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## Europa League Group Stage Finale: A Night of Drama and Decisive Clashes
The final whistle has blown on the Europa League’s initial group phase, culminating in a thrilling night of football across the continent. Mirroring its Champions League counterpart, all 18 pivotal fixtures unfolded simultaneously on Thursday evening, delivering a cascade of triumphs, heartbreaks, and qualification drama.
While some clubs had already secured their passage to the knockout rounds, anticipation hung heavy for the 36 teams vying for their destiny. English giants Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest were among those with confirmed places, with the Villans cruising directly to the last-16, and the Tricky Trees set for the play-offs. Elsewhere, Celtic battled fiercely for a chance to extend their European journey, while heavyweights like Porto, Real Betis, and Roma pushed to secure coveted top-eight finishes.
Relive the best of the action from a truly unforgettable final matchday.
### Celtic 4-2 FC Utrecht: Hoops Seal Playoff Berth
Celtic Park witnessed an exhilarating encounter as the Scottish side secured their spot in the Europa League knockout phase play-offs with a commanding 4-2 victory over FC Utrecht. The Hoops wasted no time igniting the scoreboard, with Benjamin Nygren striking early, turning in Kieran Tierney’s precise delivery within six minutes. Momentum continued as Nygren’s high press forced an unfortunate own goal from Nick Viergever. By the 19th minute, Celtic had extended their advantage further after VAR intervened to award a penalty for a Dani de Wit handball, which Arne Engels calmly converted.
Utrecht refused to capitulate, pulling one back through De Wit just before the break. Adrian Blake’s stunning long-range effort early in the second half briefly raised tensions, trimming Celtic’s lead. However, the hosts quickly extinguished any hopes of a full comeback when Auston Trusty rose to glance Engels’ corner into the net, restoring their two-goal cushion. This victory propels Celtic into the knockout phase playoffs, where they await either Stuttgart or Ferencvarosi.
### Porto 3-1 Rangers: Dragons Roar to Secure Top-Eight Spot
Porto demonstrated their resilience at the Estadio do Dragao, overcoming an early setback to clinch a decisive 3-1 home win against Rangers, securing a vital fifth-placed finish in the Europa League standings. The visitors stunned the home crowd after just six minutes when Djeidi Gassama headed in Findlay Curtis’ cross, putting immediate pressure on the Portuguese giants.
However, Porto responded with composure. Rodrigo Mora levelled the score on 27 minutes, capitalising on high pressure to finish from close range. The turnaround was completed nine minutes later, courtesy of a defensive lapse from James Tavernier, allowing Francisco Moura to tap in. Porto further solidified their control before half-time, as Emmanuel Fernandez unfortunately headed into his own net from William Gomes’ corner, giving the hosts a comfortable lead. Despite Rangers dominating possession after the interval, they struggled to carve out clear-cut opportunities, allowing Porto to comfortably see out the game and confirm their place among the competition’s elite eight.
### Lille 1-0 Freiburg: Late Penalty Seals Dramatic Win
Lille emerged victorious from a tightly contested battle against Freiburg, securing a slender 1-0 home win at Stade Pierre-Mauroy thanks to a dramatic stoppage-time penalty. For much of the match, both sides cancelled each other out in midfield, resulting in a cagey affair with limited genuine chances. Lille showed slightly more attacking intent after the break, forcing several key saves from Freiburg goalkeeper Noah Atubolu, while the German side remained a threat on the counter.
The game’s complexion drastically changed in the 74th minute when Maximilian Eggestein received a red card for a foul on Matias Fernandez-Pardo, leaving Freiburg with ten men. Inspired by their numerical advantage, Lille pressed relentlessly and were rewarded deep into added time. Fernandez-Pardo was again central to the action, drawing a foul in the box. Substitute Olivier Giroud stepped up, coolly dispatching the resulting penalty into the top-right corner to snatch a crucial victory.
### Lyon 4-2 PAOK: Comeback Kings Claim Victory in Goal Fest
Lyon staged a magnificent comeback to defeat PAOK 4-2, with a flurry of late goals ultimately deciding a thrilling contest that remained finely balanced deep into the second half. PAOK struck first after 20 minutes, with Giorgos Giakoumakis capitalising on a corner-induced scramble in the Lyon box. The hosts responded in the 33rd minute through Remi Himbert, who equalised on the break following excellent work down the right flank.
The match took another turn before the interval when Giannis Konstantelias received a second booking, leaving PAOK with ten men. Lyon capitalised after the restart, taking the lead as Khalis Merah finished low from the left. Yet, resilient PAOK, despite being a man down, found an equaliser through Soualiho Meite’s header from a corner. Adam Karabec missed a penalty late on but quickly redeemed himself with a composed finish in the 88th minute, before assisting Alejandro Rodriguez in stoppage time to seal a memorable victory.
### Panathinaikos 1-1 Roma: Honours Even After Early Red Card
Panathinaikos and Roma shared the spoils in a 1-1 draw, a match significantly influenced by an early red card and second-half goals. Roma found themselves reduced to ten men after just 15 minutes when Gianluca Mancini was dismissed following a VAR review for a high challenge. This forced the visitors to adopt a more cautious approach for extended periods.
Despite their numerical advantage, Panathinaikos struggled to convert possession into clear-cut chances before the break, with efforts from Bakasetas and Katris failing to hit the target. Roma, even shorthanded, still posed a threat, with Pisilli and Tsimikas testing Alban Lafont from distance. The hosts eventually broke the deadlock in the 58th minute when Vicente Taborda finished from a tight angle after sustained pressure. Roma, showing admirable grit, responded 12 minutes later, as Jan Ziolkowski rose unmarked from a set piece to head home the equaliser. Both sides pushed for a winner in the dying moments, but neither could find that decisive breakthrough.
### Real Betis 2-1 Feyenoord: Betis Hold On for Crucial Home Win
Real Betis secured a hard-fought 2-1 home victory over Feyenoord, building a strong first-half lead before repelling a late surge from the Dutch side. Betis started brightly, taking the lead in the 17th minute when Antony expertly cut in from the right and unleashed a left-footed strike into the top corner from range.
Feyenoord had opportunities to respond, with Cyle Larin and Casper Tengstedt both going close, but they were punished again just after the half-hour mark. Antony was once more the orchestrator, delivering a cross that Abdessamad Ezzalzouli met with a close-range header to double Betis’s advantage. Feyenoord intensified their efforts after the break and were given a lifeline in the 77th minute when Tengstedt scored from long range to reduce the deficit. The visitors pressed hard in stoppage time, creating anxiety through set pieces and crosses, but Betis’s defence held firm to see out a vital win.
### All Europa League Matchday Six Results
Here’s a complete rundown of all the scores from the final group stage matchday:
* Aston Villa 3-2 RB Salzburg
* Basel 0-1 Viktoria Plzen
* Celtic 4-2 FC Utrecht
* FCSB 1-1 Fenerbahce
* FC Midtjylland 2-0 Dinamo Zagreb
* Porto 3-1 Rangers
* Crvena Zvezda 1-1 Celta Vigo
* Genk 2-1 Malmo
* Go Ahead Eagles 0-0 Braga
* Lille 1-0 Freiburg
* Ludogorets Razgrad 1-0 Nice
* Lyon 4-2 PAOK
* Maccabi Tel Aviv 0-3 Bologna
* Nottingham Forest 4-0 Ferencvaros
* Panathinaikos 1-1 Roma
* Real Betis 2-1 Feyenoord
* Sturm Graz 1-0 Brann
* Stuttgart 3-2 Young Boys
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