Europa League Play-Offs: Plzeň Erase 3-Goal Deficit as Benfica, Beşiktaş, and Ferencváros Advance

Viktoria Plzeň began Thursday night three goals behind and ended it in the Europa League league phase.

That alone would have been enough to define the final night of qualifying.

It was not the only dramatic result.

Omonia overturned a first-leg defeat against Sint-Truidense, Lillestrøm needed extra time to break Egnatia, Ararat-Armenia edged one of the round’s closest ties, while Beşiktaş progressed despite losing the second leg in Lithuania.

Elsewhere, Benfica, Ferencváros, Anderlecht, Salzburg, OFI Crete, Jagiellonia Białystok and Lech Poznań completed qualifications that ranged from controlled to emphatic.

Across the 12 second legs, 40 goals were scored and two ties required extra time.

By the end of the night, the final 12 places from Europa League qualifying had been filled.

UEFA’s official Europa League qualifying record confirms that Anderlecht, Ararat-Armenia, Benfica, Beşiktaş, Ferencváros, Jagiellonia, Lech Poznań, Lillestrøm, OFI Crete, Omonia, Salzburg and Viktoria Plzeň have all reached the 2026-27 league phase.

The Sports Encounter had already examined how Friday’s draw would complete UEFA’s three 36-team competitions in our UEFA draw week guide. Thursday night settled the final uncertainty.

Europa League Play-Off Second-Leg Results

Second Leg	Result	Aggregate	Qualified
Ararat-Armenia vs Universitatea Craiova	1-0	2-1	Ararat-Armenia
Iberia Tbilisi vs Jagiellonia Białystok	1-2	1-6	Jagiellonia Białystok
Omonia vs Sint-Truidense	4-2	4-3	Omonia
Viktoria Plzeň vs Crvena Zvezda	5-1 AET	5-4	Viktoria Plzeň
Lillestrøm vs Egnatia	2-1 AET	2-1	Lillestrøm
Salzburg vs Mjällby	3-0	4-0	Salzburg
Kauno Žalgiris vs Beşiktaş	1-0	1-3	Beşiktaş
Thun vs Lech Poznań	2-2	2-9	Lech Poznań
Aarhus vs Benfica	1-3	2-6	Benfica
CSKA Sofia vs OFI Crete	0-2	0-5	OFI Crete
Ferencváros vs Trabzonspor	4-0	5-0	Ferencváros
Anderlecht vs Kairat Almaty	3-0	6-0	Anderlecht

Viktoria Plzeň Produce the Comeback of the Night

Crvena Zvezda arrived in the Czech Republic holding what looked like one of the safest advantages anywhere in the play-off round.

They had won the first leg 3-0.

Plzeň therefore needed three goals merely to force extra time and four unanswered goals to qualify without it.

Instead, they scored five.

The Czech side won the second leg 5-1 after extra time and advanced 5-4 on aggregate, turning one of the largest first-leg deficits of the round into qualification.

The significance lies in the scale of the reversal.

Crvena Zvezda did not surrender a narrow advantage. They entered the night three goals clear and still failed to reach the league phase.

For Plzeň, the result changes the entire interpretation of their European campaign. A tie that looked close to finished after 90 minutes in Belgrade became their route into the main competition.

It also served as another reminder of how quickly European qualifying ties can flip, following the remarkable Champions League reversals The Sports Encounter covered in our Champions League play-off wrap.

Omonia Turn a One-Goal Deficit Into a Six-Goal Night

Omonia also entered their second leg behind.

Sint-Truidense had won 1-0 in Belgium, which meant the Cypriot side needed to score at least twice to progress without extra time.

They scored four.

The 4-2 victory in Cyprus gave Omonia a 4-3 aggregate win and transformed what had been one of the round’s quieter first legs into one of its most entertaining returns.

The aggregate margin remained only one goal.

The way Omonia produced it mattered more.

They moved from failing to score in Belgium to putting four past the same opponent seven days later.

That kind of swing usually reflects more than finishing. Home conditions, aggression, tactical adjustments and the emotional pressure of protecting a narrow lead can all reshape a second leg.

