UEFA Europa League: A Key Stat from Every Knockout Round Playoff Second Leg

The knockout round playoffs of the UEFA Europa League have concluded, with eight teams securing their places in the Round of 16. Thursday was filled with thrilling moments. Here’s a standout statistic from each of the second legs.

13 – AZ Alkmaar have made a highly anticipated return to the Round of 16. They drew 2-2 at Galatasaray, alongside their 4-1 victory in the first leg, progressing with a 6-3 victory on aggregate. While the Turkish club faced elimination, they still managed to extend their scoring record in the Europa League, marking 13 consecutive matches with a goal. Their last blank came three years ago in the Round of 16 against Barcelona.

4 – FCSB became one of the only two clubs to win both of their knockout playoff fixtures. Their 2-0 win over PAOK in Romania sealed a 4-1 aggregate victory. The Romanians have now won their last four Europa League knockout home matches, achieving clean sheets in all of them. Their last home loss in this stage was back in the 2011/12 season, when Twente triumphed 1-0 in the Round of 32.

14 – Bodo/Glimt survived a thrilling contest against Twente, netting two goals in extra time to win 5-2 on the night and 6-4 on aggregate. This marks the Norwegians’ first appearance in the Europa League Round of 16, where they have scored the joint-most home goals this season, tallying 14 across five matches—averaging 2.8 goals per game.

8 – AS Roma faced a challenging match against Porto, needing to come from behind. However, the Giallorossi took full advantage of their numerical superiority, winning 3-2 at home to advance 4-3 on aggregate. Porto now finds themselves without a win in eight matches on Italian soil against Serie A clubs. Their last victory came against Roma during the Champions League playoff round in 2016.

7 – Real Sociedad also participated in a high-scoring match, but unlike Bodo/Glimt, they triumphed without extra time. They secured a 5-2 home victory over Midtjylland, progressing 7-3 overall. For La Real, it has been a long-awaited achievement—finally advancing past the knockout round after failing in their previous six attempts.

6 – Viktoria Plzen reversed their first-leg loss by defeating Ferencvaros 3-0 on the night, resulting in a 3-1 aggregate success. This victory sees Plzen reach the last 16 of a UEFA club competition for the second consecutive season. Meanwhile, Ferencvaros, who faced elimination at the same stage in the Conference League last year, now have six defeats against Czech teams (4 wins, 2 draws, 6 losses).

11 – Anderlecht were unable to overcome their 3-0 deficit from the first leg against Fenerbahce. A 2-2 draw in Brussels meant the Turkish club advanced with a 5-2 aggregate scoreline. The former UEFA Cup winners have now failed to win their last four Europa League matches, conceding 11 goals in that span. Notably, the 24th-ranked team from the league phase has progressed past the knockout playoffs.

28 – Ajax had to rally after going a man down against Union Saint-Gilloise. They required extra time to progress, losing 2-1 on the night but advancing 3-2 on aggregate. This defeat marks Ajax’s third loss at home in Europe this season, including qualifiers. Remarkably, the last time Ajax lost three European home matches in a single season was 28 years ago, when they reached the semi-finals of the UCL.