
Crystal Palace has meanwhile missed out on direct entry into the round of 16. The 5th place in the Premier League couldn’t get beyond a 2-2 draw against the guests from Kuopio, Finland. With the advantage, the Londoners managed to equalize in the 76th minute. However, given the market values (501 vs. 7.5 million euros), one point also amounts to a minor embarrassment.
Strassburg – Breidablik 3:1
Strasbourg was the only team to have already made it to the round of 16 before the final matchday. The French ended the league phase with a victory, as befits their status. Martial Godo scored the decisive goal to make it 2-1 for the superior home team in the 80th minute.
More games on Thursday
Conference League
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