Benfica demolish Hearts 6-1 as Twente and Tromso run riot in European qualifying

UEFA Europa League

The most eye-catching scoreline of the entire round came in Lisbon, where Benfica thrashed Heart of Midlothian 6-1 — a brutal result for the Scottish side that leaves their Europa League hopes in serious jeopardy heading into the second leg. The margin was emphatic and underlines the gulf Hearts face if they are to recover.

Elsewhere in the Europa League, CSKA Sofia produced a genuine shock, winning 3-0 away at Maccabi Tel Aviv. A clean sheet and a three-goal haul on the road in Israel is a considerable statement from the Bulgarian side. Similarly notable was Jagiellonia’s 2-1 defeat of Rangers — the Scottish giants made the trip to Białystok and came up short, handing the Polish champions a confidence-boosting advantage ahead of the return fixture.

Anderlecht edged PAOK 1-0 in Thessaloniki, a tight and disciplined away win for the Belgian side. FC Thun were comfortable, beating Vikingur Reykjavik 3-0, while Red Bull Salzburg and Lech Poznań both secured narrow 1-0 home victories against Pafos and KI Klaksvík respectively. Beşiktaş took a slender 1-0 lead from their trip to Hradec Králové. KuPS and Omonia Nicosia both drew — 1-1 against Universitatea Craiova and Lincoln Red Imps respectively — leaving those ties delicately poised.

UEFA Conference League

Twente were the standout performers in the Conference League, hammering Dunajska Streda 6-0 at home in a display that signals serious intent from the Dutch side. Almost matching them for drama was Tromsø’s stunning 5-0 away win at CFR Cluj — a result that will raise eyebrows across the continent. The Norwegian side were utterly dominant in Romania, and CFR will need something extraordinary in the second leg.

FK Žalgiris Vilnius were also on the wrong end of a heavy defeat, losing 5-2 at home to HNK Hajduk Split, while Rapid Vienna won comfortably 4-1 away at Paide. Sheriff Tiraspol, traditionally a force in Moldovan and European football, were beaten 3-1 at home by FC St. Gallen — another result that qualifies as a mild upset.

Ajax kept pace with the bigger winners, beating Shelbourne 3-1 in Amsterdam, and FK Partizan were equally authoritative with a 3-0 home win over FK Tobol Kostanay. FC Copenhagen dispatched Debreceni VSC 3-0 on the road, and Tre Fiori were beaten 4-1 by Drita.

Among the tighter results, Inter Club d’Escaldes claimed a notable 2-0 win over Flora Tallinn — a positive outcome for the Andorran side. Dynamo Kyiv edged Qarabag 1-0, Hibernian beat Shkendija 2-1, and Hapoel Tel Aviv saw off GKS Katowice by the same scoreline. Draws were shared between HJK Helsinki and Motherwell (1-1) and FC Noah and FC Sion (2-2), while Raków Częstochowa and Hammarby played out a goalless stalemate. Inter Turku, Borac Banja Luka, SC Braga, FC Lugano, Riga, Gent, FC Nordsjaelland, FC Midtjylland, HNK Rijeka, and Austria Vienna all registered 1-0 or 2-1 victories to take slender but meaningful leads into their second legs.

Written by Arlind

Covers daily football news for MatchdayValue — results, standings, and the stories shaping the top five European leagues and the continental competitions.