Head coach of Ferencvaros Robbie Keane prior to the start of the Uefa Europa League, 2nd round match. Alamy Stock Photo

Disappointment for Robbie Keane as Ferencváros exit Europa League

The former Ireland international took over the Hungarian side in January and had helped guide them into the play-offs.

IT WAS a disappointing night for Robbie Keane in the Europa League.

The former Ireland international, who took over as Ferencváros boss in January, saw his side defeated by Viktoria Plzeň.

The Hungarian outfit held a 1-0 first-leg advantage but came undone tonight, suffering a 3-0 loss.

All three goals were scored within nine minutes in the first half.

Václav Jemelka put his side ahead just before the half-hour mark.

Subsequent goals from Pavel Šulc and Rafiu Durosinmi gave the Czech side a commanding lead at the break that they held onto.

Elsewhere, Paulo Dybala scored twice as Roma beat Porto on Thursday to clinch a place in the last 16 of the Europa League, while Ajax clawed through in extra time despite playing a man down for 95 minutes.

Spanish forward Samu Aghehowa gave Porto the lead against Roma after a 1-1 draw in Portugal last week, but two quick-fire goals from Dybala turned the tie in favour of the 2023 runners-up.

Porto were reduced to 10 men when Canada midfielder Stephen Eustaquio was sent off early in the second half, and Niccolo Pisilli struck what proved to be the crucial third goal for Claudio Ranieri’s men.

Devyne Rensch turned into his own net deep into added time as Roma progressed 4-3 on aggregate.

“Having a champion like Dybala means a lot. He’s extraordinary; he says very little, but he is a leader and always says the right things,” Ranieri told Sky Sport.

Roma will find out whether they play Athletic Bilbao or city rivals Lazio in the next round when the draw for the last 16 is conducted on Friday.

“We have a huge opportunity in Europe. This competition can give us a lot this year,” said Dybala.

Four-time European champions Ajax survived a huge scare against close neighbours Union Saint-Gilloise of Belgium, nearly squandering a 2-0 advantage from a week ago.

Kevin Mac Allister’s header halved the deficit and Promise David tucked away a penalty after Ajax captain Davy Klaassen was dismissed in the 25th minute for a deliberate handball.

But Kenneth Taylor’s spot-kick in extra time was enough to put Ajax through 3-2 on aggregate.

Jose Mourinho, a former winner of the competition with Porto and Manchester United, saw his Fenerbahce side go through 5-2 overall after a 2-2 draw away to Anderlecht in a match that was delayed in the first half by crowd trouble.

Real Sociedad thrashed Midtjylland 7-3 on aggregate after a 5-2 win in San Sebastian. The Spaniards will take on United or Tottenham in the last 16.

- Bodo/Glimt win thriller -

Norwegian champions Bodo/Glimt overturned a first-leg deficit against Dutch side Twente with a dramatic 5-2 win after extra time in the Arctic Circle to progress 6-4 on aggregate.

The hosts were heading out before striking twice in second-half stoppage time but Twente then levelled the tie and forced extra time with a last-gasp equaliser.

Sondre Brunstad Fet put Bodo/Glimt back ahead in the 111th minute, with a second own goal of the night from Twente sealing qualification for their opponents.

Romanians FCSB won 2-0 in Bucharest to complete a 4-1 aggregate win over PAOK of Greece.

In the Conference League, Real Betis moved into the last 16 despite a 1-0 loss in the return leg at home to Gent.

Barcelona loanee Vitor Roque saw red before English defender Archie Brown’s late winner for Gent, but Betis went through 3-1 on aggregate.

The Spaniards will next take on Chelsea or Vitoria Guimaraes, with the draw for the latter stages of the third-tier European competition also set for Friday.

Copenhagen, who are other possible opponents for Chelsea, knocked out Heidenheim 4-3 over two legs after winning the return fixture 3-1 in Germany after extra time.

Panathinaikos crushed Icelandic dreams as Tete’s 95th-minute goal earned the Greeks a 2-0 win over Vikingur Reykjavik in Athens and 3-2 victory overall. Pafos won their all-Cypriot encounter with Omonia Nicosia.

Bosnia’s Borac Banja Luka squeezed past Olimpija Ljubljana 1-0 after a goalless stalemate in Slovenia, with Poland’s Jagiellonia Bialystok and Slovenians Celje moving on as well.

Uefa Europa League results on Thursday (aet denotes after extra time):

Knockout phase play-offs, second leg

Roma (ITA) 3 (Dybala 35, 39, Pisilli 83) Porto (POR) 2 (Aghehowa 27, Rensch 90+6-og)

Roma win 4-3 on aggregate

Galatasaray (TUR) 2 (Osimhen, Sallai 70) AZ Alkmaar (NED) 2 (Maikuma 42, Kasius 55)

AZ Alkmaar win 6-3 on aggregate

FCSB (ROM) 2 (Cisotti 30, Miculescu 81) PAOK (GRE) 0

FCSB win 4-1 on aggregate

Bodo/Glimt (NOR) 5 (Hogh 56-pen, Hilgers 90+2-og, Wembangomo 90+4, Brunstad Fet 111, Verschueren 114-og) Twente (NED) 2 (Sjovold 26-og, Steijn 90+6) aet

Bodo/Glimt win 6-4 on aggregate

Ajax (NED) 1 (Taylor 93-pen) Union Saint-Gilloise (BEL) 2 (Mac Allister 16, David 28-pen) aet

Ajax win 3-2 on aggregate

Anderlecht (BEL) 2 (Vazquez 19, 55) Fenerbahce (TUR) 2 (En-Nesyri 4, Akcicek 63)

Fenerbahce win 5-2 on aggregate

Real Sociedad (ESP) 5 (Mendez 5, Sucic 18, 45+2, Oyarzabal 73-pen, Oskarsson 90) Midtjylland (DEN) 2 (Buksa 24-pen, Osorio 38)

Real Sociedad win 7-3 on aggregate

Viktoria Plzen (CZE) 3 (Durosinmi 27, 38, Sulc 35) Ferencvaros (HUN) 0

Viktoria Plzen win 3-1 on aggregate

Uefa Conference League results on Thursday (aet denotes after extra time):

Knockout phase play-offs, second leg

Real Betis (ESP) 0 Gent (BEL) 1 (Brown 87)

Real Betis win 3-1 on aggregate 

Heidenheim (GER) 1 (Leo Scienza 74) Copenhagen (DEN) 3 (Chiakha 37, Diks 53-pen, Huescas 114) aet

Copenhagen win 4-3 on aggregate

Pafos (CYP) 2 (Bruno 28, Silva 65) Omonia Nicosia (CYP) 1 (Jovetic 60)

Pafos win 3-2 on aggregate

Olimpija Ljubljana (SLO) 0 Borac Banja Luka (BIH) 0

Borac Banja Luka win 1-0 on aggregate

Shamrock Rovers (IRL) 0 Molde (NOR) 1 (Eikrem 10) – aet

1-1 on aggregate; Molde win 5-4 on penalties

 APOEL Nicosia (CYP) 0 Celje (SLO) 2 (Kucys 45+4, Svetlin 51)

Celje win 4-2 on aggregate

 Panathinaikos (GRE) 2 (Mladenovic 70, Tete 90+5) Vikingur Reykjavik (ISL) 0

Panathinaikos win 3-2 on aggregate

 Jagiellonia Bialystok (POL) 3 (Hansen 8, Imaz 70, Radojevic 76-og) TSC Backa Topola (SRB) 1 (Lazetic 17)

Jagiellonia Bialystok win 6-2 on aggregate

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