As the UEFA Conference League approaches its climax, only four teams remain after a thrilling Thursday night, with none managing to secure victory in both legs of their ties. Below is a notable statistic for each team following the conclusion of the second legs.
19 – AZ Alkmaar’s dreams of replicating their 2022/23 success by reaching the semi-finals have fallen short. The Dutch outfit drew 2-2 with Shakhtar Donetsk, resulting in a 5-2 defeat on aggregate. As the last team from the Eredivisie competing this season, De Kaasboeren encountered a challenging campaign in European competitions. This was their fourth draw in 14 encounters against Ukrainian teams (6-4-4), bringing their total goals against in such matches to 19.
9 – Shakhtar Donetsk has made it to the semi-finals of a UEFA club competition for the first time since the 2004/05 season, becoming the inaugural Ukrainian side to reach this stage in the UECL. The Pitmen avenged their previous elimination in the UEFA Cup round of 16 by winning both ties. They remain undefeated in their last nine away matches (6-3-0).
42 – In a dramatic comeback attempt, AEK Athens levelled their tie against Rayo Vallecano by scoring three goals after trailing from the first leg. However, Dikefalos couldn’t hold on, conceding a decisive goal from Isaac Palazon at the hour mark. Despite winning 3-1 on the night, AEK were eliminated 4-3 on aggregate, and that goal conceded marked their 42nd against teams from LaLiga, more than any other nation.
4 – Rayo Vallecano has outperformed their previous quarter-final exit in the UEFA Cup at the turn of the millennium. Rayito maintained their composure and clinched victory just nine minutes after AEK had drawn level. This achievement sees them progressing to their first-ever semi-final in a UEFA club competition. However, they will need to improve their away form, having now suffered four losses in European matches.
33 – Fiorentina’s run in the Conference League has come to a premature conclusion, marking an early exit. La Viola couldn’t overturn their 3-0 defeat in England against Crystal Palace. They did secure a 2-1 win at Stadio Artemio Franchi but exited 4-2 on aggregate. The two-time finalists will miss out on European competition next season, ending a four-year stint in the UECL, during which they accumulated 33 victories, the highest for any team.
3 – Crystal Palace is having an exceptional debut season in European football, advancing to the semi-finals under the guidance of Oliver Glasner. An early header from Ismaila Sarr put the Eagles firmly in control. Although they conceded twice, they managed to fend off their Italian opponents and will face Shakhtar in the last four—a former European champion. Notably, Thursday’s match marked their third defeat in the UECL this season, and they recorded just three shots on target in the second leg.
0 – Strasbourg was the only side to overturn their first-leg deficit, crushing Mainz 4-0 on the night to advance 4-2 on aggregate. With additional domestic cup opportunities in sight, Le Racing has made the continental semi-finals for the first time, scoring two goals in each half. In their third encounter with a German side, Strasbourg notably did not concede a single goal at home.
17 – Mainz experienced a significant downturn, suffering a crushing defeat after a commendable performance in their previous home match. Die Nullfunfer managed just one shot on target throughout the 90 minutes, which contributed to their early exit from the Conference League. Historically, across five European away losses, they have conceded 17 goals.
Compiled by SportArena.au
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