Sint-Truidense had something to defend.

Omonia had no choice but to chase.

The latter approach ultimately won the tie.

Lillestrøm Need Extra Time to Break Egnatia

Lillestrøm and Egnatia began the evening exactly where they had started the tie.

Level.

The first leg in Albania had finished 0-0, leaving everything dependent on the return in Norway.

Ninety minutes still could not separate them decisively.

Lillestrøm eventually won 2-1 after extra time and progressed by the same aggregate score.

It was one of only two Europa League play-offs on Thursday to require an additional 30 minutes.

That matters when assessing the night because the qualifying field included several clubs sitting on huge first-leg cushions.

Lillestrøm had no such protection.

One mistake could have ended their European campaign.

Instead, they survived the most balanced tie in the round and now enter a league phase containing several clubs with far greater financial resources and European experience.

Ararat-Armenia Win the Other Truly Open Tie

Ararat-Armenia and Universitatea Craiova had drawn 1-1 in Romania.

That made their return one of the few ties where neither club could rely on a first-leg advantage.

Ararat-Armenia won 1-0 and progressed 2-1 overall.

The scoreline will attract less attention than Plzeň’s comeback or Benfica’s name recognition.

The achievement deserves more.

Ararat-Armenia have now joined the Europa League league phase after navigating one of the round’s smallest margins, where a single goal across the return leg decided everything.

For clubs outside Europe’s wealthiest leagues, reaching this stage can materially alter a season through prize money, visibility, coefficient points and the opportunity to host major opponents.

Beşiktaş Lose the Match but Never Lose Control of the Tie

Beşiktaş produced one of Thursday’s strangest qualification results.

They lost 1-0 away to Kauno Žalgiris.

They still advanced comfortably.

The Turkish side had built a 3-0 advantage in Istanbul, meaning the Lithuanian club required at least three goals merely to force extra time.

Kauno Žalgiris managed one.

That gave them the prestige of beating Beşiktaş on the night without ever completely reopening the qualification battle.

For Beşiktaş, the return should still carry a warning.

Strong first-leg work protected them from an away defeat, but league-phase opponents will offer no aggregate cushion.

Every match will contribute independently to the 36-team table.

The Sports Encounter’s Premier League season preview noted how the new UEFA structure is already forcing clubs to think differently about European scheduling and squad depth. The same principle applies to Beşiktaş once the league phase begins.

Benfica Turn a Strong Position Into a Six-Goal Aggregate Win

Benfica did exactly what experienced European teams are supposed to do with a two-goal first-leg lead.

They refused to make the second leg interesting.

The Portuguese club had beaten Aarhus 3-1 in Lisbon and followed it with another 3-1 victory in Denmark.

The final aggregate score was 6-2.

That consistency is more revealing than one dominant performance would have been.

Benfica scored three in both legs, gave Aarhus no realistic route back into the contest and arrived at qualification without needing a defensive survival exercise.

The league phase will obviously demand considerably more.

Still, Benfica enter Friday’s draw looking like one of the qualifying teams most capable of immediately competing higher up the table.

They join a Europa League field that already includes major clubs such as Milan and Juventus, whose domestic situations were examined in The Sports Encounter’s Serie A 2026-27 preview.

Ferencváros Turn Trabzonspor’s European Night Into a Rout

Ferencváros travelled to Türkiye last week, won 1-0 and returned home knowing Trabzonspor had to chase the tie.

They punished that requirement brutally.

The Hungarian champions won the second leg 4-0 and advanced 5-0 on aggregate.

Among Thursday’s results, that may be the most damaging defeat for the eliminated side because Trabzonspor entered the season with far greater attention after one of the summer’s most extraordinary transfers.

The Sports Encounter had covered Mohamed Salah’s shock move to Trabzonspor, a signing that immediately raised expectations around the Turkish club domestically and in Europe.

The Europa League campaign has now ended before the league phase.

Trabzonspor still move into the Conference League league phase under UEFA’s qualifying structure, so their European season continues.

