Europa League Team of the Week: Plzen Stars Shine, Dybala Comes Through for Roma

The first knockout round of this season’s UEFA Europa League has wrapped up, delivering a wealth of unforgettable moments and intense drama. In this whirlwind of action, who emerged as the standout performers over the two legs?

Our Team of the Round features an XI selected based on collective performances across both matches, relying on our internal rating system. It’s worth mentioning that players had to feature in both games and clock up a minimum of 60 minutes to be considered.

Take a look at our Team of the Round below:

Goalkeeper

Remko Pasveer (Ajax) 7.6

Pasveer enjoyed a relatively calm first leg against Royale Union SG, maintaining a clean sheet. However, an early red card for Ajax in the second leg meant he faced a deluge of shots, rising to the occasion with an impressive eight saves, seven of which thwarted close-range attempts.

Defenders

Sampson Dweh (Plzen) 8.0

Plzen features three players in our selection after overcoming a first-leg loss to eliminate Ferencvaros, starting with Liberian defender Dweh. He was instrumental at the back, registering 21 clearances and seven tackles over the two matches.

Josip Sutalo (Ajax) 7.8

Sutalo made an impactful half-time introduction during Ajax’s first leg, helping secure the victory and formed the backbone of a youthful defence against relentless pressure for the entire second leg. At just 24, he’s become a significant leader in the squad.

Yusuf Akcicek (Fenerbahce) 7.8

While playing defensively, Akcicek left his mark in attack during both legs against Anderlecht. The 19-year-old contributed significantly by heading the ball to set up the opener in the home leg and netting the equaliser in Belgium.

Vaclav Jemelka (Plzen) 7.8

Jemelka was another defender to find the back of the net in the playoffs, igniting Plzen’s resurgence with an early corner-kick goal at home against Ferencvaros. He also fulfilled his defensive responsibilities admirably throughout both fixtures.

Midfielders

Paulo Dybala (Roma) 7.9

Roma secured a narrow aggregate victory of 4-3 over Porto in a thrilling encounter, with Dybala’s two goals in the second leg proving crucial. The Argentine’s deft finish equalised the score before he struck decisively again to put Roma ahead—marking his eighth competitive goal this season.

Mohammad Abu Fani (Ferencvaros) 7.6

Although Ferencvaros succumbed to Plzen, they showcased strong performances, especially in the first leg with a 1-0 win at home. Abu Fani distinguished himself by netting the winner with a deflected shot into the bottom corner, capping off a solid all-round performance.

Pavel Sulc (Plzen) 7.8

After a lacklustre performance in Budapest, Sulc redeemed himself at Plzen’s Doosan Arena, scoring with a well-executed finish and providing an assist for Rafiu Durosinmi in a compelling first-half display.

Forwards

Takefusa Kubo (Real Sociedad) 7.8

Sociedad advanced comfortably to the last 16 following a resounding 7-3 aggregate win against Danish side Midtjylland. Kubo was pivotal throughout the ties, scoring a vital goal in the first leg and creating numerous scoring opportunities in the return leg.

Edin Dzeko (Fenerbahce) 7.7

Dzeko was instrumental for Fenerbahce against Anderlecht, making vital contributions that tilted the tie in Jose Mourinho’s favour. He scored from close range in the first leg, giving his side a 2-0 lead, and then assisted Youssef En-Nesyri early in Belgium to confirm Fenerbahce’s advancement.

Adam Buksa (Midtjylland) 7.7

While Midtjylland ultimately fell short against Sociedad, Buksa can be pleased with his performances, bagging two goals and providing an assist over the two matches.