Bosnia and Hercegovina attacker Riad Bajic scored the winner as AEK Larnaca stunned Crystal Palace 1-0 in the UEFA Conference League on Thursday.

Bajic hit home in the second half to send the Cypriots into second place behind Fiorentina in the standings after two rounds.

Palace are 18th having lost their first home game in European competition.

"When you play in Europe, you have to understand that small mistakes get punished," the English club's coach Oliver Glasner told TNT Sports.

"We are frustrated and it hurts, but it's the second game and the way we played was OK," the German added.

Before the break, Palace had the two best chances to open the scoring as Jean-Philippe Mateta hit the crossbar and fired a header wide.

Bajic then surprised Selhurst Park after 51 minutes and the hosts were unable to find an equaliser despite a flurry of late chances.

Elsewhere, AEK Athens dished out a 6-0 rout of Aberdeen as Mauritania attacker Aboubakary Koita netted twice.

The Scottish side suffered their heaviest defeat in European football having made their bow in continental competition in 1967.

Romania right-back Andrei Ratiu claimed a 103rd minute equaliser as Rayo Vallecano drew 2-2 at Hacken.

Sparta Prague's trip to Rijeka was suspended due to adverse weather conditions

Nottingham Forest handed manager Sean Dyche the perfect debut with a 2-0 home win over Porto in the Europa League on Thursday, with both goals coming from the penalty spot as the hosts ended a run of 10 games without victory.

Dyche replaced the sacked Ange Postecoglou on Tuesday, to become the club's third manager this campaign, and led Forest to their first win since the opening day of the season, along with their first clean sheet since April.

Morgan Gibbs-White made no mistake from the spot in the 19th minute after a Jan Bednarek handball and Igor Jesus did likewise 13 minutes from time to calm the nerves of the home fans, finally able to celebrate for the first time since August.

Forest have four points, having drawn at Real Betis and lost at home to Midtjylland, while Porto's unbeaten run in all competitions this season comes to an end and they remain on six points.

Aston Villa's perfect Europa League start came undone in a shock 2-1 defeat to Go Ahead Eagles on Thursday as new Rangers boss Danny Rohl suffered a humbling 3-0 defeat to Brann in his first game in charge.

Villa had backed up their status as pre-tournament favourites by beating Bologna and Feyenoord to get their European campaign off to a flying start.

Despite Unai Emery making seven changes, the visitors in the Netherlands started strongly when Evann Guessand fired in his first Villa goal.

However, in wild weather conditions, the home side secured a famous win in their first ever experience of group stage European football.

Mathis Suray's deflected shot levelled before half-time and Mats Deijl dinked over Emiliano Martinez to give the Dutch Cup winners the lead.

Emi Buendia was Villa's match-winner at Tottenham on Sunday, but the Argentine went from hero to villain as he missed a late penalty with the chance to snatch a draw.

Rangers' hopes of making the latter stages are in tatters after a third consecutive Europa League defeat left them bottom of the 36-team table.

A change of manager made no immediate impact on the Scottish giants, who lost to Norwegian opposition for the first time in their history.

Emil Kornvig converted at the back post to give Brann a half-time lead.

Jacob Sorensen punished more poor defending to head in from a free-kick before Noah Holm rubbed salt in Rangers wounds.

Sean Dyche is hoping to resurrect Nottingham Forest's first European campaign for 30 years when he takes charge for the first time at home to Porto later.

Forest, who sacked Ange Postecoglou after just 40 days and eight games in charge on Saturday, have taken just one point from their opening two matches.

Celtic are also looking to kickstart a disappointing season so far when they host Sturm Graz.

Lyon beat Basel 2-0 to continue their 100 percent record thanks to goals from Corentin Tolisso and Afonso Moreira.

Braga are the only other side so far with three wins from three after they beat Red Star Belgrade 2-0.

Bologna won 2-1 at Steaua Bucharest to register their first win in the league phase.

Fenerbahce beat Stuttgart 1-0, while Real Betis were held 0-0 away at Genk.

Aston Villa, Porto and GNK Dinamo are flying high while Nottingham Forest, Celtic and Feyenoord look to bounce back on Matchday 3 of the UEFA Europa League.

NOTTINGHAM FOREST V PORTO

The story: Forest’s first major European home match in three decades ended in disappointment as Midtjylland left the City Ground 3-2 victors. Bouncing back will be no small feat as they host one of Europe’s most in-form teams – Porto, who made it nine wins from nine under Francesco Farioli thanks to Rodrigo Mora's late winner against Crvena Zvezda.

The stat: Forest midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White is one of five players to have provided two assists in this season's Europa League.

GO AHEAD EAGLES V ASTON VILLA

Time for Europa League and time for the Villa — IT'S MATCHDAY 😆 pic.twitter.com/yDA7T4tnHQ

— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) October 23, 2025

The story: After a 2-0 triumph at Feyenoord, another trip to Netherlands awaits Aston Villa, who are one of seven teams with maximum points and among three yet to concede. Opposition forward Milan Smit will have sights set on ending that defensive streak after striking twice in Go Ahead Eagles' first-ever Europa League win on Matchday 2. "A true No 9," captain Mats Deijl said of the 22-year-old.

