European football delivered another thrilling slate of continental fixtures, headlined by dramatic comebacks, high-stakes penalty drama, and statement victories across both the UEFA Europa League and the UEFA Conference League. From Istanbul to Milan and beyond, clubs fought for crucial group-stage positioning as the autumn weather set the stage for intense tactical battles.
In the Europa League, Beşiktaş showed remarkable resilience, fighting back and playing the game’s final stretch with 10 men to secure a hard-fought 2-2 draw against Crystal Palace. The Premier League side had arrived in Turkey seeking a response following a heavy 5-0 defeat at Brighton the previous weekend, and they initially looked the sharper outfit. Palace controlled the tempo for much of the first half, imposing their physical style on the Süper Lig hosts.
However, Beşiktaş weathered the storm and struck just before the interval. In first-half stoppage time, Wilfred Ndidi found the back of the net to give the hosts a surprise 1-0 lead heading into the break. The advantage did not last long after the restart. Just six minutes into the second half, Yeremy Pino restored parity for the English side with a well-taken equalizer.
The momentum quickly swung in favor of the visitors. Four minutes after Pino’s strike, Jean-Philippe Mateta put Crystal Palace ahead 2-1. Making his first start since the opening day of the season, Mateta rewarded manager Oliver Glasner’s faith, though his night had almost gone very differently. Earlier in the first half, he had a goal ruled out by VAR due to a marginal offside call in the build-up.
Beşiktaş, however, refused to roll over. Under head coach Vincenzo Italiano—who had made nine changes to the side that suffered a league defeat against Trabzonspor on Monday—the Turkish team dug deep. In the 73rd minute, Junior Olaitan popped up with a crucial equalizer to make it 2-2.
The game’s tension reached a boiling point four minutes later when Beşiktaş defender Ümit Akdağ was shown a straight red card for a clumsy challenge on Jorgen Strand Larsen. The foul forced the Palace player off the pitch due to injury, leaving the hosts shorthanded for the remainder of the contest. Despite having a one-man advantage for the final stretch, the English side failed to capitalize, and Beşiktaş successfully defended their point to seal a dramatic draw.
Trabzonspor Maintains Perfect Conference League Record
While Beşiktaş battled in the Europa League, domestic rivals Trabzonspor continued their stellar form in the UEFA Conference League, maintaining a flawless record under head coach Thomas Reis. The Turkish side secured a comfortable 2-0 victory at home against Scottish visitors Hearts at Papara Park, marking their fifth straight win across all competitions under Reis.
The match also served as a historic milestone for global star Mohamed Salah, who marked his 150th appearance in European club competitions. Salah left his mark on the landmark night by scoring once and providing a decisive assist, cementing his vital role in the squad. It was his second goal of the Conference League campaign, following his strike in a 4-2 opening-match victory away at KuPS Kuopio.
Hearts had actually started the brighter of the two teams, nearly silencing the passionate home crowd in the seventh minute when Malachi Fagan-Walcott met a Calvin Miller corner with a powerful header that crashed against the post.
Trabzonspor soon wrested control of the fixture. In the 30th minute, forward Franculino was brought down inside the penalty area by Hearts defender Tomas Magnusson. Two minutes later, Salah stepped up to take the spot-kick, calmly sending goalkeeper Beau Reus the wrong way to break the deadlock.
The hosts pressed for a second before the interval. Midfielder Benjamin Bouchouari twice came agonizingly close to doubling the lead, first firing a volley over the crossbar and later being denied by a sharp save from Reus deep in first-half stoppage time.
Trabzonspor finally sealed the result in the 58th minute. Franculino exchanged a crisp passing sequence with Salah before unleashing a devastating, first-time left-footed strike into the top corner of the net, leaving the goalkeeper with no chance.
The only blemish on an otherwise dominant night for the hosts came late in stoppage time when Sidny Cabral received his second yellow card and was sent off in the fifth minute of added time. For Hearts, the defeat compounded a miserable week following their 7-1 thrashing at the hands of Celtic in the Scottish Premiership on Sunday, though they had previously managed a 1-1 draw against Nordsjaelland on matchday one.
