Fenerbahce clinches playoff spot in Europa League despite 2-2 draw with Midtjylland

By Sumeyye Eryilmaz

ISTANBUL (AA) - Fenerbahce secured a place in the UEFA Europa League playoffs despite a 2-2 draw with Denmark's Midtjylland in the final match of the group stage Thursday.

Ousmane Diao gave Midtjylland the lead in the 27th minute with a close-range header from a corner. Fenerbahce responded in the 39th minute through Youssef En-Nesyri, whose left-footed shot from the center of the box beat goalkeeper Jonas Lossl.

The second half began with Edin Dzeko's right-footed strike in the 47th minute to give Fenerbahce a 2-1 lead. However, a late goal from Valdemar Andreasen in the 86th minute ended the game in a 2-2 draw.

The Turkish side, who finished 24th in the group with 10 points, will face either Bodo/Glimt or Anderlecht in the playoff round. If they progress, they could face Olympiakos or Rangers.

Lazio’s 1-0 defeat to Braga, followed by the cancellation of Braga’s late goal, allowed Fenerbahce to clinch a playoff spot. Lazio secured a top spot finish in the Europa League table despite their loss, while Braga's elimination came with a 25th-place finish.

- 1st stage results

With the group stage in the new format of the organization coming to an end, Lazio, Athletic Bilbao, Manchester United, Tottenham, Eintracht Frankfurt, Lyon, Olympiakos and Rangers finished as the top eight teams, respectively. These teams qualified to the final 16 round.

Bodo/Glimt, Anderlecht, FCSB, Ajax, Real Sociedad, Galatasaray, Roma, Plzen, Ferencvaros, Porto, AZ Alkmaar, Midtjylland, Union Saint-Gilloise, PAOK, Twente and Fenerbahce finished among the top 24 teams, qualifying for playoffs for the final 16 round.

Meanwhile, Braga, Elfsborg, Hoffenheim, Besiktas, Maccabi Tel Aviv, Slavia Prague, Malmo, RFS, Ludogorets, Dynamo Kyiv, OGC Nice and Qarabag were eliminated from the Europa League.