By Eden Roitfarb and Yossi Medina
The Europa Conference League has provided us with a great night of entertainment, with drama and some sensational moments.
Here are the best moments from the second leg of the round of 16.
Sensation in Spain
The favourites are out!
In arguably the most surprising result of the day, Anderlecht headed to Villareal, shocking the hosts with a 1-0 victory.
A goal from Islam Slimani saw the visitors go through 2-1 on aggregate.
It has been a rollercoaster campaign for Villareal, who won four games under Unai Emery, and failed to win any of the next four under Quique Setien.
Even their return to the Estadio de la Ceramica wasn't any help, as the Spanish side disappointed once again.
Anderlecht join Gent in the quarter finals, meaning a quarter of the teams in the round will be Belgian.
Good morning, Sporting. 🟣⚪️ pic.twitter.com/lPja3kkLzW
— RSC Anderlecht (@rscanderlecht) March 17, 2023
An early Roman exit
There will be no repeat for the city of Rome this year, as Lazio failed in their quest to mimic their city rivals' feat of winning the Conference League.
The Italians lost 4-2 on aggregate to AZ Alkmaar.
Coming into the second leg already 2-1 down, it was always going to be a tough task, despite being considered the stronger side going into this tie.
Felipe Anderson opened the scoring for the visitors in the 21st minute, but Jesper Karlsson equalized immediately with a swerving shot from distance.
Vangelis Pavlidis was on hand to finish off the Italians just after the hour mark.
Alkmaar are a team no one will want to meet in the quarters.
𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐓𝐄𝐀𝐌 ❤️#AZ #azlaz #UECL pic.twitter.com/sQVxESf73O
— AZ (@AZAlkmaar) March 16, 2023
Fiorentina on the road
After a narrow 1-0 win in the first leg, Fiorentina were hoping to qualify for the next stage.
Sivasspor hosted the second leg and provided a warm welcome for their Italian guests.
Erdoğan Yeşilyurt scored first for Sivasspor, but it didn’t help his side.
Arthur Cabral, Nikola Milenković, Gaetano Castrovilli, and an own goal by Dimitrios Goutas made it a 4-1 win for Fiorentina.
It’s the ninth time that Fiorentina will play in the quarter-finals of a European competition, and their first since 2015, when they did it in the Europa League.
✅✅✅✅✅✅✅✅
— ACF Fiorentina (@acffiorentina) March 16, 2023
Otto vittorie consecutive in Europa ⚜️#ForzaViola #SivassporFiorentina #ACFFiorentina #UECL pic.twitter.com/HWADmMoU0g
More momentum for Nice
A team peaking at the exact right moment this season is French side Nice, who had a pretty tough first half but now seem to be on a roll in all competitions.
Since taking over as manager, Didier Digard is undefeated in 12 matches, and today completed the task vs Sheriff Tiraspol with a 3-1 win in the Allianz Riviera - 4-1 on aggregate.
Nice are the only French team left in a European competition, and will hope to bring back some local pride.
The Moldovans are out for this year, but can be very happy with their European campaign as a whole.
Bonjour Nice ❤️🖤
— OGC Nice (@ogcnice) March 17, 2023
Bien dormi ?#OGCNice #UECL #OGCNFCS pic.twitter.com/xYIVbnht3w
The Hammers hammer AEK
The West Ham v AEK Larnaca battle was pretty much settled last week in Cyprus, and today’s game was more of a stress-free environment for all involved.
The Irons from east London easily came out victorious 4-0 on the night, and 6-0 on aggregate to go through.
18-year-old Divin Mubama scored his first goal for the club, as Jarrod Bowen netted a double and Gianluca Scamacca added one of his own.
David Moyes can still dream of winning his first major trophy this year.
Our record goalscorer in Europe! ⚒️ pic.twitter.com/sngSCSytIU
— West Ham United (@WestHam) March 16, 2023
A tragic draw for Slovan Bratislava
Slovan Bratislava had an opportunity to do something special in front of their home fans, as they hosted Basel after a 2-2 draw in the first leg.
When both teams played each other in Slovakia during the group stage, Slovan Bratislava had a two-goal lead before capitulating.
Last night, they again led by two goals, when Malik Abubakari and Juraj Kucka scored.
Riccardo Calafiori scored for Basel, and in the 93rd minute, Zeki Amdouni scored their second.
The game went to penalties, and in the shootout Slovan Bratislava failed.
Basel won 4-1 and qualified for the quarter-finals.
M E N T A L I T Ä T#FCBasel1893 #MirSinBasel #UECL #SKSBFCB #rotblaulive pic.twitter.com/LN6yqaxPyf
— FC Basel 1893 (@FCBasel1893) March 16, 2023
Lech Poznan is unstoppable
The Polish champions had another Europa Conference League night to remember.
