Union Saint-Gilloise v Ajax, Fenerbahce v Anderlecht, Porto v Roma: Europa League – live

Key events

85 min: Union SG 0-2 Ajax Davy Klaassen has just made a crucial goalline clearance to keep Ajax 2-0 in front. That would be a super result to take back to Amsterdam.

Europa League latest

There’s around 10 minutes to play in each game. And, yes, Shamrock Rovers still lead 1-0 away to 10-man Molde in their Conference League playoff.

“Just look at those match-ups!” coos Matt Dony. “Yes, the Champions League has the glamour, but tonight is a football hipster’s feverish dream! I think I’ll put on some vinyl, drink some ridiculously over-priced coffee, stroke my beard, and start googling prices for fixie bikes. Magnificent.”

All together now: A night online with your mates and it’s f– well, never mind.

(NB: Clip contains adult language. Yeah?)

GOAL! Union SG 0-2 Ajax (Mokio 71)

Ajax may have unearthed another gem. Jorthy Mokio, 16, has scored a gorgeous goal in Belgium. A corner was headed away to the edge of the area, where Mokio calmly steered a volley into the bottom corner as if it was the most routine thing in the world. Kevin De Bruyne would have been proud of that finish.

Jorthy Mokio scores a beautiful second for Ajax. He’s only 16, unbelievable Jeff. Photograph: Stéphanie Lecocq/Reuters

PAOK v FCSB team news

PAOK Kotarski, Jonny Otto, Kedziora, Michailidis, Baba, Meite, Schwab, Pelkas, Konstantelias, Taison, Samatta.
Substitutes: Balomenos, Tsiftsis, Camara, Chalov, Zivkovic, Colley, Sastre, Thymianis, Ozdoev, Shoretire, Thomas Llamas, Despodov.

FCSB Tarnovanu, Cretu, Ngezana, Mihai Popescu, Radunovic, Chiriches, Sut, Miculescu, Cisotti, Tanase, Birligea.
Substitutes: Udrea, Zima, Dawa, Stefanescu, Edjouma, Baluta, Pantea, Musi, Alhassan, Gheorghita.

Referee Lawrence Visser (Belgium)

Europa League latest

GOAL! Union SG 0-1 Ajax (Rasmussen 59)

Ajax lead in Belgium. A fine, end-to-end move was finished off beautifully by Christian Rasmussen, who clipped a first-time shot into the far corner from 19 yards.

Christian Rasmussen scores a fine opening goal for Ajax. Photograph: Stéphanie Lecocq/Reuters

GOAL! Fenerbache 3-0 Anderlecht (En-Nesyri 57)

It’s all going swimmingly for Jose Mourinho. Youssef En-Nesyri has put Fenerbahce 3-0 ahead with a mighty header from Sebastian Szymanski’s cross. He was about 15 yards out and powered it into the bottom corner at the near post.

Game over? Youssef En-Nesyri celebrates scoring the third goal for Fenerbache. Photograph: Dilara Senkaya/Reuters

GOAL! Molde 0-1 Shamrock Rovers (Noonan 57)

Michael Noonan, the 16-year-old debutant, has put Shamrock Rovers ahead in Norway! What a beautiful moment this is. Dylan Watts nicked the ball off Mats Moller Daehli in the Molde area and slid a low cross that was turned in to the empty net by Noonan. Oh, football, you old charmer.

Michael Noonan score for Shamrock Rovers in Norway! Photograph: Svein Ove Ekornesvag/EPA

Twente v Bodo/Glimt team news

Twente Unnerstall, van Rooij, Hilgers, Lagerbielke, Kuipers, Vlap, Sadilek, Rots, Steijn, Ltaief, van Wolfswinkel.
Substitutes: Karssies, Kjolo, Tyton, Booth, Lammers, Van Hoorenbeeck, Mesbahi, Kuster, Verschueren, Unuvar, Bruns.

Bodo/Glimt Haikin, Sjovold, Nielsen, Gundersen, Bjorkan, Evjen, Berg, Saltnes, Blomberg, Hogh, Hauge.
Substitutes: Lund, Brondbo, Wembangomo, Auklend, Fet, Helmersen, Maatta, Sorli, Bro Hansen, Mikkelsen, Kjaer.

