What happened in roundup form.

The 8pm kick-offs took a while to get going, but it was worth the wait. An exquisite goal from Milan’s Rafael Leão to garnish a brace by Ruben Loftus-Cheek. Late drama in Lisbon, as Benfica’s Ángel Di María scored twice from the spot. Qarabağ ripping Braga to pieces, with one of their goals, initially ruled offside, awarded as the “draught excluder” played Abdellah Zoubir on. And in the Conference League, an injury-time combination of a soft penalty and delightful lob denied Bodø/Glimt a famous victory at Ajax. Yep, worth waiting for. Thanks for reading this Clockwatch.

GOAL! Ajax 2-2 Bodø/Glimt (Berghuis 90+7). What drama in Amsterdam! A cross into the Bodø/Glimt box from the left. Keeper Kjetil Haug flaps. The ball breaks to Steven Berghuis on the right. Berghuis returns it artfully, high-lobbing the walkabout keeper from a tight angle. What a finish! Delicious! So cruel for the Norwegians, mind.

GOAL! Ajax 1-2 Bodø/Glimt (Van den Boomen 90+1 pen). Odin Bjørtuft wrestles with Brian Brobbey in the Bodø/Glimt box. There’s nothing much in it, but VAR gets involved. The referee jogs over to the monitor, awards the spot kick, and to add insult to injury, sends off Bjørtuft, who is given a second yellow. Branco van den Boomen slams the penalty home, and is another unlikely comeback on?

Ajax 0-2 Bodø/Glimt. Over in the Conference League, Steven Berghuis crosses from the left. The ball drops to the unmarked Brian Brobbey, who heads weakly wide right from six yards. Bodø/Glimt then go up the other end, Nino Žugelj romping down the left. He’s got Oscar Kapskarmo in the middle, waiting to slam home, but gets the low cross all wrong. That would have been the ultimate humiliation for the four-time European champions.

Logan Costa with a late 36th birthday present for Ángel Di María. A needless handball tied up this opportunity in a pretty bow.

Lens 0-0 Freiburg. Turns out Massadio Haidara’s goal was chalked off due to an offside earlier in the move. Either way, it remains goalless at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis.

Lens 0-0 Freiburg. Massadio Haidara thinks he’s opened the scoring, bundling home a fizzing right-wing cross from close range. The goal’s given, but VAR snatches it back, the ball having sprung up onto the upper part of Haidara’s arm as it crossed the line.

GOAL: Ajax 0-2 Bodø/Glimt. This is on! Tristan Gooijer faffs around on the edge of his own box. Albert Grønbæk steals the ball, one-twos with Håkon Evjen, and steers calmly across Diant Ramaj and into the bottom right. More whistling from the home fans. Not happy.

Leão: wow. You’ll not see too many better goals in Europe this season.

Lens 0-0 Freiburg. Still no opener at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis. But how? The brilliance of Kevin Danso explains it. Jordy Makengo meets a right-wing cross with a downward header. It’s blocked but breaks to Maximilian Eggestein, six yards out. He has to score … but after aiming towards the bottom right, the Freiburg camptain watches in horror as Danso arrives from nowhere, telescoping a leg to deflect around the post. That’s astonishing defending.

Braga 1-1 Qarabag. Marko Janković nearly doubles his tally, latching onto a loose ball by the right-hand edge of the D, and fizzing a shot across Braga keeper Matheus and millimetres wide of the left-hand post.

Second halves are starting all across Europe. More goals, please! Please.

Sweet Cheek. Milan’s goal in moving pictures.

Just as well we dragged Ajax 0-1 Bodø/Glimt into this. The home side whistled off by irate fans at the Johan Cruijff ArenA. The Norwegians halfway to claiming another notable big-name victim, a list that already famously includes Roma and Celtic. Oh Jordan.

Benfica 0-0 Toulouse. Back in the Europa League, at the Estádio da Luz, Rafa Silva cuts in from the left and sends a looping curler across the face of the Toulouse goal and off the junction of right-hand post and crossbar.

Ajax 0-1 Bodø/Glimt. This Conference League match has officially gatecrashed this blog. Jordan Henderson looks to level things up with a powerful drive towards the bottom left. It’s hot enough for Kjetil Haug to mishandle, but the keeper recovers both poise and ball with Kenneth Taylor lurking.

Totaal audiovisueel entertainment.

