Europa League Night of Shocks: Villa and Roma Tumble as Lyon, Braga, and Midtjylland Cruise
23 October 2025
Matchday highlights
Aston Villa saw their five-game winning run across domestic and European competition halted as Go Ahead Eagles clinched a 2-1 victory on the Dutch side’s turf in the third round of the Europa League group stage.
Following a rough start and a six-match winless stretch, Villa had rebounded with five straight wins, the latest coming in the Premier League against Tottenham, but today they lost their lead and failed to convert a late penalty, leaving them with their first defeat after wins over Bologna and another Dutch opponent, Feyenoord.
Villa, under Unai Emery—a coach renowned for Europa League pedigree—had begun the tie on the front foot, taking the lead early in the fourth minute through an on-song attacker after a cross from Jadon Sancho.
Go Ahead Eagles held the initiative and pressed for a second, but the Dutch side were rewarded for a smart finish just before halftime when an offside trap misfired and the ball found its way into the net, pulling the score level.
Early in the second period, the hosts grabbed a 2-1 lead after another defensive lapse, finishing off a move that sliced through Villa’s backline with a smart pass and calm finish.
A stalemate penalty was Villa’s chance to level, but Emiliano Buendía’s spot-kick sailed over the bar with ten minutes remaining, keeping the scoreline at 2-1 and sealing a disappointing night for the English side.
In France, Lyon shrugged off back-to-back league defeats by sweeping aside Basel 2-0, with goals early and late in the game anchoring their comfortable win and extending their group momentum by the French club’s doubles and rotations.
Braga continued their positive form in Group G with a 2-0 win over Red Star Belgrade, with a goal early in the match and a second late to steady the result for the Portuguese side.
Meanwhile, Midtjylland maintained their strong start with a 3-0 victory over Maccabi Tel Aviv, cementing their position at the top of their pool and signaling a ready-made path to the knockout rounds for the Danish outfit.
Other notable results included Nottingham Forest beating Porto 2-0 with two penalties converting in the late stages, while a number of teams looked to stay in the hunt with late chances and near-misses across stadiums from Prague to Belgrade to Istanbul.
Rising stars and old guard
Across Europe the night underscored a familiar pattern: the Europa League can deliver shocks, but it also rewards discipline and a touch of luck when the clock ticks into the final 15 minutes of a group game.