The stat: Villa are unbeaten in six major European games against Dutch sides (W5 D1). Captain John McGinn has scored in Villa's last three European outings.

FEYENOORD V PANATHINAIKOS

The story: On the losing side of those Aston Villa and Go Ahead Eagles victories, Feyenoord and Panathinaikos will be eager to respond in Rotterdam. The Dutch club are point-less and scoreless after two games in a European league phase/group stage for the first time since 2017/18, while Panathinaikos have a victory to their name and the current top scorer thanks to Anass Zaroury's Matchday 1 hat-trick.

The stat: Panathinaikos are yet to defeat a Dutch team in the league phase/group stage of the Europa League after five attempts (D1 L4).

OTHER HIGHLIGHTS

Alongside Aston Villa and Porto, GNK Dinamo, Lille, Midtjylland, Braga and Lyon are protecting 100 per cent records on Matchday 3.

Roma and Celtic can respond to home Matchday 2 defeats as they host Viktoria Plzeň and Sturm Graz respectively.

Fenerbahçe and Stuttgart boast the second and joint-third highest share of possession in the competition so far. Who will take control as they meet in Istanbul?

Nottingham Forest will be hoping it is third time lucky as new manager Sean Dyche takes over the reins of the two-time European Champions for the visit of Porto in the Europa League on Thursday.

Dyche, already Forest's third boss of a turbulent season, has arrived at the City Ground to take charge of a side seeking their first win in the competition after garnering just one point from their two previous outings.

Appointed on Tuesday to replace the sacked Ange Postecoglou, who won the Europa League last term with Tottenham but lasted only 40 days at Forest, Dyche will know that only victory will suffice to keep tempestuous owner Evangelos Marinakis happy.

For the 54-year-old, his Forest debut marks a personal milestone as it will be his first time in the dug-out for a European match proper since starting in senior management 14 years ago at Watford.

In 2018/19, his Burnley side played in the Europa League play-offs but were beaten by Olympiacos and missed out on the league stage.

Dyche has built a reputation as a pragmatic manager that delivers results, if not always spectacular football.

"There's some real talent here, so our job now is to find that balance," Dyche told the club's website on Tuesday.

"The risk and reward of going forward... but equally the solid base which has been such a big weapon for the club, particularly last season.

"Finding that balance will be key."

On the surface of things, Dyche's style would align him with the man who started the season in the Forest hotseat, Nuno Espirito Santo.

Unpopular after replacing Steve Cooper two years ago, the Portuguese eventually won over the Forest faithful during a sensational 2024-25 Premier League campaign.

Nuno's team occupied the top four for much of the season, before faltering towards the end but nonetheless securing a return to Europe.

But after his falling-out with Marinakis and Postecoglou's winless reign, Forest now lie in the Premier League relegation zone with just five points from eight games despite a squad bolstered by over £180 million ($241 million) of investment during the summer transfer window.

And in the league phase of Europe's second-tier competition, they lounge in the elimination zone going into matchday three after a 2-2 draw at Real Betis and a 3-2 home defeat to Midtjylland.

'STRONG, FIT, ORGANISED'

Having conceded five goals so far in the competition, Dyche will likely use the two days at his disposal to work on shoring up a leaky backline.

"The basics have always got to be in place. Strong, fit and organised is always a good place to start," Dyche said.

Next up are Portuguese league leaders Porto, who sit sixth in the Europa League standings with a perfect two wins from two.

However, they have only found the net three times in the process – offering the hosts the chance to adapt to the new regime against a side that are not exactly free-flowing going forwards.

Kicking off his tenure by delivering a first win in Europe for Forest since 1995, against a high-profile opponent in 2004 Champions League winners Porto to boot, would do Dyche the world of good in getting both the fans and the owner on board from the get-go.

Struggling Rangers also have a new man at the helm in the shape of young German manager Danny Rohl.

The 36-year-old arrived on Monday in the wake of Russell Martin's departure after a disastrous start to the season – both domestically and in Europe – for the Glasgow giants.

The 32nd-placed side travel to Norwegian outfit Brann, looking to earn their first points of the campaign following one-goal defeats to both Genk and Sturm Graz.

Premier League club Aston Villa visit the Netherlands and Go Ahead Eagles, where Unai Emery's men will have their eye on maintaining their 100 per cent record in the competition.

Elsewhere, Fenerbahce host Stuttgart, Nice make the trip to Celta Vigo and Celtic welcome Sturm Graz.

Aston Villa have urged supporters not to display political symbols, messages or flags during next month's Europa League tie at home to Israeli side Maccabi Tel Aviv.

With Israel's participation in international sport under pressure over the Gaza war, the match sparked political controversy after a Safety Advisory Group (SAG) covering Villa Park in Birmingham, last week blocked visiting fans from attending the November 6 match following a police risk assessment.

The decision drew political criticism, including from Prime Minister Keir Starmer, with widespread calls for the ruling to be reversed.

The government said it was "working around the clock" to ensure fans from both clubs could attend but Maccabi announced Monday they would decline any tickets for the clash at Villa Park.

On Tuesday, Villa warned fans against contravening protocols issued by UEFA, the governing body of European football, banning the display of political messages inside stadiums.

