UEFA Conference League: A Key Stat from Every Round of 16 First-Leg Tie

The UEFA Conference League continues to deliver thrilling moments, with the first legs of the round of 16 concluding last Thursday. Here’s a noteworthy stat from each of the eight fixtures.

7 – Panathinaikos secured a remarkable home victory, defeating Fiorentina 3-2. The Greek side surged ahead with two quick goals in a frenzied first half before netting their winning goal just before the hour mark. This marked the seventh triumph for the Greek club against Italian teams, their last such victory dating back to 2010 when they faced AS Roma in the Europa League round of 32, where they progressed with a 3-2 aggregate.

3 – Molde raced to an impressive 3-0 lead against Legia Warszawa on their home turf. Despite a valiant effort from the Polish side to mount a comeback, Molde managed to hold firm and ended the match with a 3-2 win. Competing in this knockout stage for the second consecutive year, the Norwegians have now bested Legia in their last three encounters, having won both legs of the previous season’s knockout playoffs before ultimately falling to Club Brugge. Notably, Molde has scored three goals in each of their victories against Legia.

4 – Chelsea faced a tough contest during their visit to Denmark but came away with a narrow 2-1 win over FC Kobenhavn. Remarkably, all seven fixtures in the Conference League proper have resulted in victories for Enzo Maresca’s squad. This marks the first occasion in four years that Chelsea has achieved four consecutive away wins in Europe within the same season, a feat they repeated during the season in which they clinched the Champions League title.

13 – Vitoria Guimaraes managed to hold Real Betis to a 2-2 draw, despite the Spaniards looking to secure their first European quarter-final berth in 27 years and leading the match on two occasions. The Portuguese side remains unbeaten in their 13 European matches this season, including qualifying rounds. The only other team yet to suffer a defeat in Europe this season is Manchester United in the Europa League.

6 – Paphos are relishing their inaugural European campaign, adding another home victory to their astounding record. The Cypriots defeated Djurgarden 1-0, putting them in a favourable position for the return leg in Sweden. This result marked their sixth clean sheet of the season, all of which have come at home (including qualifiers); no remaining team in the Conference League has achieved more. They have conceded only twice across their eight UECL home matches this campaign, winning seven.

11 – Celje are also making headlines in the UECL with a 1-0 triumph over Lugano. A goal in the first half puts them within touching distance of a significant upset against a Lugano team that had lost just once in the league phase. Celje remain unbeaten in their last 11 home outings in Europe (7 wins, 4 draws, 0 losses) since their defeat to Vitoria Guimaraes in the second qualifying round last term, and they have not lost against Swiss clubs (1 win, 2 draws, 0 losses).

5 – Jagiellonia Bialystok have displayed formidable form at home in the Conference League this season, thrashing 10-man Cercle Brugge 3-0 to place themselves in a strong position in the tie. They are now unbeaten in their last five UECL home matches, winning four and keeping four clean sheets. Meanwhile, Cercle has become the first team in club history to concede three or more goals in a European away match for the fifth time, and the second time this season after a similar fate against Vikingur Reykjavik during the league phase.

14 – Borac Banja Luka and Rapid Wien battled to a 1-1 draw in Bosnia, with the hosts equalising in the 92nd minute through a penalty. This sets up an exhilarating second leg in Austria on Thursday. Borac recorded 14 shots in the match, which is the second-highest number they have achieved in the UECL proper, only surpassed by their league phase win against LASK, where they fired off six additional attempts.