Europa Conference League

2022 - 4 - 15

Post cover — Image courtesy of "Eurosport.co.uk"

Leicester score late double to stun PSV and reach Europa ... (Eurosport.co.uk)

Ricardo Pereira's goal two minutes from time secured victory for Leicester at PSV Eindhoven, sending them through to the Europa Conference League ...

Lookman and Perez almost combined for a winner, minutes before Lookman and Daka were involved in the move leading to Pereira's historic moment. Even with England's log jam of forwards, he must be pushing close to a recall given his recent form. Rodgers substitutions changed the game: Leicester were second best in the first half and with their in-form opposition a goal up a comeback seemed a long way back. He had a couple of other good efforts, one cleared off the line and another forcing a fine stop from Yvon Mvogo, before the goal which he took with aplomb. 84' GREAT STOP FROM MVOGO Lookman crosses from close in on the by-line and Perez gets a touch towards goal but the keeper pushes over the bar. However, it was the third substitution, a controversial one, bringing on Perez for spearhead Kelechi Iheanacho which made the biggest difference.

Leicester book historic semi-final spot as late fightback floors PSV ... (The Guardian)

A late effort from Ricardo Pereira completed a dramatic turnaround as Leicester reached their first European semi-final.

A minute later Maddison curled a shot wide that Mvogo clambered low to tip round a post but his desire to make the difference did not end there, converting the substitute Ayoze Pérez’s pullback before Pereira capped the comeback. Iheanacho hooked a clever ball over the top of the PSV defence and Daka raced through one on one with the goalkeeper Yvon Mvogo but the striker, perhaps put off by Teze’s determination to make life difficult, dropped his shot wide. A PSV supporter threw his beer towards Maddison as the midfielder was mobbed by his teammates and Brendan Rodgers was all smiles when Pereira sealed victory with two minutes to spare.

The Conference League Is the Best European Tournament You're ... (The New York Times)

The Europa Conference League was dismissed as irrelevant when it kicked off last summer. Try telling that to the clubs that can win it.

It does not just have to be the same four, five or six teams from the same four, five or six leagues.” “It is quite expensive, but the destinations are part of the attraction,” Ravenhorst said. Nobody is complaining about the lack of history or glamour, not anymore. That parity has not necessarily come at the expense of quality. “It is a chance to achieve something monumental in our club’s history,” he said. “The level is high, and the games are between opponents who are more or less equal,” Kyriakos said. He has seen his beloved Feyenoord play in the sleepy Swedish town of Boras and the firecracker hostility of Belgrade, Serbia. He has been to Prague, twice. To the fans who are following the Conference League, the relative unfamiliarity of the teams involved has not diminished the tournament. The Europa League has, traditionally, been a little more diverse, but in recent years that, too, has been increasingly vulnerable to the massive financial advantage enjoyed by teams from Western Europe’s grand leagues. The lineup for the inaugural quarterfinals illustrates that perfectly. Europe’s major leagues saw it as another burden, players’ organizations worried that it would increase the risk of burnout and fan groups grumbled about yet another expense for those who wished to follow their teams. The Europa Conference League was dismissed as irrelevant when it kicked off last summer.