"As per UEFA guidance, the displaying of political symbols, messages or flags during the match is strictly prohibited and will result in immediate ejection and the issuing of a stadium ban," the club said in a statement.

The Premier League club added they will not be selling tickets for the vacant away end and have warned supporters against reselling their tickets.

The UK government had been expecting police to this week set out their needs to oversee the game with both sets of supporters present.

But Maccabi said late Monday it would not accept any tickets for the match.

"The wellbeing and safety of our fans is paramount and from hard lessons learned, we have taken the decision to decline any allocation offered on behalf of away fans and our decision should be understood in that context," said a Maccabi statement.

The announcement came only a day after Israeli police called off the Israeli Premier League match between Maccabi and city rivals Hapoel because of "riots" between rival fans.

Maccabi insisted their supporters were not involved in the unrest, while their statement questioned the motivation of those leading calls for a ban on away supporters at Villa Park.

"Our fans regularly travel all over Europe without incident and to suggest that the reason our fans cannot be allowed to travel is due to their behavior (sic) is an attempt to distort reality and to excuse the real underlying reasons for the decision to ban our fans."

Starmer's spokesman said the government was still talking to police about putting extra resources in place for the match so both sets of fans could attend.

Birmingham has been the scene of pro-Palestinian rallies since the Gaza war began in 2023 after the Hamas attack on Israel.

A match between Dutch side Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv in November sparked two days of clashes between locals and Israeli fans.

Aston Villa won 2-0 at Feyenoord in the Europa League on Thursday but Nottingham Forest lost at home to Danish side Midtjylland as Rangers and Celtic also suffered defeats.

Emi Buendia curled in from 20 yards and John McGinn swept in a second goal in Rotterdam as Villa made a winning return to the scene of their 1982 European Cup triumph.

Villa failed to win any of their first six games of the season but Unai Emery's side have since reeled off three successive victories and are among seven teams on a maximum six points in the Europa League.

Marco Bizot produced some key saves in the Villa goal after being thrust into the line-up as a late replacement for Emiliano Martinez, who reportedly injured his calf.

"It has been difficult in the beginning of the season but we never lost the faith and hope," Bizot told TNT Sports.

"We still have the spirit, even when it was not that great at the beginning. Now, hopefully, we can keep this up."

Forest paid the price for sloppy defending at set-pieces as Midtjylland won 3-2 at the City Ground to leave new manager Ange Postecoglou still searching for his first win.

Defenders Ousmane Diao and Mads Bech scored either side of Dan Ndoye's goal as Midtjylland punished Forest for failing to deal with a free-kick and a corner.

Valdemar Andreasen netted the decisive goal two minutes from time as Chris Wood pulled one back for Forest from the spot in stoppage time.

"Really disappointing. Just really, really poor goals we conceded in the first half," said Postecoglou.

"Story of our last few games – key moments let us down."

Forest are playing in Europe for the first time in 30 years and have just one point so far after a 2-2 draw away to Real Betis in their opening fixture.

RANGERS LOSE AGAIN

Rangers' miserable start to the season under beleaguered manager Russell Martin continued as they lost 2-1 away to Austrian side Sturm Graz.

Tomi Horvat gave the hosts an early lead and Otar Kiteishvili doubled it as Rangers completely switched off and conceded from a free-kick.

 

An outstanding away win for the Boss' 200th game in Europe 💯💯 pic.twitter.com/sZ9JATGqZw

— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) October 2, 2025

 

Djeidi Gassama halved the deficit but it was another dismal night for Rangers, who remain without a point in Europe.

"You can't start that poorly," said Martin. "The mentality is the problem."

Their humiliating 9-1 aggregate thrashing in Champions League qualifying by Club Brugge was followed by a tame 1-0 home loss to Genk in their Europa League opener.

Rangers are also struggling badly in Scotland where they are eighth in the 12-team table.

"It's an interesting time (to be Rangers manager), it's a frustrating time," added Martin.

Celtic slumped to a 2-0 loss at home to Braga and are just a point better off than their Glasgow rivals in the Europa League.

The Scottish champions fell behind at Parkhead to a dipping long-range strike from Ricardo Horta that beat goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel far too easily.

Kelechi Iheanacho had an equaliser controversially ruled out early in the second half after a VAR review for a supposed handball.

But Celtic's hopes of salvaging a result were dashed when substitute Gabri Martinez scored a scrappy late second goal for the Portuguese visitors.

 

All smiles for Aston Villa as Unai Emery's side pick up the win over Robin van Persie's Feyenoord 📝 pic.twitter.com/bJk3ZcdQ5W

— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) October 2, 2025

 

Celtic have failed to score in five of their 12 games in all competitions this season, which included a pair of goalless draws against Kairat Almaty in the Champions League play-offs.

The Kazakh side won that tie on penalties to condemn Celtic to a place in the Europa League.

"Whatever it is, I need to find the solution to it," said Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers.

"There's been too many games now where we haven't scored for a team that, last season, scored the most goals in the last 54 years in the club's history.

"It's my responsibility to find the solutions to that."

Porto, Lyon and Lille all won to maintain their perfect starts, while Basle and Fenerbahce bounced back from opening losses.

Last season's Uefa Conference League runners-up Betis won 2-0 away to Ludogorets.

