UEFA Europa League REVIEW 20 Aug 2026: Lech Poznan's 7-0 Rout Headlines Europa League Play-offs

Lech Poznan produced the result of the night in the UEFA Europa League play-off round, beating Thun 7-0 at the Stadion Poznan. Patrik Walemark scored either side of a goal from Allahyar Sayyadmanesh to put the home side 3-0 up inside 25 minutes, and Mateusz Skrzypczak and Radoslaw Murawski added two more before the break, Murawski's arriving on the stroke of half-time. Daniel Hakans and Robert Gumny completed the scoring after it. Polish outlet Polsat Sport described it as the biggest win in the Poznan club's history in European competition. The scale of it was startling given Thun arrived in Poland as reigning Swiss champions, a title Polish coverage of the tie called a sensation.

There was late drama at the other end of the continent as Trabzonspor's Europa League playoff assignment ended in defeat at home to Ferencvaros, beaten 1-0 through a first-half strike from Kristoffer Zachariassen. Chibuike Nwaiwu was sent off for the Turkish side deep into stoppage time. The result came in Mohamed Salah's first involvement in the competition for his new club; the Egyptian, who joined Trabzonspor as a free agent and made his debut as a second-half substitute in a 1-1 league draw with Kasimpasa the previous weekend, was unable to add a goal or an assist as his side went down at home.

Crvena zvezda responded to a bruising week with a comfortable 3-0 win over Viktoria Plzen at the Marakana. Mirko Ivanic scored either side of half-time before Aleksandar Katai added a penalty late on. The Serbian champions had been eliminated from the Champions League by Hapoel Beer Sheva earlier this month, so a straightforward home win in the Europa League play-off round will have been a welcome return to winning ways.

Benfica beat Aarhus 3-1 with all four goals coming before half-time, Rafa Silva opening the scoring inside two minutes before Leandro Barreiro doubled the lead on 31 minutes. Sebastian Jorgensen pulled one back for the Danish visitors, and Vangelis Pavlidis restored the two-goal cushion from the penalty spot in first-half stoppage time. Elsewhere in the round, Anderlecht won 3-0 away at Kairat Almaty, helped by an early own goal from Jaakko Oksanen and further goals from Lukas Ambros and Danylo Sikan either side of a red card for Kairat's Alexandr Shirobokov. Jagiellonia thrashed Iberia 1999 4-0 at home, Jesus Imaz converting a penalty and Jeremy Agbonifo, an own goal from Abdullahi Ibrahim Alhassan and a stoppage-time Sergio Lozano goal completing the scoreline. Salzburg won 1-0 away at Mjallby thanks to a stoppage-time own goal from Tom Pettersson, while Besiktas beat Kauno Zalgiris 3-0 at home through Hyeon-gyu Oh, M. Murillo and an Orkun Kokcu penalty. Universitatea Craiova drew 1-1 at home with Ararat-Armenia, Alexandros Malis's opener cancelled out by Nicusor Bancu, and Egnatia were held goalless at home by Lillestrom. OFI Crete beat CSKA Sofia 3-0 at home, Taxiarchis Fountas scoring twice, one a penalty, before Lorenzo Dickmann added a third deep into stoppage time; CSKA finished with ten men after M. Brahimi's red card. St. Truiden edged past Omonia 1-0 at home courtesy of a stoppage-time winner from Shogo Taniguchi.