Chelsea advanced towards the UEFA Conference League quarter-finals with a 2-1 victory at Copenhagen on Thursday in their last 16 tie's first leg, whilst Panathinaikos and Fiorentina engaged in an intense five-goal contest.
The visitors secured their advantage through second-half goals from Reece James and Enzo Fernandez, before Gabriel Pereira reduced the margin for the home side, as Enzo Maresca's team secured a narrow advantage in Denmark's capital.
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!After a lacklustre first half, Chelsea captain James opened the scoring moments after the interval, receiving Marc Cucurella's deep pass before placing a long-range shot inside the near post.
The match intensified following the goal, with Copenhagen nearly equalising immediately when Viktor Claesson's one-on-one attempt struck the inside of Robert Sanchez's post before rebounding into the keeper's hands.
Substitute Fernandez secured a second goal for the visitors in the 65th minute, finishing decisively after impressive build-up play from young Tyrique George.
The Premier League club appeared in control until Pereira found space in the penalty area to head in from a set-piece with 11 minutes remaining.
Also, Panathinaikos secured a 3-2 victory against previous season's runners-up Fiorentina.
Panathinaikos established an early dominance with Karol Swiderski and Nemanja Maksimovic scoring within the first 19 minutes, creating a 2-0 advantage. Fiorentina responded swiftly, with Lucas Beltran and Nicolo Fagioli scoring in quick succession to equalise the score.
Tete secured the winning goal for the home side with a precise left-footed shot in the 55th minute, giving them an advantage before the return fixture.
In Norway, Molde secured a 3-2 victory against Legia Warsaw. Eirik Hestad opened the scoring at 11 minutes, followed by Kristian Eriksen's goal six minutes afterwards.
Fredrik Gulbrandsen extended the lead before half-time, capitalising on Emil Breivik's precise pass. Legia Warsaw reduced the deficit through Kacper Chodyna and Luquinhas, who scored within three minutes of each other in the second half.
Real Betis shared points in a 2-2 draw with Portuguese side Vitoria Guimaraes at their home ground.
Borac Banja Luka equalised against Rapid Vienna with David Vukovic's penalty in the 92nd minute, ending the match 1-1.
Jagiellonia Bialystok dominated their match against ten-player Cercle Brugge, scoring three times after half-time for a 3-0 victory, while
Celje achieved a 1-0 home victory against Swiss team Lugano.
Cyprus's Pafos secured a 1-0 result against Swedish side Djurgarden.
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