Benfica 0-0 Toulouse. Toulouse only half clear a Benfica free kick. It drops to João Mário on the edge of the D. Pelt! The ball loops inches over the bar.

Lens 0-0 Freiburg. The home side are moving through the gears at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis. Florian Sotoca’s cute flick down the inside-right channel releases David Costa into the box. Costa lashes a low drive into the side netting. Lovely move, poor finish. Costa should have put Freiburg keeper Noah Atubolu to work at the very least.

Lens 0-0 Freiburg. Massadio Haïdara makes good down the inside-left channel and into the box. A soft-shoe shuffle before a shot. Yannik Keitel deflects, and nothing comes of the resulting corner.

Milan 0-0 Rennes. Yet another chance for Rafael Leão. A corner hit long from the right. It drops to Leão at the far stick. He’s faced with both defender Adrien Truffert and a tight angle. The side netting ripples.

“Let’s Talk About Six!” chirrups Peter Oh. “No, not Liverpool’s European Cup/Champions League titles. The new number 6 shirt at Ajax. Jordan Henderson just marched out onto the pitch at the Amsterdam Arena. I’m very curious to see how his transition from Total Sellout to Total Football is going.” Well. Now then. He’s just been caught out of position as Bodø/Glimt’s Albert Gronbaek takes a shot from the edge of the box. It’s deflected, wrongfooting Diant Ramaj in the Ajax goal, and it’s Ajax 0-1 Bodø/Glimt.

Braga 0-0 Qarabag. Some entertaining end-to-end stuff at the Estádio Municipal de Braga, aka A Pedreira (The Quarry). Braga’s Simon Banza sends a low drive straight at Qarabag keeper Andrey Lunev, then up the other end Juninho (not that one, nor that one) dribbles in from the right and takes a shot that bagatelles its way through a crowded box and harmlessly away from goal.

Milan 0-0 Rennes. The home side are well on top. Ruben Loftus-Cheek tears down the right and tiptoes along the byline before cutting back for that man Rafael Leão, whose snapshot flies wide right. Already a sense that it’s only a matter of time.

Milan 0-0 Rennes. Rafael Leão nearly gives Milan the lead at San Siro. He chests down to cut in from the left flank and whistles a rising shot off the crossbar. That would have been a peach.

The Europa Conference League has also restarted tonight. Here’s how the early knockout round play-offs ended, and how the 8pm kick-offs have undramatically started. No promises, this entry is purely bonus content for completists, though if Jordan Henderson plants one into the top corner from 30 yards we’ll drop everything and you’ll be the first to know.

Molde 3-2 Legia Warsaw (FT)
Olympiacos 1-0 Ferencváros (FT)
Sturm Graz 4-1 Slovan Bratislava (FT)
Union Saint-Gilloise 2-2 Eintracht Frankfurt (FT)
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Ajax 0-0 Bodø/Glimt
Maccabi Haifa 0-0 Gent
Real Betis 0-0 Dinamo Zagreb
Servette 0-0 Ludogorets

All across the continent, the 8pms kick off. Here we go, then!

While we wait, some new-fangled audio-visual entertainment to fill the void. Eguinaldo’s late, late, late, late, late equalising power header for Shakhtar against Marseille.

Thank you Dominic. Now then. Here’s how today’s Europa League card looks at the minute. Fifteen goals in four matches so far! Compare and contrast to the eight served up this week by the Champions League. Big doesn’t always necessarily mean better.

Feyenoord 1-1 Roma (FT)
Galatasaray 3-2 Sparta Prague (FT)
Shakhtar 2-2 Marseille (FT)
Young Boys 1-3 Sporting (FT)
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Benfica v Toulouse (8pm GMT)
Braga v Qarabag (8pm)
Lens v Freiburg (8pm)
Milan v Rennes (8pm)

Just the 15 goals across those four first legs, what will the next batch have in store for us? After all that action, I need a lie down.

I shall no pass over to Scott Murray, who will be your guide for the rest of the evening, with Benfica v Toulouse and AC Milan v Rennes to look forward to. Scott!

Narrator’s voice: It wasn’t.

And now they’ve hit the post! Roma are hanging on a touch towards the end of this game …

A great chance for Feyenoord substitute Giménez who forces a solid save from Svilar at his near post. It’s the hosts who are now looking the more likely as stoppage time approaches.

