There were goals, thrills and spills aplenty as the 2022/23 UEFA Europa League delivered another memorable group stage.
UEFA.com selects six games that had us gripped until the very end. Vote for your favourite.
Ferencváros 3-2 Trabzonspor
08/09/2022, Group H
Tokmac Nguen gave the Hungarian side an early lead, but Eldar Ćivić’s dismissal then left Ferencváros a man light with almost three-quarters of the contest remaining. However, Adama Traoré and Nguen scored either side of a Maxi Gómez effort to put the hosts 3-1 ahead before half-time, rendering Umut Bozok’s second-half strike a mere consolation.
Must-see moment: Umut Bozok’s volley from Maxi Gómez’s flick to set up a tense finish.
Omonoia 2-3 Man United
06/10/2022, Group E
Karim Ansarifard applied the finish to a flowing first-half counterattack to stun Erik ten Hag’s side in Nicosia, but second-half substitutes Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial put the visitors 2-1 ahead, the latter scoring only two minutes after his introduction. Rashford’s close-range finish from a Cristiano Ronaldo cross was followed quickly by a Nikolas Panagiotou effort, but United held on.
Must-see moment: Ansarifard’s early strike sent the home fans wild.
Union Saint-Gilloise 3-3 Braga
13/10/2022, Group D
Vítinha’s first-half hat-trick for Braga was not enough to earn the Portuguese club all three points in Leuven. Victor Boniface cancelled out the 22-year-old’s opener in the first half, before Dante Vanzeir made it 3-2 four minutes after the interval. Boniface’s second completed the fightback as Union SG maintained their three-point lead at the top of the group.
Must-see moment: Boniface’s second-half header from Loïc Lapoussin’s superb delivery.
Fenerbahçe 3-3 Rennes
27/10/2022, Group B
Rennes raced into a 3-0 lead in Istanbul with 30 minutes on the clock thanks to Amine Gouiri’s double either side of a Martin Terrier effort. Enner Valencia pulled one back before the interval but it remained 3-1 until the 82nd minute, when Miha Zajc’s free-kick further reduced the arrears. Emre Mor then struck with two minutes remaining to keep Fenerbahçe top going into Matchday 6.
Must-see moment: Zajc’s sweetly struck free-kick that brought Fener back within one goal.
AEK Larnaca 3-3 Dynamo Kyiv
27/10/2022, Group B
Group B’s other Matchday 5 encounter was no less eventful, Dynamo also scoring two late goals to hold already-eliminated Larnaca. Vladyslav Vanat made it 1-1 after Omri Altman’s stunning finish had put the hosts ahead, but Rafael Lopes and Altman’s second gave the Cypriot outfit a two-goal cushion with 18 minutes left. Denys Garmash gave their Ukrainian visitors hope, the midfielder scoring again two minutes into added time to earn Dynamo their only point.
Must-see moment: Altman’s acrobatic opener was a thing of beauty.
Feyenoord 1-0 Lazio
03/11/2022, Group F
Santiago Giménez’s second-half strike separated the sides in this gripping Matchday 6 encounter. Felipe Anderson was denied by the crossbar after three minutes as the away side dominated the first half, but Giménez’s effort left Feyenoord – who had started the day in third – on course for top spot and a last 16 berth. Lazio’s Luka Romero was dismissed late on as the Serie A side missed out on a place in the top two in dramatic fashion.
Must-see moment: The home fans’ reaction to Giménez’s crucial, group-winning strike.
