Summary of UEFA Europa Conference League matches: Ajax and Bodo/Glimt end in a thrilling draw, while Sturm Graz and Olympiacos emerge victorious.

In a thrilling UEFA Europa Conference League play-off match, Steven Berghuis of Ajax delivered a stunning late goal to save his team from embarrassment. The Dutch side, who had dropped into the competition after finishing third in their UEFA Europa League group, struggled for the majority of the game but managed to secure a 2-2 draw with two stoppage-time goals.

The match started with Albert Gronbaek of Bodo/Glimt scoring the opener early on, beautifully tucking the ball into the bottom corner and wrong-footing the goalkeeper. Ajax failed to respond effectively, with most of their attempts off-target from distance. Gronbaek then grabbed his second goal of the night, curling the ball into the far corner, putting Bodo/Glimt 2-0 ahead.

However, Ajax staged a late comeback. Branco van den Boomen converted a penalty after Odin Bjortuft was sent off for a foul on Brian Brobbey. Then, in a moment of brilliance, Berghuis dinked the ball over the goalkeeper, who was off his line after missing a cross. This was a devastating blow for Bodo/Glimt, who now face an uphill battle in the second leg as they aim to reach the last 16 of a European competition for only the second time.

In other matches, goals were scarce. Servette’s clash with Ludogorets Razgrad ended in a goalless draw, while Maccabi Haifa secured a 1-0 victory against Gent. Frantzdy Pierrot scored the only goal of the night for Maccabi Haifa in a match played on neutral territory in Budapest due to the ongoing conflict in Israel and Gaza. Dinamo Zagreb also registered a famous 1-0 victory against Real Betis in Spain, with Bruno Petkovic scoring a 75th-minute penalty.

Sturm Graz took a significant step towards the last 16 of a UEFA competition for the first time by defeating Slovan Bratislava 4-1. The Austrian side, who last competed in European football post-Christmas in the 2000/01 UEFA Champions League, saw Mika Biereth, on loan from Arsenal, give them the lead. Gerson Rodrigues equalized for Slovan Bratislava, but goals from Jon Gorenc Stankovic and Otar Kiteishvili secured a commanding lead for Graz.

Royal Union Saint-Gilloise finished their clash with Eintracht Frankfurt with 10 men after Charles Vanhoutte received a red card. However, they managed to come from 2-0 down to secure a 2-2 draw against the German visitors, who won the UEFA Europa League in 2021/22. Legia Warsaw also mounted a comeback against Molde but fell just short, losing 3-2 to the Norwegian outfit.

Olympiacos left it late but eventually defeated Ferencvarosi 1-0, thanks to Ayoub El Kaabi’s 83rd-minute strike. The second legs of the Europa Conference League knockout play-offs will take place on Thursday, February 22.