Ferencváros Falls to Qarabag, Will Compete in Europa League
Despite a thrilling 3-2 victory in Baku, Ferencváros will continue their European journey in the Europa League after being eliminated from the Champions League playoffs by Qarabag with an aggregate score of 5-4. The hungarian champions faced a daunting task following a 3-1 defeat in the first leg, requiring a two-goal win to advance. Qarabag advanced to the Champions League group stage, while Ferencváros will drop down to the Europa League.
The match unfolded as a dramatic contest, with Ferencváros initially taking the lead. Lenny Joseph put fradi ahead in the 12th minute, igniting hopes of a comeback. Though,Qarabag responded strongly,turning the tide with goals from Leandro Andrade adn Abdellah Zoubir before halftime.
Did you know?-Qarabag is the champion of Azerbaijan and has consistently participated in European competitions, representing the country on the continental stage.
ferencváros emerged from the break with renewed determination. Barnabás Varga converted a penalty in the 55th minute, and Alex Tóth equalized in the 81st minute, bringing the score to 3-2 on the night. Despite relentless attacking pressure in the closing stages, Ferencváros was unable to find the crucial fourth goal needed to overcome the aggregate deficit.
Pro tip:-Aggregate scores in two-legged ties prioritize goals scored across both matches; away goals are no longer a tiebreaker in UEFA competitions.
“The team fought valiantly, but ultimately, the first-leg result proved too difficult to overcome,” a senior official stated.
With their relegation to the Europa League, Ferencváros will participate in the regular season, while Qarabag secured their return to the Champions League main board for the first time sence the 2017/18 season.The Europa League regular season draw is scheduled for Friday at 1 pm in Monte-Carlo. (MTI)