Nottingham Forest manager Ange Postecoglou was not surprised fans were calling for him to be sacked after their 3-2 Europa League defeat by Midtjylland on Thursday but the Australian says he is focused on getting results and improving the team.

Postecoglou has endured a torrid start at the Midlands club since replacing Nuno Espirito Santo last month, becoming the first permanent Forest manager in 100 years to fail to win any of his opening six matches.

The 60-year-old former Tottenham Hotspur manager faced chants of, "You're getting sacked in the morning" from frustrated Forest fans after the loss to the Danish side at the City Ground and Postecoglou understood their disappointment.

"Nothing surprises me in football anymore" 😳

Ange Postecoglou responds to the loss and "sacked in the morning" chants from Nottingham Forest fans 🗣️

🎙️ @Becky_Ives_ | 📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/kwOgn6pF2J

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) October 2, 2025

"They are allowed to have an opinion on it. I heard their opinion," Postecoglou told reporters. "Nothing surprises me in football. It's the climate we're in. It seems that's the way things are going.

"My responsibility is to make sure we get some wins for this football club and progress it. I would prefer if people were optimistic in their outlook of what I'm doing. I can only change that by winning games of football.

"I really believe in the process of what we're doing and I don't think we're far away from being the team that can eradicate the situation we're in at the moment and get the results."

Forest are 17th in the Premier League table with five points from six matches and their October fixture list includes a trip to Newcastle United on Sunday, a home game against Chelsea and an away fixture at Bournemouth.

"I get the mood around the place isn't going to be great, and I understand people's attitude at the moment, particularly towards me, but it's not unfamiliar territory for me, Postecoglou said. "I believe we are on the right track."

Lille keeper Berke Ozer saved three consecutive penalties late on as they battled to a 1-0 victory at AS Roma in the Europa League on Thursday, thanks to Hakon Arnar Haraldsson’s early strike.

In the first-ever competitive meeting between the sides, Lille's Arnar Haraldsson capitalised on an early Roma error to fire the visitors ahead after six minutes.

Roma were handed a golden chance to equalise in the last minutes after a handball from Aissa Mandi, but Artem Dovbyk's penalty was saved by Ozer.

Drama followed as the Lille keeper was judged to have moved off his line, only for Dovbyk's second attempt to be stopped as well, but with Ozer again stepping forward too early.

A third effort was then entrusted to Matias Soule, yet incredibly, Ozer denied him as well and this time the save stood, sealing Lille's win.

Crystal Palace launched their first full venture into European football with a 2-0 win over Dynamo Kyiv in Poland on Thursday in the Uefa Conference League.

Colombian wing-back Daniel Munoz's brilliant towering header in the first half put Palace ahead in Lublin, where Dynamo are playing their home games in Europe this season because of the war in Ukraine.

Eddie Nketiah grabbed a second just before the hour, stabbing in another cross from the excellent Yeremy Pino, as Palace set a new club record run of 19 matches unbeaten.

Borna Sosa, though, picked up two yellow cards in quick succession to leave Palace with 10 men for the final 15 minutes.

What is the strategy behind @CPFC's 18-match unbeaten run - and what does it mean for their European hopes? 🦅

How Oliver Glasner transformed the Eagles into one of Europe's most in-form teams ⬇️

— Premier League (@premierleague) October 2, 2025

Palace qualified for Europe after beating Manchester City in the FA Cup final last season, but were demoted from the Europa League to the Conference League after breaching Uefa rules on multi-club ownership.

The Premier League club's only previous experience of continental competition was one home-and-away tie in the Intertoto Cup back in 1998.

Palace are among the favourites for the Conference League title and are due to host AEK Larnaca of Cyprus in their next game in the league phase on 23 October.

What a night 🥵#UEL pic.twitter.com/uHsEu8lbWI

— UEFA Europa League (@EuropaLeague) October 2, 2025

The Eagles will also face Dutch club AZ Alkmaar, French side Strasbourg, Irish outfit Shelbourne and Finland's KuPS.

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery says Thursday's Europa League clash with Feyenoord in Rotterdam is a "special" occasion for the club as they return to the scene of their greatest triumph.

Villa won their first and only European Cup at Feyenoord's De Kuip Stadium in 1982 when Peter Withe's goal sealed a stunning 1-0 victory against Bayern Munich.

Villa are back in the Dutch city 43 years later seeking to build a winning run after beating Bologna in their Europa League opener and dispatching Fulham on Sunday to claim a first Premier League victory of the season.

Emery hopes the fond memories of Villa's iconic success in Rotterdam will inspire a win over Robin van Persie's team.

"In 1982 Aston Villa won here. Last year we played against Bayern Munich, the team they faced. That was something very special," Emery told reporters on Wednesday.

"Today we can remember this for our supporters. A lot of them were here, and we are now back.

"We need to show and to get emotions. We have to feel it. We have to feel history and the present, so we can create something.

"Each player too. I feel it. This is European football, something special."

UNBEATEN IN THE EREDIVISIE

Eredivisie leaders Feyenoord dropped down to the Europa League after failing to make the main draw of the Champions League.

Van Persie's men were beaten by Fenerbahce in the Champions League qualifiers and lost their Europa League opener at Portuguese side Braga 1-0.

