The upcoming playoff for Fiorentina in the UEFA Conference League has been set, as they prepare to face Puskas Academy from Hungary later this month. The matches will take place on August 22 for the first leg and August 29 for the return leg. This will be Fiorentina’s third attempt at the trophy, following their defeats in the finals against West Ham in 2023 and Olympiacos in 2024.
Puskas Academy secured their place in the playoffs after a dramatic tie with Ararat Armenia, where they drawn 3-3 in the second leg after winning 1-0 in the first. Their equalizer came from Favorov in stoppage time at the Pancho Aréna in Felcsút. Other teams advancing to the next round include Cluj, Copenhagen—who needed penalties against Banik Ostrava—Legia Warsaw, and Basaksehir. Unfortunately for Gennaro Gattuso, his side Hajduk Split has been eliminated.
Next week’s playoffs will see some of the more prominent teams competing, which includes Fiorentina, Chelsea, Lens, and Real Betis.
In other results from today’s matches, Flora lost 2-3 on aggregate to Vikingur Reykjavik, while Legia Warsaw saw off Brondby with a 1-1 draw (4-1 on aggregate). Pyunik defeated Ordabasy 2-0 on aggregate, and Sabah Baku was knocked out by St. Patrick’s Athletic with an aggregate score of 0-2. Zira and Osijek drew 2-2, but Zira advanced on penalties, winning 2-1. Brann defeated St. Mirren 4-2 on aggregate, CFR Cluj won 2-0 against M. Petach Tikva, and Djurgarden progressed by beating Ilves 4-2 on aggregate. H. Beer Sheva lost to Mlada Boleslav on aggregate (3-5), and FC Copenhagen overcame Ostrava in a tense penalty shootout. Paphos beat CSKA 1948 Sofia 5-2 on aggregate, while S. Tiraspol fell to O. Ljubljana (0-4 on aggregate). Tromsø lost to Kilmarnock, and AEK was eliminated by Noah 2-3 on aggregate.
Basaksehir comfortably advanced with a 3-0 aggregate win over Iberia 1999, while Drita edged Auda 3-2. Vojvodina faced Maribor and after a 1-0 win, it went to penalties with Vojvodina falling 2-4. Zrinjski narrowly defeated Botev Plovdiv 3-2 on aggregate, and Gent overcame Silkeborg 5-4. The outcome of matches such as Wisla’s against Trnava and others like Larne facing FC Ballkani are still pending.
In the Europa League qualifying third round, several matches took place with the aim of reaching the group stage, which will operate under a new format, replacing the previous eight editions. Rapid Vienna advanced comfortably after beating Trabzonspor 2-0 (3-0 on aggregate), and Viktoria Plzen also triumphed over Kryvbas with a 2-0 win (3-1 on aggregate). Ajax also progressed after a tense penalty shootout against Panathinaikos ended 13-12.
Today’s other Europa League results featured Lincoln falling short against Dinamo Minsk, Rapid Vienna’s second victory over Trabzonspor, and Elfsborg winning against Rijeka. Meanwhile, Cercle Brugge’s efforts against Molde were not enough to overcome a prior 1-3 deficit, and Ajax’s dramatic penalty shootout concluded their match against Panathinaikos, while Lugano’s 2-2 draw with Partizan secured them passage with a 3-2 aggregate score. Servette fell to Braga in a close contest as well.
The excitement is building for the upcoming matches in both leagues as teams gear up for crucial showdowns on their paths to European glory.