By Eden Roitfarb and Yossi Medina
We’re now officially reaching the last moments of the Europa Conference League group stage, where every win counts and every goal can be decisive.
Here are the best moment from matchday five.
Villa qualify, Legia wait for AZ
The late game in Group E between Aston Villa and Legia Warsaw kicked off to news from the Netherlands that AZ beat Zrinjski, thus securing Aston Villa’s qualification for the next round.
But Unai Emery’s boys also wanted to take a step towards first place in the group, and avenge the 3-2 defeat from matchday 2 in Warsaw.
Moussa Diaby made it 1-0 to the hosts after 3 minutes, only for Ernese Muci to capitalize on a terrible error from Boubacar Kamara and equalize.
The last word came from Alex Moreno, the Spanish defender who returns from injury and played his first game of the season - which he capped off with a winner after 58 mins.
Legia and AZ will face each other in the final matchday in a direct game for qualification, with the Poles needing just a draw.
After the drama off the pitch the two sides experienced in Alkmaar, this sure will be a fiery encounter.
🌟 Moussa Diaby 💪#UECL pic.twitter.com/XXqA4WyrrK
— UEFA Europa Conference League (@europacnfleague) November 30, 2023
Fenerbahce hammered in Denmark
What is going on with Fenerbahce?
The hottest team to start the season in Europe, with 19 wins straight in all competitions, has suddenly gone cold.
And today they totally froze in Nordsjælland, suffering a 6-1 battering.
After Ludogorets’ last second winner in Trnava, Fenerbahce suddenly find themselves in third place heading into the final matchday.
The next two weeks will not be calm in Istanbul.
Benjamin Nygren scored a hat-trick for the Danes, who have amassed 14 goals in their three home games so far.
Benjamin Nygren 💪
— UEFA Europa Conference League (@europacnfleague) November 30, 2023
🔴 Nordsjælland are cruising 😎#UECL pic.twitter.com/lds9aSY9fJ
Pesic breaks Serbian hearts
It was a dramatic evening in Group F, as Ferencvaros, Genk and Fiorentina went up and down the rankings like a yo-yo.
But for Ferencvaros, the task should have been much simpler, as they struggled away in Serbia, against Cukaricki, who had started the day without any points.
Luka Adzic fired them ahead after 10 minutes to really put the Hungarians to the test.
Only in the 83rd minute they found an equalizer through Kristoffer Zachariassen, and it seemed like a draw was on the cards.
However, with the final kick of the game, Serbian striker Aleksandar Pesic managed to win it on Serbian soil and break local hearts.
He celebrated with the infamous Messi shirt drop, and put his team in prime position for qualification.
Fives in Group D
Group D completed the race for the top two spots, as Club Brugge and Bodo Glimt scored five goals each.
Club Brugge made a shocking 5-0 win in Istanbul against Besiktas.
For the Belgians it's the highest win in a European competition since 2002, while Besiktas equaled their highest home defeat in European competition since they lost to Dynamo Kyiv back in 1987.
Bodo Glimt clinched their spot in the next stage, as they beat Lugano 5-2.
The Norwegian side, that made its group stage debut two years ago, will play in the Europa Conference League knockouts for the third year in a row.
In the last matchday, Club Brugge will host Bodo Glimt for the decisive match on the first place.
🎉 What a night for Club Brugge! 😍#UECL pic.twitter.com/tSishut8Jb
— UEFA Europa Conference League (@europacnfleague) November 30, 2023
Early kickoff in Iceland
Due to bad weather in Iceland, Breidablik had to host Maccabi Tel Aviv earlier than usual - at 1300.
Yet the Icelandic champions failed to take any advantage, as Maccabi Tel Aviv won 2-1 with a winning goal of Eran Zahavi in the 82nd minute.
Zahavi scored his 14th Europa Conference League goal, putting him in the top five all-time top scorers in the competition.
Maccabi Tel Aviv cannot host their last match against Gent in Israel due to the ongoing war Israel-Hamas war, and they will have to travel to Serbia, hoping to take first place in the group.
Aston Villa saw off Lille, while Olympiakos got Fenerbahçe in trouble. Yossi Medina and Eden Roitfarb recapped all the Conference League quarter-final first-leg action.
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Egypt pushed Argentina to the limit in a 3-2 World Cup thriller, but left the pitch furious at the referee and convinced justice was denied.
Ayoub Bouaddi chose Morocco over France at 18 and lit up a quarter-final about colonial history, dual identity, and what it means to belong.
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Egypt beat Australia on penalties in Dallas to reach the last 16 for the first time, with Salah's Panenka the highlight of a historic night.
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Messi and the Jordanian Messi both scored as Argentina beat Jordan 3-1 in Arlington, with records broken and keffiyehs flying in the stands.
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Saibari scored inside two minutes as Morocco beat Scotland 1-0 in Boston, leaving the Scots on the very brink of 2026 World Cup elimination.
Senegal relived their legendary 2002 magic for an hour, but Kylian Mbappe struck twice to sink them and seal France's 3-1 win in New Jersey.
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Crystal Palace beat Rayo Vallecano in Leipzig to win the Conference League in the most romantic underdog final in European football history.
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