But Feyenoord are unbeaten in domestic action after seven games and Emery said: "We are respecting them as well because they won the European Cup in 1970 and the Uefa Cup as well.

"Of course, the atmosphere here is so, so close for European football because Feyenoord are always in the Champions League or Europa League.

"Feyenoord performed fantastically in the Champions League last season, and every team who played them here were struggling.

"We have to dominate through our personality and try to stop them. We have to be focused for 90 minutes and respect them."

Aston Villa ended their winless run by beating Bologna 1-0 to open their Europa League campaign, while Rangers manager Russell Martin's job was placed into peril by a 1-0 home defeat to Genk on Thursday.

Despite failing to win any of their first five Premier League games, Villa had been installed as pre-tournament favourites for the Europa League.

The English side reached the quarterfinals of the Champions League last season, losing narrowly to eventual winners Paris Saint Germain, and in Unai Emery have a manager who has won the Europa League four times during spells at Sevilla and Villarreal.

A feeling all is not well in the Villa camp was evidenced by Emery labelling his players "lazy" after failing to beat 10-man Sunderland on Sunday, while sporting director Monchi left the club this week.

However, they did enough to get the better of the Coppa Italia winners thanks to captain John McGinn's early strike.

The Scotland international fired into the bottom corner from the edge of the area on 13 minutes.

Ollie Watkins was left on the bench after his scoreless start to the campaign and failed to break his drought even from the penalty spot in the second half.

The England international's tame spot-kick was easily saved by Łukasz Skorupski.

Villa could have been made to pay when Santiago Castro headed against the bar.

But just as when the sides met in the Champions League last season, Bologna's trip to Villa Park ended in defeat.

"Important to get a win at home after not our strongest start to the season," said McGinn.

"We haven't been good enough. We've had a lot of praise the past couple of seasons and we're rightly being criticised at the minute."

 OH NO FOR RANGERS

Rangers boss Martin was met with more chants for his exit after the Scottish giants' latest disappointing result at Ibrox.

The story of the first #UEL Thursday of 2025/26 📚⚽#SSFootball pic.twitter.com/RR5LVgCKLn

— SuperSport Football ⚽️ (@SSFootball) September 25, 2025

Mohamed Diomande's red card just before halftime for a wild challenge gave the home side a mountain to climb.

Former Celtic striker Oh Hyeon-Gyu had a mixed return to Glasgow as his penalty in first-half stoppage time was saved by Jack Butland.

But the South Korean international grabbed the only goal with a composed finish 10 minutes into the second period.

Former Southampton boss Martin, who was only hired in June, has now failed to win any of Rangers' last eight games in the Scottish Premiership or European competition.

Olivier Giroud scored Lille's late winner in a 2-1 victory over Norwegian side Brann.

American international Tanner Tessmann handed Lyon a 1-0 win away to Utrecht.

Stuttgart beat Celta Vigo 2-1, while Porto were 1-0 winners away to RB Salzburg.

Unai Emery will hope a return to the Europa League this week serves as the spark plug that ignites Aston Villa's season, while Nottingham Forest embark on their first European campaign in 30 years.

Emery is the most successful manager in Europa League history, winning the title three times with Sevilla and once with Villarreal, but his Villa side have made a troubled start to the new campaign.

Villa are winless through their first five Premier League games and had failed to even score before Sunday's 1-1 draw at 10-man Sunderland, which left Emery "frustrated and disappointed".

"Our start, we've not been doing well," admitted the Spaniard, who also took Arsenal to the Europa League final in 2019.

"There is still work to do; some players are adapting in the squad and our idea, and they will need time.

"Other players were here last year and know how we want to build the team and how we were being successful in the last three years."

Villa reached the quarterfinals of last season's Champions League before losing 5-4 on aggregate to eventual winners Paris Saint-Germain.

They missed out on qualifying again for Europe's top club competition on the final day of last season, with this their first appearance in the Europa League main draw since 2008-09.

Villa begin at home to Bologna on Thursday in a repeat of their 2-0 win over the Italians in the Champions League last October.

Bologna have qualified as winners of the Italian Cup, their first major trophy since 1974.

Like Emery, Nottingham Forest's new boss also knows what it takes to win the Europa League.

Ange Postecoglou, appointed by Forest earlier this month, steered Tottenham to a rare trophy last term as they beat Manchester United in the final.

He is searching for his first win at Forest following two defeats, including an early League Cup exit, and Saturday's 1-1 draw at Burnley.

BETIS TEST FOR POSTECOGLOU'S FOREST

The Australian, sacked by Spurs in June after their worst Premier League season, took over from Nuno Espirito Santo and is trying to implement his more expansive style at Forest in the quest for silverware.

"I do like my teams to play exciting football and score goals," Postecoglou said upon his arrival at the City Ground, the home of the 1979 and 1980 European Cup winners.

"No apologies about that. That's just the way I am and the way I want to see my teams play."

Forest travel to Real Betis on Wednesday for their first European game since the quarterfinals of the 1995-96 Uefa Cup against Bayern Munich.

Betis have former United winger Antony in their squad after the Brazilian rejoined the Spanish side on a five-year deal following a successful loan spell.

Led by former Manchester City and West Ham boss Manuel Pellegrini, Betis finished runners-up to Chelsea in the Uefa Conference League last season after reaching their first European final.