86 mins: A bit of off-the-ball nonsense from Bove gets him a yellow card and a ban for the second leg of this tie. Harsh or silly? A bit of both for me, Clive.

Another email from Peter Oh re one of Feyenoord’s teenage subs:

Milambo sounds like a nouveau riche British-born footballer showing off his new Italian sportscar.

Three of these games need a winner as we head towards the final five minutes plus added time. Or will sides be satisfied with a first leg draw? Galatasaray certainly aren’t … they’re pushing for a decisive third goal.

Should goalkeepers be getting cramp? Svilar of Roma seems to be suffering from it and needing a bit of help from his teammates. Hmmm.

Some of those goals here, in the preferred video format. Marseille and Shakhtar exchanged them quite quickly.

Enter Givairo Read for Feyenoord, a 17-year-old making his senior professional debut. Antoni Milambo, 18, is also on, as Arne Slot turns to youth to change the momentum of this match late on.

This AC Milan lineup – for their clash with Rennes that kicks off soon – does not scream ‘Europa League playoff round exit’, does it? It’s packed with Champions League level quality.

75 mins: Roma have bossed things, pretty much, since the Lukaku leveller and they look the more likely to find a winner. The De Rossi effect, eh?

Feel like this could relate to ALL football nowadays.

All eight teams have now scored and, with 20 minutes or so left in all these ties, pretty much anything could happen now.

There was me expecting a straightforward evening …

Romelu Lukaku always finds a way. Especially for Italian teams. And especially in the Europa League.

Roma have made an attacking change:

61 mins: Shakhtar and Marseille continue to cancel out each other. The goalless draw benefits Marseille, you’d say, though they have enough quality to be a little more adventurous than this …

59 mins: Feyenoord haven’t offered a great deal since the resumption, but they’ve not been seriously threatened either. Calvin Stengs looks a cut above for them. He’s a name I’d be watching in relation to a possible Premier League move in the next few years.

This is the goal that has left it all-square between Galatasaray and Sparta Prague.

55 mins: Roma were very direct and very narrow in that first half. They’ve certainly trying to vary their attack now and show a little more patience. Dybala has been everywhere.

53 mins: Roma are making most of the running once more in Rotterdam, largely through the advanced wing-back Spinazzola down their left.

Feyenoord would probably take the 1-0 and take their chances in Rome, based on their tentative start to the second period.

We’ll do very well to see a better strike in this round than that effort from Preciado. Thunderous.

48 mins: Stengs laid it off for Ueda but it was blocked in the end by the onrushing Roma defenders.

47 mins: A great free-kick opportunity for Feyenoord early in the second half …

Second half: We’re back under way in most of these Europa League playoffs now.

More goals, please. Always more goals.

I’m on 3 out of 4 for my predictions so far. We’re only a quarter of the way through these ties, of course.

Don’t forget that our coverage will stretch to the 8pm kick-offs, so you’re covered for an entire evening’s Europa action. You lucky lot.

Aaaaand breathe. Here’s that Feyenoord goal:

Kit clashes – annoying aren’t they? Joe Pearson agrees with me:

“Hi Dom. I couldn’t agree more with your comments about the kits in the Feyenoord v Roma match,” he says. “It’s almost as if they already exchanged shirts. Roma’s black tops would go better with Feyenoord’s black shorts; as would Feyenoord’s red and white tops with Roma’s white shorts. What is wrong with people!?”

You can see why Marseille are eighth in Ligue 1 and why Gennaro Gattuso is under a fair bit of pressure. They’ve been very sloppy so far, allowing Shakhtar to set the tone in Hamburg.

Zubkov has been very impressive for the Ukrainians, with Aubameyang largely marginalised in this game so far.

38 mins: Eguinaldo has just squandered the best chance of the match so far for Shakhtar, somehow skewing his shot high and not-so handsome after being found in acres of space on the 18-yard line.

36 mins: The high tempo that began the Feyernoord versus Roma clash has subsided somewhat, with both sides’ inability to find an early goal meaning they’re apporaching things with a little bit more caution now. The Dutch side are chiefly threatening from long range.

It was Marcus Edwards’ cutback from the right that was inadvertently turned into his own goal by Amenda. He’ll have to make Amends after that. No? Ok, sorry.

At least half an hour has gone in these games now, with the Galatasaray contest running a bit behind. Just the one goal so far …

30 mins: Oh, Romelu, why have you never learned to stay onside? If anyone can solve the enigma that is the (still on loan from Chelsea) striker, please email me.

