Hacken gives Dons a finishing lesson on bad European night for Scots

Aberdeen wasted a string of chances as they went down 3-1 at home to Swedish champions Hacken to go out 5-3 on aggregate in the Europa League. In the Conference League, Hearts lost 4-0 in Salonika to PAOK to go down 6-1 on aggregate. Hibernian subsided 3-0 at Aston Villa, outclassed 8-0 over two legs by the Premier League team.

On Wednesday, Rangers lost 5-1 in Eindhoven as they went out of the Champions League 7-3 on aggregate to PSV. In an end-to-end match at Pittodrie, Ibrahim Sadiq made the difference in what he said after the final whistle was his final game for Gothenburg club, Hacken. Sadiq put Hacken ahead after 14 minutes, slashing in a shot from outside the box. He doubled the lead on the counter-attack after 41 minutes, chipping goalkeeper Kelle Roos from close range.

Bojan Miovski, the most wasteful of the Dons strikers, and Amor Layouni exchanged second-half penalties. "We did what we had to do," Sadiq told the 'BBC'. Hacken, who won their first Swedish title last season, had never made it past the qualifying rounds in Europe. "It's history for us," said Sadiq before saying that he would be heading to AZ Alkmaar in the Netherlands.

"It is my last game for Hacken and I am really proud that I have done my part." He then said he had already checked that Alkmaar had advanced in the Conference League.

In Moldova, Ivorian fullback Armel Zohouri scored with 16 minutes left as Sheriff Tiraspol, finding themselves in the unfamiliar European role of giants, edged KI Klaksvik 2-1 on the night and 3-2 on aggregate. KI will drop down to the Conference League where they will become the first Faroese team to play in the group stages of a European competition.

Frankfurt, Fiorentina leave it late

In the Conference League, Osasuna, who went to the Court for Arbitration in Sport to salvage their European place after a UEFA ban, threw away a lead away to Club Brugge, drawing the match 2-2 and going out 4-3 on aggregate. Trailing from the first leg in Pamplona, Osasuna levelled with a first-half goal by Colombian Johan Mojica. They went ahead with a 53rd minute goal by Ante Budimir.

Brazilian Thiago and Dane Andreas Skov Olsen scored three minutes apart to put the Belgians through. Eintracht Frankfurt and Fiorentina both did exactly what they had to do, as they won 2-0 at home after stumbling in the away legs. In Frankfurt, Jessic Ngankam, a 70th-minute substitute, put the home team ahead in the 79th minute against Levski Sofia. Tunisian Ellyes Skhiri sealed a 3-1 aggregate win with four minutes left.

Fiorentina left it late against Rapid Vienna. Argentine Nicolas Gonzalez levelled the tie on the hour and then he won the game in the last minute with a penalty. Lille left it even later. Jonathan David struck in the second half of added time to earn the French team a 1-1 draw against Rijeka in Croatia and a 3-2 aggregate win

Edin Dzeko, appearing in Europe for a seventh club, converted a penalty as Fenerbahce won 1-0 away to Twente in Enschede to complete an 6-1 aggregate humiliation of the Dutch side. Alkmaar eliminated Brann on penalties after coming from two goals behind twice to secure a 3-3 draw in Norway left the teams tied on 4-4.

 

August 31, 2023