Celtic and Rangers both dropped into the second-tier competition after falling short in the Champions League play-off round last month.

Brendan Rodgers takes his Celtic team to Serbia on Wednesday to face Red Star Belgrade in a battle of former European champions.

Embattled Rangers are off to their worst domestic start since 1978 and fans protested against manager Russell Martin during Saturday's League Cup win over Hibernian, which did little to quell the anger felt around Ibrox.

"I can't control any of it," Martin said, as fans delayed the game by hurling hundreds of coloured balls onto the pitch and called for his sacking.

"At this football club, it becomes about one person really quickly," added Martin. "It's become about me, not by my choice."

Two-time winners Porto and Feyenoord, coached by former Dutch star Robin van Persie, are both competing in the league phase. Porto start against Salzburg while Feyenoord visit Braga.

Twice runners-up Roma open their campaign against Nice, while Fenerbahce – who sacked Jose Mourinho after failing to make it to the Champions League – are away to Dinamo Zagreb.

Nottingham Forest were handed a reunion with Swedish side Malmo on their long-awaited return to continental competition as Friday's draw for this season's Europa League threw up a repeat of the sides' clash in the 1979 European Cup final.

Brian Clough's Forest won that final in Munich thanks to an iconic Trevor Francis header and went on to lift the European Cup again the following year during a remarkable period in the club's history.

They are back in Europe this season for the first time in 30 years and will also play Porto, Hungarian champions Ferencvaros and Midtylland of Denmark at the City Ground.

✅ Home and away opponents for Pot 1 teams 🏡✈️#UELdraw pic.twitter.com/A90RUzjMaJ

— UEFA Europa League (@EuropaLeague) August 29, 2025

In addition, they will travel to Real Betis, Braga, Austrian champions Sturm Graz and Utrecht.

Nuno Espirito Santo's team finished seventh in the Premier League last season and would have been in the Conference League, but were promoted to the continent's second-tier competition because FA Cup winners Crystal Palace breached multi-club ownership rules.

Aston Villa are England's other representatives in the Europa League and will have high hopes of going all the way under tournament specialist Unai Emery.

The Spaniard has won the trophy four times, including three in a row with Sevilla in the last decade and with Villarreal in 2021.

Champions League quarterfinalists last season, Villa will tackle Red Bull Salzburg, Israeli champions Maccabi Tel-Aviv, Young Boys and Bologna at home – they beat the Italian Cup holders 2-0 at Villa Park in last season's Champions League.

Villa will also visit Feyenoord, Fenerbahce, Basle and Dutch Cup winners Go Ahead Eagles.

The pots for the league phase 🔢#UELdraw pic.twitter.com/a39i8Rvtrc

— UEFA Europa League (@EuropaLeague) August 29, 2025

Celtic dropped into the Europa League after losing to Kairat Almaty of Kazakhstan in the Champions League playoffs, but the Scottish title-holders were handed a draw which would perhaps not look out of place in Europe's elite club competition.

They will play 2023 Europa League runners-up Roma, Braga, Sturm Graz and Utrecht at home.

In addition, they will go to Midtjylland and Bologna, as well as two former European Cup winners in Feyenoord and Red Star Belgrade.

Rangers, humiliated by Club Brugge in the Champions League play-offs, will also entertain Roma, who are coached by Gian Piero Gasperini, a Europa League winner with Atalanta two years ago.

The Ibrox side will also take on Braga, Bulgarian champions Ludogorets and Genk of Belgium in Glasgow, while they will travel to Porto, Ferencvaros, Sturm Graz and Brann of Norway.

The first round of matches in the Europa League will take place on 24 and 25 September, with the league phase concluding on 29 January.

The top eight clubs in the 36-team competition at the end of the league phase will advance directly to the last 16, with those finishing from ninth to 24th contesting a play-off round for the right to join them.

This season's Europa League final will take place at the Istanbul home of Besiktas on May 20, 2026. Tottenham Hotspur won the trophy last season, beating Manchester United in the final in Bilbao.

EUROPA LEAGUE TEAMS:

Roma (ITA), Porto (POR), Rangers (SCO), Feyenoord (NED), Lille (FRA), Dinamo Zagreb (CRO), Real Betis (ESP), Red Bull Salzburg (AUT), Aston Villa (ENG)

Fenerbahce (TUR), Braga (POR), Red Star Belgrade (SRB), Lyon (FRA), PAOK (GRE), Viktoria Plzen (CZE), Ferencvaros (HUN), Celtic (SCO), Maccabi Tel-Aviv (ISR)

Young Boys (SUI), Basle (SUI), Midtjylland (DEN), Freiburg (GER), Ludogorets Razgrad (BUL), Nottingham Forest (ENG), Sturm Graz (AUT), FCSB (ROM), Nice (FRA)

Bologna (ITA), Celta Vigo (ESP), VfB Stuttgart (GER), Panathinaikos (GRE), Malmo (SWE), Go Ahead Eagles (NED), Utrecht (NED), Genk (BEL), Brann (NOR)

Premier League side Crystal Palace said on Tuesday that sporting merit had been "rendered meaningless" by Uefa's decision to demote them from the Europa League.