28 mins: It’s still pretty even Stevens between Shakhtar and Marseille. The French side have been rather disjointed so far, but their defence is holding firm.

25 mins: Roma have been guilty of overplaying it when they get to the final third. Dybala and Lukaku are looking ominous, though, as Feyenoord fight hard to keep them at bay.

Since Roma are playing in Rotterdam, Peter Oh has some recommended listening for you all:

An important question from Ian Batch on email:

Thanks for your predictions, can you also tell us what that would do for the race for a 5^th team in the CL next year? I’d read somewhere that France are 7^th currently, but if all their teams go through in this round of matches, they’d be first? Say it isn’t so.

Now that is a good question, Ian. The Italian and English leagues are in pole position for the extra Champions League places, as I understand it. The French league is currently sixth.

18 mins: Flares from the crowd mean the stadium is full of smoke at Shakhtar v Marseille, so much so that you’d struggle to see someone on the opposite flank for a switch of play …

16 mins: You honestly wouldn’t know Roma were the away side, the way they’re strutting their stuff in this game so far. Who’d have thought replacing Jose Mourinho with an inexperienced club legend would elicit such a spell of form?

Lukaku aims a header at goal, which is easily saved.

13 mins: Geoffrey Kondogbia is a vital player for Marseille and he’s helped them win the ball off Donestk plenty of times already, with the white-shirted visitors looking to stream forward on the counterattack whenever possible.

10 mins: So close for Dybala and so nearly 1-0 to Roma! Pellegrini latches onto a pass that splits the Feyenoord defence in half, with Wellenreuther beaten, as Dybala follows up and shoots just over.

Who fancies scoring the first goal of the round, then? All four ties are goalless as it stands. There’s no shortage of intent, especially from the away sides thus far.

There’s a healthyish crowd inside Hamburg’s Volksparkstadion for the clash between Shakhtar Donetsk and Marseille, with the Ukrainian side starting the more brightly in the opening seven minutes or so.

5 mins: Delightful stuff from Roma, with Lukaku playing a delicious backheel into the path of Bove, but it doesn’t quite run for the 21-year-old midfielder in the end. The visitors look very sharp, mind.

2 mins: Ugh, there’s a bit of a kit clash going on in Feyenoord versus Roma. Red, white and black plays … black and white with red numbers. How does that still happen in modern football?

Roma have the likes of Chris Smalling, Houssem Aouar, Stephan El Shaarawy and Renato Sanches on their bench. It’s been a purposeful start from both teams in Rotterdam.

In case you’ve been living in a cave in which nobody has heard of Kylian Mbappé …

I’m not really a betting man, but here are my picks/predictions, the eight teams who I believe will join Liverpool, Brighton, West Ham, Rangers, Leverkusen, Atalanta, Slavia Prague and Villarreal in the Europa League last 16 proper:

• Feyenoord

• Galatasaray

• Marseille

• Sporting

• AC Milan

• Benfica

• Freiburg

• Braga

Feel free to pin post/come back to me when I’ve got all eight predicitons wrong …

Potentially unpopular opinion … this ball is top notch. A scorcher.

Speaking of Bayern and this week’s European thrills and spills, enjoy Football Daily – hot off the press – with your Thursday evening shandy.

At least there was one surprise result in the four opening Champions League last 16 first legs earlier this week, thanks to Bayern Munich doing their best Spurs impression with defeat at Lazio. Poor old Hazza Kane.

What would constitute a surprise in this Europa League playoff round? Galatasaray and Sporting have to be considered big favourites to progress beyond these ties; while later the heavyweights of AC Milan and Benfica will be expected to cruise through too. There’s not much between many of the other sides, though.

More team news: North London rejects Davinson Sanchez and Lucas Torreira start for Galatasaray – who are spearheaded by Euro veterans Mauro Icardi and Dries Mertens – against Sparta Prague.

There’s another one in the Marseille lineup against Shakhtar Donestk, as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang starts for the French side. Les Olympiens also have former Spurs backup goalkeeper Pau López between the sticks.

Sporting’s team is a hive of exciting young talent. Keep an eye on Gonçalo Inácio (22), Daniel Bragança (24) and, of course, Marcus Edwards (still only 25), the same age as red-hot striker Viktor Gyökeres.