The level of competition has changed.

Salzburg Remove the Last Doubt Against Mjällby

Salzburg entered the return holding only a 1-0 advantage.

That score can create awkward second legs because one opposition goal completely changes the tie.

The Austrians never allowed that scenario to develop.

A 3-0 home victory produced a 4-0 aggregate qualification and gave Salzburg one of the cleanest defensive records of the play-off round.

The result also adds another European storyline to a city that recently hosted the UEFA Super Cup, where Paris Saint-Germain defeated Aston Villa 2-1 in a match The Sports Encounter covered in our Super Cup final report.

Salzburg now move from qualifying pressure into an eight-match league phase where the demands will be very different.

Anderlecht Finish the Job Without Allowing Kairat a Route Back

Anderlecht effectively controlled their tie from the first leg.

A 3-0 away win in Kazakhstan left Kairat Almaty facing an enormous task in Belgium.

The return produced exactly the same score.

Anderlecht won 3-0 again and advanced 6-0 on aggregate.

That symmetry tells its own story.

Unlike several teams protecting large advantages, Anderlecht did not reduce the second leg to containment. They matched the first-leg margin and completed qualification without conceding across 180 minutes.

Of all 12 play-off winners, their six-goal aggregate margin combined with two clean sheets gives them one of the strongest statistical entries into the league phase.

Jagiellonia and Lech Complete a Huge Polish Double

Polish football will have two qualifying winners in the Europa League league phase.

Jagiellonia Białystok arrived in Georgia with a 4-0 lead over Iberia Tbilisi and won again, 2-1, to complete a 6-1 aggregate victory.

Lech Poznań had an even larger margin.

Their 7-0 first-leg win over Thun effectively settled the tie before the return in Switzerland.

A 2-2 draw completed a 9-2 aggregate qualification.

Between them, Jagiellonia and Lech scored 15 goals across their two play-off ties.

That is a more meaningful development than simply listing both among the qualifiers.

It gives Poland multiple representatives in a competition whose league phase can produce substantial coefficient value if either side remains competitive through the winter.

OFI Crete Complete a Five-Goal Shutout of CSKA Sofia

OFI Crete had already done most of the hard work with a 3-0 first-leg win.

They still won the return 2-0 in Sofia.

The Greek side therefore progressed 5-0 on aggregate without conceding across either leg.

Like Anderlecht, OFI never allowed the opponent’s need to attack to destabilize the tie.

That ability to manage a strong first-leg advantage may become useful again when league-phase matches start producing very different game states.

The 12 Europa League Qualifiers

• Anderlecht
• Ararat-Armenia
• Benfica
• Beşiktaş
• Ferencváros
• Jagiellonia Białystok
• Lech Poznań
• Lillestrøm
• OFI Crete
• Omonia
• Salzburg
• Viktoria Plzeň

UEFA’s official league-phase list confirms that these 12 clubs join 13 automatic qualifiers and 11 teams arriving from Champions League qualifying to complete the 36-team field.

Those Champions League transfers include Celtic, Lyon, Dinamo Zagreb and several clubs eliminated during the play-offs, giving the Europa League considerably more depth than the qualifying names alone suggest.

The Sports Encounter tracked that movement in our Champions League qualification coverage, where the eliminated teams’ Europa League destinations became part of the wider European picture.

The Eliminated Teams Are Still in Europe

One of the details easily lost in a qualification-night headline is that Thursday’s losers have not been eliminated from UEFA competition entirely.

Universitatea Craiova, Iberia Tbilisi, Sint-Truidense, Crvena Zvezda, Egnatia, Mjällby, Kauno Žalgiris, Thun, Aarhus, CSKA Sofia, Trabzonspor and Kairat Almaty all move directly into the Conference League league phase.

That makes the Europa League play-off structurally different from a normal knockout exit.

Defeat changes the competition rather than ending the European campaign.

Once the league phases begin, however, that safety net disappears.

The Sports Encounter explained that distinction in detail in our guide to UEFA’s 108-team draw week.