The FA Cup winners have been forced to play in this season's Conference League after European football's governing body Uefa ruled in July that American businessman John Textor had control or influence at both Palace and French club Lyon.

Palace tried to have the punishment overturned, but on Monday the Lausanne-based Court of Arbitration for Sport announced the Premier League club had lost their appeal.

Nottingham Forest are set to take Palace's spot in the Europa League.

Palace chairman Steve Parish had already been vocal in his criticism after the initial demotion and, with their fate sealed, the south London club again blasted the decision.

"At a time when we should be celebrating our victory in the Community Shield at Wembley, the decision by Uefa and followed by the Court of Arbitration for Sport shows that sporting merit is rendered meaningless," Palace said in a statement.

"When we won the FA Cup against Manchester City on that momentous day in May, our manager and players earned the right to play Europa League football.

"We have been denied that opportunity. It appears that certain clubs, organisations and individuals have a unique privilege and power.

"This growing and unhealthy influence has shattered the hopes and dreams of Crystal Palace supporters, and does not bode well for aspirational teams all over Europe competing to progress when rules and sanctions are unevenly applied in the most flagrant way."

Uefa regulations state that where one or more clubs are found to have shared ownership, they cannot play in the same competition, and Lyon held on to the Europa League spot by virtue of their higher league position.

Palace missed a March 1 Uefa deadline for team in multi-club groups to change their ownership structure.

Textor has since sold his shares to New York Jets owner Woody Johnson, a takeover completed in late July.

"Multi-club structures hide behind the charade of a 'blind trust' while clubs such as ours, who have no connection to another club whatsoever, are prevented from playing in the same competition," the Palace statement added.

"To compound the injustice, clubs that appear to have huge informal arrangements with each other are also allowed to participate and even possibly play against each other.

Palace added that the process was "designed to severely restrict and, in our case, make it almost impossible to receive a fair hearing".

Palace beat Premier League champions Liverpool in the Community Shield at the weekend, winning a penalty shootout after the match finished 2-2 in 90 minutes.

Crystal Palace's appeal against Uefa's decision to drop them from the Europa League to the third-tier Conference League was dismissed by the Court of Arbitration for Sport on Monday.

Uefa demoted Palace while allowing Olympique Lyonnais to play in the Europa League as, at the time of assessment on March 1, the Eagle Football Group were majority owners of Lyon while their chairman John Textor owned a controlling stake in Palace.

Nottingham Forest, who finished seventh in the Premier League last season, will replace Palace in the Europa League.

"After considering the evidence, the panel found that John Textor, founder of Eagle Football Holdings, had shares in CPFC and OL and was a board member with decisive influence over both clubs at the time of Uefa’s assessment date," the CAS said in a statement.

"The panel also dismissed the argument by CPFC that they received unfair treatment in comparison to Nottingham Forest and OL."

Palace did not respond to a request for comment. Club chairman Steve Parish told reporters on Sunday that if Palace lost the appeal, they would "have to look if there's any steps after that."

The club, who qualified for the Europa League as FA Cup winners, appealed against Uefa's decision last month.

The appeal came days before New York Jets co-owner Robert Wood "Woody" Johnson completed the purchase of Eagle Football Holdings' stake in Palace.

🚨Crystal Palace will NOT be reinstated to the Europa League following the loss of their legal battle at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

They now have to play a two-legged qualifier against Fredrikstad or FC Midtjylland to enter the Conference League. pic.twitter.com/1gSPFzG7yb

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) August 11, 2025

Textor has also resigned from Lyon's board of directors, with Michele Kang appointed chairwoman and president.

As both Lyon and Palace had qualified for the Europa League, the French club were allowed to keep their place because they had finished higher in their respective league. Lyon finished sixth in Ligue 1 while Palace were 12th in the Premier League.

"Olympique Lyonnais welcomes today's decision by the Court of Arbitration for Sport confirming its participation in the Europa League," Lyon said in a statement.

Palace, who won the Community Shield on Sunday, beating Liverpool in a penalty shootout, are set to play in the Conference League's qualifying playoff round later this month.

Crystal Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson said that the club's drop from the Europa League would "devalue the competition", as they await the Court of Arbitration for Sport's (CAS) decision on their appeal against Uefa's ruling in a multi-club ownership case.

Palace were demoted to the Conference League, the third-tier European competition, by Uefa's Club Financial Control Body in July because John Textor, president of the Eagle Football Group, majority owners of Olympique Lyonnais, also has a controlling stake in the London club.

Ligue 1 club Lyon, which also qualified for the second-tier continental competition, was allowed to compete.

Palace have appealed to CAS against Uefa's decision to remove them from the Europa League, with a closed-door hearing taken place on 8 August. A decision is expected on Monday.

"We win the FA Cup, we are justified to be in the Europa League," Henderson told BBC Radio 5 Live after leading Palace to a FA Community Shield victory over Premier League champions Liverpool on Sunday.

"For football purposes, we deserve to be in the Europa League. I think it would devalue the competition unfortunately if we weren't in the Europa League."

Palace said in June that New York Jets co-owner Robert Wood "Woody" Johnson had signed a legally binding agreement to buy Eagle Football Holding's stake in the club.

Palace, however, missed the March deadline to comply with the multi-club ownership rules before winning the FA Cup in May to earn their place in European competition.

