The UEFA Europa Conference League is back, and the second qualifying round first legs were full of surprises, goals, and amazing stories! A total of 100 teams played this week, hoping to take one more step toward the group stage of this European competition. Some games went just as expected, but others shocked fans everywhere. Let’s break down the biggest results — in a way that’s easy to follow and fun to read!
A Wild Upset in Finland
The biggest surprise of the week came from Tampere, Finland, where a team called Ilves beat AZ Alkmaar from the Netherlands 4-3! This is a big deal because AZ is a strong team. Just two seasons ago, they made it all the way to the semi-finals of the Conference League.
Ilves never trailed in the match — meaning they were never behind in the score. They scored two goals in just six minutes in the second half, taking control of the game. This was only the second time ever that AZ lost in a Conference League qualifier. The first was back in 2022, when they lost 1-0 to Dundee United in Scotland.
Fun Fact: AZ Alkmaar was founded in 1967. Their full name is Alkmaar Zaanstreek, but most fans just call them AZ.
🇰🇿 Trouble in Kazakhstan for Sparta Praha
Another big surprise happened in Kazakhstan, where Aktobe beat Sparta Praha from the Czech Republic 2-1. Sparta is usually a very strong team, but things didn’t go their way this time.
Aktobe scored their first goal before the 30-minute mark, and then, with just seven minutes left in the game, Oralkhan Omirtaev scored the winning goal! Now, Sparta will have to win in the second leg if they want to stay in the tournament.
Did you know? Sparta Praha has won the Czech league many times and even played in the UEFA Champions League in the past!
🇳🇴 Norwegian Teams Dominate
Two teams from Norway had an amazing week in Europe. Both Rosenborg and Viking won by huge scores.
Rosenborg beat Banga from Lithuania 5-0. Their star striker Dino Islamovic scored a hat-trick — that’s three goals in one match!
Soccer Fact: A hat-trick is one of the biggest achievements for a player in a single game. Fans sometimes throw hats onto the field when it happens!
But even Rosenborg’s win wasn’t as big as Viking’s. They destroyed Koper from Slovenia 7-0! That’s the biggest win of the week in the Conference League. And guess what? This isn’t even the first time Viking scored seven goals in Europe — they last did it 26 years ago against a team called Principat in the UEFA Cup.
🇦🇹 Austria Wien Sneak a Win
Austria Wien, a famous club from Austria, played against a much smaller team called Spaeri from Georgia’s second division. Even though they were the favorites, Austria Wien found the match pretty tough.
They only won 2-0, and their second goal came from a penalty kick in the final minutes of the game. Spaeri defended really well, and Austria Wien had to work hard to win.
Fun Fact: Austria Wien was founded in 1911, making it one of the oldest clubs in Austria!
🇦🇩 Santa Coloma Makes More History
Let’s talk about one of the best underdog stories of the round: FC Santa Coloma from Andorra! They’ve never been known for winning matches away from home — until now.
Playing against Polissia Zhytomyr from Ukraine, Santa Coloma went down 1-0 but quickly responded. Just six minutes later, they scored the equalizer. Right before halftime, David Crespo scored the winning goal, and they held on to win 2-1.
This win puts them just one game away from reaching the third qualifying round — something they’ve only done once before, back in 2022.
Soccer Fact: Andorra is a tiny country in the mountains between France and Spain. Its clubs have rarely made it far in European tournaments.
Kosice Collapse at Home
In Slovakia, Kosice had a great start against Neman Grodno from Belarus. They were leading 2-0 and seemed to be in control. But everything changed in the second half.
Neman scored three times, including a penalty kick by Maxim Kravstov with 11 minutes left. The final score was 3-2, and Kosice will now need a big comeback in the second leg.
Did you know? Kosice was a late replacement in the tournament after another Slovak team, DAC Dunajska Streda, couldn’t play.
Ballkani Score Four in a Comeback Thriller
Some matches were played earlier in the week. One of the best was on Tuesday, when Ballkani from Kosovo beat Floriana from Malta 4-2.
Ballkani came from behind not once, but twice, before taking over the match. Two players — Sunday Adetunji and Bleart Tolaj — both scored two goals each!
Soccer Fact: Ballkani have already reached the group stage of the Conference League twice before. They’re becoming a regular in Europe!
What Happens Next?
All of these matches were just first legs, meaning each team will now play again next week to decide who moves on. The second legs will happen on Tuesday and Thursday.
After those matches, 50 teams will be eliminated, and 50 will move on to the third qualifying round. They’ll be joined by:
8 teams that lose in the Europa League qualifiers
Vikingur Gota (from the Faroe Islands) and Virtus (from San Marino), who both got byes to the next round
The third qualifying round will be even tougher, and from there, only a few teams will reach the Conference League group stage, where they can compete for real European glory!
Final Thoughts
This week’s UEFA Conference League action showed us just how exciting soccer can be. Whether it’s a tiny club from Andorra making history or a Norwegian team scoring seven goals, these moments are what make European football special.
With so many games full of drama, comebacks, and unforgettable goals, fans can’t wait for next week. Will there be more shocks? Can AZ and Sparta turn things around? And can underdogs like Santa Coloma keep their European dream alive?
Stay tuned — because in soccer, anything can happen.