They defeated Djurgarens 2-0 in the first leg, and all they had to do was to hold on to their lead.
It took 77 minutes until Filip Marchwiński scored the first for Lech Poznan before, in added time, Nika Kvekveskiri and Michał Skóraś rounded out a 3-0 win.
No Polish team has reached the quarters of any European competition since Legia Warsaw made it to this stage in the 1996 Champions League.
It’s looking like a great opportunity for them in the Europa Conference League this season.
💙🤍 𝐑𝐎𝐃𝐙𝐈𝐍𝐀#UECL pic.twitter.com/3rKx2h6Hn6
— Lech Poznań (@LechPoznan) March 16, 2023
Gift Orban leads Gent
In the early match of the round, Gent traveled to Istanbul to play Basaksehir.
After a 1-1 draw in the first leg, no one could imagine such an impressive match.
Gift Orban scored the equaliser for Gent last week and, since then, he has scored four goals in a single league match.
In this match he put on another outstanding performance, scoring a hat-trick in under four minutes.
Hugo Cuypers scored another goal for Gent, and a late one from Adnan Januzaj didn’t make any difference to the outcome of the match.
Gent has only played in a European quarter-final once before this, and that was back in 1992.
Edited by Alex Smith
⏰ 3 minutes & 25 seconds ⏰
— UEFA Europa Conference League (@europacnfleague) March 15, 2023
Gift Orban has scored the fastest hat-trick in UEFA club competitions 👏@KAAGent || #UECL pic.twitter.com/oWJVllmV2a
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.
The Conference League round of 16 has been concluded, with a shocking exit for Maccabi Tel Aviv, a respectful performance by Maccabi Haifa and a series of massive results elsewhere on the continent.
For the first time since Oct. 7, 2023, Palestinian club football returns this weekend as 226 teams compete across three war-scarred regions.
After nine years at Liverpool, Salah left for Trabzonspor — the money, the family, and the love of being the underdog all played their part.
Spain defeated Argentina 1-0 in the 2026 World Cup Final, ending Lionel Messi's dream World Cup with heartbreak.
Thousands of Argentina fans transformed Times Square before the 2026 World Cup final, all united to thank Lionel Messi.
Spain were ruthless in Dallas as Oyarzabal and Dani Olmo starred, leaving France's Bastille Day to end in deep disappointment for Deschamps.
Norway outplayed England for most of a sweltering Miami classic, but two Bellingham strikes in extra time sent the Three Lions to the semis.
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.
Merino's late goal gave Spain a 1-0 win over Portugal as Ronaldo left the World Cup stage in tears in what many believe was his final match.
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.
Diop headed Morocco level in the 91st minute and Saibari slotted the winner in the shootout as Morocco reached the World Cup quarter-finals.
Messi and the Jordanian Messi both scored as Argentina beat Jordan 3-1 in Arlington, with records broken and keffiyehs flying in the stands.
France beat Iraq 3-0 in Philadelphia, but the two-hour lightning delay stole the show, making it officially the longest World Cup game ever.
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.
Qatar stole a last-gasp draw from Switzerland and Morocco held Brazil 1-1 — two results that announced Arab football’s full arrival at 2026.
Azteca stadium hosts its third World Cup as Mexico City buzzes with pride, protest, and the deep belief that football has always lived here.
Crystal Palace beat Rayo Vallecano in Leipzig to win the Conference League in the most romantic underdog final in European football history.
Maccabi Tel Aviv edge Hapoel Be'er Sheva 2–1 in a dramatic Israeli Cup Final at Teddy Stadium, denying the champions a historic Double.
With tensions easing, Iran’s 2026 World Cup participation remains uncertain, as FIFA, politics, and regional dynamics collide.
CAF shocks African football by stripping Senegal’s title and awarding Morocco the AFCON crown after a chaotic final decision.
From silent protests to daring escapes, Iran’s women footballers turned a tournament into a global story of courage, politics, and survival.
Iran’s women’s team protested, faced threats, and signaled SOS in Australia—now their fate is uncertain amid calls for asylum.
From geopolitics to spectacle, Trump looms over World Cup 2026—reshaping football, power, and culture in the biggest tournament ever.
FIFA joins Gaza rebuilding plans, restoring stadiums, pitches, and youth programs, supporting football and hope in the Strip.
From Nigeria’s Mavlon academy to Viktoria Plzeň and the Europa League dream: Salim Fago’s journey is just beginning in Europe.
From Benzema’s shock move to Ronaldo’s protest, a chain reaction in Saudi football is shaking the entire project and the global game.
A Hitchcock-style AFCON final in Rabat saw chaos, controversy and brilliance as Senegal stunned Morocco to claim their second African title.
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