"I know the chairman (Steve Parish) has fought hard against it and fingers crossed we are in the Europa League like we deserve to be...," Henderson, 28, said. "I am sure they will see sense and put us back in the Europa League."

A closed-door hearing in the case of Crystal Palace v Uefa, Nottingham Forest and Olympique Lyonnais will be held on 8 August, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) confirmed on Wednesday.

Palace were demoted to the third-tier Conference League by Uefa's Club Financial Control Body in a multi-club ownership case, while Olympique Lyonnais will be allowed to play in the Europa League.

The Eagle Football Group are majority owners of Lyon while its chairman John Textor also owns a controlling stake in Palace.

Textor later resigned from Lyon's board of directors with Michele Kang appointed chairwoman and president.

The London club appealed the decision, with the CAS now confirming it will hear the case next month.

Nottingham Forest, who finished seventh in the Premier League, will replace Palace in the Europa League if their appeal fails.

Palace had qualified for the Europa League by winning the FA Cup last season, while Lyon reached the competition by finishing sixth in Ligue 1.

However, the French club were allowed to keep their place as they finished higher in their respective league.

No ruling is expected on the day, but a decision is anticipated on August 11.

Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish has confirmed his club will appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport after being demoted from the Europa League.

Palace qualified for the Europa League with a shock FA Cup final win over Manchester City in May.

But Uefa, European football's governing body, ruled Palace should drop down to the Conference League over a conflict of interest involving the club's former director John Textor, who also part-owns French side Lyon.

Textor stepped away from Palace at the start of July, but the ownership issue relates to the end of last season when the south London team secured a maiden European appearance by winning the first major trophy in their history.

Uefa’s ruling would mean Nottingham Forest, who finished seventh in the Premier League, take Palace's place in the Europa League, but Parish has signalled his intent to contest the decision.

"We are still fighting," Parish told the The Rest is Football podcast. "There's an appeal process, so we go to CAS which is the court for arbitration and, you know, we're very hopeful. We think we've got great legal arguments.

"We don't think this is the right decision by any means. We know unequivocally that John didn't have decisive influence over the club.

"We know we proved that beyond all reasonable doubt because it's a fact."

Uefa rules say that no owner or co-owner can have a controlling interest in more than one club competing in the same European competition during the same season.

Palace's position throughout has been that Textor did not have a sufficiently controlling role for the club to fall foul of the regulations.

But the deadline for shareholders to divest their interest in a club, or in some other way to alter their ownership structure, in order to comply with the regulations was 1 March.

Premier League side Crystal Palace have been dropped in European competition to the third-tier Conference League in a multi-club ownership case, while Olympique Lyonnais will be allowed to play in the Europa League, Uefa said on Friday.

Palace had qualified for the Europa League by winning the FA Cup last season, while Lyon reached the competition by finishing sixth in Ligue 1.

A move to relegate them to France's domestic second-tier Ligue 2 over their poor finances was overturned on Wednesday, a decision Uefa's Club Financial Control Body (CFCB) had been waiting for before ruling on the multi-club ownership case.

"Consequently, the CFCB First Chamber pursued the assessment of the documentation submitted by Olympique Lyonnais and Crystal Palace and concluded that the clubs breached, as at 1 March 2025, the multi-club ownership criteria," Uefa said in a statement.

As both Lyon and Palace had qualified for the Europa League, the French club were allowed to keep their place as they finished higher in their respective league, with Palace finishing 12th in the Premier League.

The Eagle Football Group are majority owners of Lyon while its chairman John Textor also owns a controlling stake in Palace. Textor later resigned from Lyon's board of directors with Michele Kang appointed chairwoman and president.

🚨 OFFICIAL: UEFA announce Crystal Palace won’t be playing in the Europa League next season.

Palace to play in the Conference League per UEFA rules. pic.twitter.com/kuiGpiQVGq

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 11, 2025

Palace said last month that New York Jets co-owner Robert Wood "Woody" Johnson had signed a legally binding agreement to buy Eagle Football Holding's stake in the Premier League club, subject to approval from the Premier League.

However, Palace had missed the March deadline to comply with the multi-club ownership rules.

TEXTOR 'STUNNED'

"Honestly, I am stunned. We did everything possible to separate from the club, as Uefa would ask, with a sale process that began before the deadline, and a sale that will occur well before the draw," Textor told Reuters.

"Now we have sold out of a club that I love, to help Palace fans continue this dream year, only to have another off-the-pitch decision lay waste to an historic sporting victory."

Lyon had been demoted by the DNCG, French football's financial watchdog, in November due to the poor state of their finances but their relegation to Ligue 2 was overturned by its appeals committee.

Palace can still appeal the decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sport but if Uefa's decision stands, the rules could allow Nottingham Forest to play in the Europa League if they fulfil the admission criteria.

Forest had finished seventh last season and originally qualified for the Conference League while fifth-placed Aston Villa and Palace had qualified for the Europa League.

The rules say no club may hold or deal in securities or shares of any other club participating in Uefa's competitions and that no club can be a member of any other club participating in Uefa competitions.

Furthermore, no one person has the power to be simultaneously involved in management, administration and/or sporting performance of any club and they must not have any control or decisive influence over more than one club.