Referee Sebastian Gishamer (Austria)

Porto v Roma team news

Porto Costa, Djalo, Nehuen Perez, Otavio, Joao Mario, Stephen Eustaquio, Varela, Moura, Borges, Mora, Aghehowa.
Substitutes: Claudio Ramos, Marcano, William, Vieira, Pepe, Sanusi, Cardoso Sousa, Loader, Andre Franco, Tomas Perez, Gul, Ze Pedro.

Roma Svilar, Celik, Mancini, N’Dicka, Saelemaekers, Kone, Cristante, Pellegrini, Angelino, Dybala, Dovbyk.
Substitutes: De Marzi, Gollini, Abdulhamid, Shomurodov, Hummels, Paredes, Soule, Nelsson, Baldanzi, Pisilli, Sangare, El Shaarawy.

Referee Tobias Stieler (Germany).

AZ Alkmaar v Galatasaray team news

AZ Alkmaar Owuso-Oduro, Maikuma, Goes, Penetra, Wolfe, Clasie, Mijnans, Koopmeiners, Poku, Parrott, Lahdo.
Substitutes: Verhulst, Zoet, Martins Indi, Dekker, Smit, Buurmeester, Kasius, de Wit, Daal, van Duijn.

Galatasaray Muslera, Ayhan, Cuesta, Bardakci, Jelert, Mertens, Kutlu, Gabriel Sara, Sallai, Morata, Baris Yilmaz.
Substitutes: Guvenc, Jankat Yilmaz, Demirbay, Demir, Subasi, Lus, Kocak, Balta, Akman, Baltaci.

Referee Joao Pedro Pinheiro (Portugal)

Conference League

Shamrock Rovers have a chance of a shock win in Norway. They’re drawing 0-0 at half-time, but Molde are down to 10 men after Valdemar Lund received a straight red card for a last-man foul on 16-year-old Michael Noonan.

Valdemar Lund is given a red card for this foul on Michael Noonan. Photograph: Marius Simensen/BILDBYRÅN/Shutterstock

Half-time scores

Fenerbahce and Real Sociedad, two contenders to win the Europa League, are in good positions after a quarter of their playoff ties.

Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce have had some hairy moments against a lively Anderlecht but lead 2-0 through Dusan Tadic and Edin Dzeko. In truth it could easily be 2-2.

Sociedad lead in Denmark against Midtjylland, as do Robbie Keane’s Ferencvaros at home to Viktoria Plzen. Sociedad’s second goal, slammed in by Takefusa Kubo, was a thing of beauty.

Ajax’s match away to Union SG is goalless, though Ajax came within millimetres of taking an early lead after a goalmouth scramble. The goalline technology showed the ball was exceptionally close to crossing the line..

Fenerbahce 2-0 Anderlecht
Tadic 11, Dzeko 43

Ferencvaros 1-0 Plzen
Abu Fani 23

Midtjylland 1-2 Real Sociedad
Buksa 38; Mendez 11 (pen), Kubo 31

Union SG 0-0 Ajax

Read Ben McAleer’s previews

Porto v Roma, 8pm

This is probably the standout tie of the round, but neither team has been at their best this season. Porto will hope to improve on a run of one win in their last eight games when they welcome Roma to the Estádio do Dragão. The Portuguese side are now under the management of the 39-year-old Argentinian Martín Anselmi, who has sought to implement a three-man backline since taking over from Vítor Bruno last month.

Porto are out of contention in the Primeira Liga and out of the Taça de Portugal, so are looking to the Europa League to save their season. Marko Grujic, Iván Marcano and Martim Fernandes will miss the Roma game with injury, but the main blow to their chances is Nico González’s €60m move to Manchester City on deadline day.

Roma have no injury or suspension worries but they have been poor on the road this season. Their narrow 1-0 victory at Venezia at the weekend was justtheir second away win in all competitions in 2024-25. It has been a tough year for the club, who have employed four managers in the last 14 months. Claudio Ranieri came out of retirement to lead his boyhood club in November and would dearly love to finish his career with some European silverware. Prediction: Roma to progress.

Preamble

Good evening and welcome to a proud moment in Guardian News & Media history: our first Europa League playoff clockwatch of the 2024-25 season.

It doesn’t quite have the heavyweight feel of the Champions League games earlier in the week but there are still some big games involving potential winners of the competition. These are tonight’s games, with the second legs to follow a week tonight.

5.45pm kick-offs

8pm