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UEFA Europa League 2024/25: Every league phase Performance of the Week winner

From Bodø/Glimt to Ferencváros, we look back at every Performance of the Week from the league phase of the 2024/25 UEFA Europa League.

RFS celebrate their shock win against Ajax on Matchday 7
RFS celebrate their shock win against Ajax on Matchday 7 AFP via Getty Images

Ambitious, bold and dynamic sides put themselves to the test in every UEFA Europa League matchweek, challenging to make waves in continental competition.

The sides that take it to the next level each matchday earn recognition in the Performance of the Week vote, powered by Hankook, which celebrates resilience, persistence and brilliance.

UEFA.com revisits every Performance of the Week winner so far.

Performance of the Week

Matchday 1: Bodø/Glimt 3-2 Porto

Highlights: Bodø/Glimt 3-2 Porto

Bodø/Glimt have created several sensations in Europe in recent seasons, but coach Kjetil Knutsen made it clear ahead of Porto's visit that they were not in for an easy ride, proclaiming the Portuguese team to be "one of the strongest, and perhaps the strongest" side to visit the Norwegian champions. When Samu scored the first goal of the league phase after eight minutes, a tough task got tougher still.

However, Jens Petter Hauge set up a quick response, then scored twice either side of team-mate Isak Dybvik Määttä's 51st-minute dismissal as the hosts transformed 44% possession into maximum points. Porto had 61 attacks to Bodø/Glimt's 29, and visiting coach Vítor Bruno gave Knutsen's side credit. "They were strong, organised and fast," he said. "They pushed up when they had to and created problems."

Matchday 2: Elfsborg 1-0 Roma

Highlights: Elfsborg 1-0 Roma

Several hundred Roma fans travelled to Sweden to watch Ivan Jurić's side but were to leave disappointed as Michael Baidoo's 44th-minute penalty and some resolute defending brought joy to the home fans in Boras. "We had loads of shots and didn't manage to score," said Jurić. "We have to accept that."

That perhaps underplayed how effectively Oscar Hiljemark's side set about their task. They ended up having just six attempts on goal, compared to Roma's 24, but they were good value for their lead, producing the same xG despite fewer shots (1.3xG), and showed great determination and composure to hold on to it. "We started the game well and had a good first half," said Hiljemark. "Then Roma changed a couple of players; that tested our guys but we managed it well."

Matchday 3: Lyon 0-1 Beşiktaş

Highlights: Lyon 0-1 Beşiktaş

With Lyon having won their opening two league phase games and Beşiktaş losing theirs, the home side were the favourites going into this Matchday 3 encounter. But away goalkeeper Ersin Destanoğlu was the hero, putting in a superb performance and making a string of impressive early saves to keep Lyon at bay, preventing 1.47 expected goals, the best in Matchday 3.

His efforts were rewarded in the second half when Gedson Fernandes ran onto Rafa Silva's through ball and coolly slotted home to seal all three points for Beşiktaş and make them the only team to defeat Lyon in the league phase. "We won thanks to the efforts of my teammates," a modest Destanoğlu said after the game. "This is what football is about, and the match went well for me."

Matchday 4: FCSB 2-0 Midtjylland

Highlights: FCSB 2-0 Midtjylland

"The most important thing for us is to do everything perfectly on the pitch and take advantage of their weaknesses," said FCSB boss Elias Charalambous ahead of this meeting of the reigning Danish and Romanian champions. With Midtjylland ranked 61st and FCSB 103rd in the coefficient rankings, his side had to cede possession for large parts of the game, but when it mattered, they made opportunities count.

Florin Tănase swept in a fine free-kick on 17 minutes, and FCSB finished off the game within seconds of the restart as Daniel Bîrligea chased down a loose ball aimed for the Midtjylland goalkeeper and lofted it forward to allow him to finish with his chest. "If you don't try, you never succeed," Bîrligea said at full-time, adding that he followed the ball "all the way into the goal, just to be sure".

Matchday 5: Qarabağ 1-4 Lyon

Highlights: Qarabağ 1-4 Lyon

Lyon coach Pierre Sage was supremely gracious as he celebrated his side's victory in Azerbaijan. "If you look at the game as a whole, the score doesn't reflect the match," he said. "Our opponents created plenty of goalscoring opportunities." Indeed, the home side had 17 attempts to Lyon's 16, but this was a triumph of quality over quantity, with Qarabağ creating 1.94 xG compared to Lyon’s 2.38 xG.

Georges Mikautadze's first-half opener was perhaps a little against the run of play, but Lyon pressed their advantage on the counterattack, a classy Corentin Tolisso drive for their second and Mikautadze's deft finish for the fourth well worth re-watching. "We knew that there would be spaces to exploit on the break," said Tolisso. "We knew how to stay strong."

Matchday 6: Olympiacos 0-0 Twente

Highlights: Olympiacos 0-0 Twente

"We are still alive and we played well," said Twente boss Joseph Oosting after his side survived an exhausting ordeal at the home of the reigning Conference League champions. "It's not easy to play football here. My boys did well. I think the team got a boost by getting a point here."

Twente might have felt their luck was out after Ricky van Wolfswinkel had a ninth-minute penalty saved, but they gave as good as they got, Lars Unnerstall producing a magnificent block to deny Ayoub El Kaabi at the other end on 44 minutes. Unnerstall made further key interventions in the second half, but Twente's all-round composure was worthy of respect – they had more possession and completed passes than their hosts and covered more distance too.

Matchday 7: RFS 1-0 Ajax

Highlights: RFS 1-0 Ajax

RFS coach Viktors Morozs was a big fan of Ajax's 1994/95 Champions League-winning side ("I could name 16 players from that team," he said), but Latvia's first-ever league phase contenders were not overawed by the current crop. "You are not only here to enjoy yourselves, but also to give everything," he said ahead of the Matchday 7 meeting. "That is our philosophy."

It proved to be a victorious one, Adam Marhiev scoring RFS's first-ever league phase winner on 80 minutes. RFS, ranked 139th in the coefficient standings, faced a daunting challenge against Ajax, who sat 29th. The hosts had just 37% of possession but Cameroonian goalkeeper Fabrice Ondoa helped them to handle anything that their illustrious guests threw at them, and said: "We believed we could win it from the beginning." Results elsewhere meant that RFS were eliminated at full-time, but what a way to go.

Matchday 8: Ferencváros 4-3 AZ Alkmaar

Highlights: Ferencváros 4-3 AZ Alkmaar

Robbie Keane's first home game in charge of the Hungarian side proved to be eventful, though two AZ goals in the final seconds of the game took some of the edge off the Irishman's enjoyment. "I was pleased with 85 minutes," he concluded. "In the last ten minutes you need to manage the game and be clever."

By most statistical metrics, Ferencváros trailed AZ. They had fewer attacks, fewer corners, fewer passes and just 37% of possession, but they excelled in converting chances, Adama Traoré notably hitting a brilliant second from distance. Keane also gave 19-year-old midfielder Alex Tóth a start and was rewarded with a great showing. "When it is most needed, we show how well we can cooperate as a team," said Tóth.