Europa Conference League knockout round play-off second legs: Game-by-game preview

Eintracht Frankfurt, Ajax and Ferencváros are among the big European names with work to do in the second legs if they are to make it through the UEFA Europa Conference League knockout round play-offs.

Get the lowdown on every game.

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Thursday 22 February

18:45: Ludogorets vs Servette (first leg: 0-0)

The Bulgarian champions were diligent and disciplined as they held on for a 0-0 draw in the first leg in Geneva, and won all three of their group stage home games without conceding, Ahead of the first leg, Ludogorets coach Georgi Dermendzhiev expressed his concern over Servette's ability to "exploit the weaknesses of their opponents", and he will be eager for complacency not to be his side's undoing at home.

"The good news from my point of view is the way we forced them to retreat in the second half," said Servette defender Steve Roullier after the first leg. Coach René Weiler is expecting a hard encounter. "Ludogorets have a good home record; they are skilful and experienced," he said. "But I also know that we are hard to play against. A 0-0 draw leaves everything open for the return leg."

Did you know?
Servette lost both of their previous games in Bulgaria without scoring: 3-0 at Slavia Sofia in 1967 and 1-0 at CSKA Sofia in 1998.

18:45: Dinamo Zagreb vs Real Betis (first leg: 1-0)

The Croatian champions rode their luck at times in Seville but emerged with their first-ever victory on Spanish soil thanks to Bruno Petković's second-half penalty. Head coach Sergej Jakirović is confident his team can finish the job in the return leg, saying: "Dinamo have played at a European level for many years. I believe in what I do and I told the players I believe they can play. This can be a big lift for us."

As for Betis coach Manuel Pellegrini, the Chilean admitted it was a "bad" day at the Estadio Benito Villamarín but feels his team created enough opportunities in the first leg to suggest they can cause Dinamo problems in the Croatian capital. "[We had] efforts from [Nabil] Fekir, a shot against the post from Willian José and another from Johnny [Cardoso] at the end," he said. "It was a shame, but we have to keep our heads up for the second leg."

Did you know?
Dinamo's first-leg victory was their first ever away win against Spanish opposition in UEFA competition (W1 L7).

18:45: Bodø/Glimt vs Ajax (first leg: 2-2)

Bodø/Glimt lost star striker Amahl Pellegrino to San Jose Earthquakes over the winter, but looked lively at Ajax, taking a 2-0 lead through two Albert Grønbæk goals before a red card, a Branco van den Boomen penalty and a Steven Berghuis lob – all in second-half added time – denied them a famous victory in Amsterdam. "We've risen from the dead," admitted Ajax boss John van't Schip, who will be confident that his side can put in a more convincing performance in the second leg.

Grønbæk admitted to "somewhat mixed feelings" after the first leg, but Bodø/Glimt can take pride and confidence in the way they managed to contain Ajax and pick them off on the break. "There are a lot of good things to take away and it's a good starting point," coach Kjetil Knutsen said. "We are good at Aspmyra, but then there are a number of tactical things that have to be considered."

Did you know?
Continental heavyweights Roma (6-1, 2-1), Celtic (2-0) and Beşiktaş (3-1) have all lost UEFA games away to Bodø/Glimt, along with Ajax's Eredivisie rivals AZ Alkmaar (2-1).

21:00: Slovan Bratislava vs Sturm Graz (first leg: 1-4)

Sturm are in complete control of this tie after establishing a three-goal advantage at home. Mika Biereth's early outside-of-the-boot finish was quickly cancelled out by Gerson Rodrigues in an end-to-end start at Stadion Graz Liebenau. But after Jon Stanković's firm header, the Austrian hosts were in control. Otar Kiteishvili emphatically converted a penalty before Amady Camara made sure Sturm took full advantage of Vladimir Weiss' 78th-minute red card by adding another in the final minutes.

Sturm boss Christian Ilzer had confidently set his sights on progression before the first leg and will know his side just need to defend resolutely to achieve that goal across the border.

Did you know?
Sturm were without victory in five European home games before their first leg triumph.

21:00: Frankfurt vs Union SG (first leg: 2-2)

The 2022 Europa League winners surrendered an early 2-0 lead in Brussels but will still fancy their chances of progressing in front of their own supporters. The Eagles have prevailed in four of their past five two-legged European ties, losing only to Napoli in last season's Champions League round of 16. If they do end up getting the better of Union SG, they will have reached the last 16 of a UEFA club competition for the third campaign in a row.

Alexander Blessin's team, however, come into this game with momentum on their side after a stirring first-leg fightback. "I was pleased with our reaction in the second half," said Union SG's German coach. "It's amazing how we fought back. We'll take that positivity with us into the second leg. I'm looking forward to playing in front of a capacity crowd in Frankfurt. It's going to be a nice atmosphere."

Did you know?
Union SG have yet to lose in Germany in a UEFA competition (W1 D2); their only competitive defeat was a 1-0 at Leipzig in the non-UEFA affiliated Fairs Cup in 1959.

21:00: Ferencváros vs Olympiacos (first leg: 0-1)

Unbeaten in six European home games this season (W4 D2), Fradi have cause for confidence as they gear up for the second leg; a 12-game unbeaten European run came to an end in the first leg in Piraeus, but Dejan Stanković was pleased with his side's determined performance. "We were brave and we have the second half of this tie in our stadium," he told UEFA.com. "Our ambitions in this competition remain the same. We are a big club and we fight to the end."

New Thrylos coach José Luis Mendilibar, meanwhile, is hoping that attack will be the best form of defence in Budapest. "We go to Budapest with the intention of following the same plan," the Olympiacos coach told UEFA.com. "Perhaps there will be some changes in personnel, but we will not go there to defend this 1-0 lead. If we do that, Ferencváros will score at least one goal for sure."

Did you know?
Ferencváros won 3-1 in their only previous home game against Olympiacos, in the first round of the 1996/97 UEFA Cup.

21:00: Legia vs Molde (first leg: 2-3)

Molde have become a force on home turf in Europe in recent seasons but the Norwegian side have struggled on their travels, managing just four wins in 15 outings. Warsaw is not an obvious place to begin putting that right – Legia won three out of three there in the group stage, with English high-fliers Aston Villa among those who came and failed to conquer.

Erling Moe's charges were irresistible for 45 minutes of the first leg, though. Two goals from Fredrik Gulbrandsen and another for Markus André Kaasa put them 3-0 up and few could argue they merited it. Then fatigue set in in what was their first outing in two months and Legia fought their way back into it. Can Molde sustain their charge for longer second time round?

Did you know?
Molde have scored in 11 of their last 12 matches in UEFA club competition.

Where is the 2024 UEFA Europa Conference League final?

Sportsfile via Getty Images

The 2023/24 UEFA Europa Conference League season is set to conclude at the AEK Arena in Athens, Greece, on Wednesday 29 May 2024.

Opened in September 2022, the new stadium stands on the site of the Nikos Goumas Stadium, which had been home to AEK Athens since 1930 but sustained serious damage during an earthquake in 1999. With a capacity of over 30,000, the new stadium in the north-western suburb of Nea Filadelfia stages Greece international home games as well as AEK matches.