Finish 25th or lower in the Europa League league phase and there is no Conference League transfer waiting below.

Forty Goals, Two Extra-Time Ties and One Extraordinary Reversal

The raw numbers summarize the night neatly.

• 12 second legs
• 40 goals
• Two ties decided after extra time
• Three clubs qualified despite starting the night without an aggregate lead
• Two qualifying teams, Anderlecht and OFI Crete, completed the play-offs without conceding
• Lech Poznań recorded the largest aggregate score at 9-2
• Viktoria Plzeň overturned the largest first-leg deficit, recovering from 0-3 to win 5-4 overall
• Beşiktaş were the only qualifier to lose the second leg

That last detail captures why aggregate football can be deceptive.

Kauno Žalgiris won a Europa League play-off match and were eliminated.

Plzeň lost the first leg by three goals and qualified.

What mattered was not who produced the better isolated night.

It was who controlled enough of the 180 or 210 minutes.

Friday’s Draw Changes the Conversation Again

The 36 qualifying and automatic entrants now move into the league-phase draw.

UEFA has confirmed that the 2026-27 Europa League league-phase draw takes place on Friday, August 28.

Each club will face eight different opponents, four at home and four away.

The league phase begins on September 16 and 17.

For Benfica and Beşiktaş, the expectation will immediately shift toward reaching the knockout rounds.

For clubs such as Ararat-Armenia and Lillestrøm, the draw may create some of the biggest home nights in recent club history.

For Plzeň, simply reaching Friday after starting Thursday three goals behind already feels like a victory of its own.

What Thursday Night Really Told Us

The obvious winners were the 12 clubs moving into the Europa League.

The more interesting lesson came from how differently they arrived.

Benfica, Anderlecht, Ferencváros, Salzburg, Jagiellonia and OFI controlled their ties.

Beşiktaş relied on first-leg insurance.

Ararat-Armenia won a narrow contest.

Lillestrøm survived extra time.

Omonia reversed a deficit.

Plzeň produced the kind of comeback that changes an entire European season in one night.

The Sports Encounter’s UEFA Super Cup preview described European football as increasingly unforgiving when second chances disappear.

The qualifying rounds still provide a few of them.

Thursday night showed why clubs cannot assume they will need one.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which teams qualified for the 2026-27 Europa League league phase through the play-offs?

Anderlecht, Ararat-Armenia, Benfica, Beşiktaş, Ferencváros, Jagiellonia Białystok, Lech Poznań, Lillestrøm, OFI Crete, Omonia, Salzburg and Viktoria Plzeň qualified through the Europa League play-offs.

What was the biggest comeback in the Europa League play-offs?

Viktoria Plzeň produced the biggest comeback. They lost the first leg 3-0 to Crvena Zvezda before winning the return 5-1 after extra time to advance 5-4 on aggregate.

Did Beşiktaş qualify for the Europa League?

Yes. Beşiktaş lost the second leg 1-0 to Kauno Žalgiris but advanced 3-1 on aggregate after winning the first leg 3-0.

Did Benfica qualify for the Europa League league phase?

Yes. Benfica beat Aarhus 3-1 in both legs and progressed 6-2 on aggregate.

What happened to Trabzonspor?

Trabzonspor lost 4-0 away to Ferencváros and were eliminated 5-0 on aggregate. They move into the UEFA Conference League league phase.

How did Omonia qualify?

Omonia overturned a 1-0 first-leg defeat by beating Sint-Truidense 4-2 at home, giving them a 4-3 aggregate victory.

Which Europa League play-off ties went to extra time?

Viktoria Plzeň vs Crvena Zvezda and Lillestrøm vs Egnatia both required extra time.

How many goals were scored in the Europa League second legs?

The 12 second-leg matches produced 40 goals.

What happens to teams eliminated from the Europa League play-offs?

The defeated clubs enter the UEFA Conference League league phase under UEFA’s 2026-27 qualifying structure.

When is the 2026-27 Europa League league-phase draw?

The Europa League league-phase draw takes place on Friday, August 28, 2026.