Bournemouth Beat 10-Man Milan, Juventus Held to Draw
Elsewhere across the European landscape, English side Bournemouth claimed the most notable scalp of their maiden European campaign, producing a stunning 3-0 victory over 10-man AC Milan in the Europa League.
The defining moment of the match arrived under bizarre and fiery circumstances. Bournemouth had already taken the lead from an early penalty when Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan lost his composure during a corner. Maignan shoved U.S. midfielder Tyler Adams in the face, pushing him forcefully to the ground. The referee immediately brandished a straight red card to the French goalkeeper and awarded Bournemouth a second penalty kick.
Marcus Tavernier stepped up against substitute goalkeeper Lorenzo Torriani and coolly converted from the spot to double Bournemouth’s advantage. Down a man and trailing by two goals, the Italian giants had no tactical or psychological route back into the match. Substitute Amine Adli capped off the historic night late in the game with a perfectly executed, curling free kick that sealed a famous 3-0 triumph for the Premier League club.
In other Europa League action, Bayer Leverkusen continued their exceptional resurgence under new coach Carles Martínez. The manager has now overseen seven wins from eight matches across all competitions since taking over a side that initially suffered a shock opening loss to Elversberg. Leverkusen secured a 2-0 victory away at OFI Crete, powered by a quick-fire double from Jonas Hofmann, who scored twice in a decisive three-minute span late in the first half.
Ferencvaros also preserved their perfect record in the group phase, easing past Portuguese second-division side Torreense with a comprehensive 4-1 victory. In a heavyweight clash between two previously unbeaten teams, Benfica cruised to a 4-1 away win at Omonia, while Olympiacos required a fortunate late own goal to squeeze past Sparta Prague 1-0 and claim their third consecutive win.
Juventus were left frustrated in Turin, having to settle for a 2-2 draw against Rennes. The Italian powerhouse applied heavy early pressure and opened the scoring through a quick counter-attack orchestrated by Nick Woltemade, who provided a precise through-ball for Zeki Çelik to finish.
However, Rennes fought back. Musa Al-Taamari equalized before Boulaye Dia coolly slotted home a penalty, sending Juventus goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario the wrong way to give the visitors the lead. Woltemade—currently on loan from Newcastle—rescued a point for the Bianconeri in the 67th minute, converting a penalty to register his third goal in three European games this season. Juventus thought they had stolen all three points late in the game, but Jhon Lucumi’s apparent winner was dramatically chalked off by VAR for offside.
Sunderland also experienced late heartbreak on their travels. Playing away against Lech Poznan, the English side took an early lead in the second minute when forward Timur Tutierov headed home his first-ever Europa League goal. However, second-half substitute Leo Bengtsson equalized for the Polish club, securing a hard-fought 1-1 draw and earning Lech Poznan their first point of the tournament.
Further results across the continent saw Celtic fall to a 2-1 home defeat against Celta Vigo, while Hoffenheim finally secured their first points of the campaign with a resounding 3-0 win over Ligue 1 leaders Lyon. Real Sociedad recorded the biggest margin of victory of the evening, dismantling Lillestrom 6-0 away from home.
Marseille sank to their third consecutive defeat, losing 1-0 to Sturm Graz. Meanwhile, Union Saint-Gilloise cruised to a 4-0 rout of Israel’s Hapoel Beer-Sheva in a fixture played behind closed doors in Düsseldorf, Germany, after public safety concerns prompted authorities in Leuven, Belgium, to refuse hosting duties.
In the Conference League, Czech provincial outfit Jablonec successfully neutralized high-scoring Brighton in a gritty 0-0 stalemate. Freiburg, who finished as Europa League runners-up last season, failed to capitalize on their opening win, suffering a heavy 3-0 defeat away at Monaco. Ajax rounded out the notable results with a disciplined 2-0 victory over Italian side Atalanta.