Osasuna was knocked out against Bruges after a cruel game in Belgium in which they went on to win 0-2 and in which three fateful minutes, with two clear errors, penalized Jagoba Arrasate’s team, which fell 4-on aggregate. 3.
Johan Mojica’s goal in the 27th minute tied the match and made the rojillos believe they were going to the final phase of the Conference League. After the break, the Navarrese doubled their advantage with Budimir’s header. Everything seemed controlled until the Belgians took advantage of the visiting gifts.
Thiago, alone at the far post, narrowed the gap. Three minutes later, Olsen scored again after a gift from Mojica who lost the ball inside the area. The Colombian had to clear. Osasuna is left without Europe 16 years after its last participation in a continental competition in a night that bordered on glory and ended empty. Consequently, there will be no Spanish representation in the tournament.
Parallel. With great authority, Unai Emery’s Aston Villa carried out the duel with the Scottish Hibernian and agreed, twelve years later, to a European competition that will play the same as Fiorentina, Eintracht Frankfurt and Lille who reaffirmed their status as favourites.
Aston Villa beat Hibernian in Birmingham 3-0 to underline their superiority. In the first leg they already won 0-5. Fiorentina, who lost 1-0 in Vienna, turned the situation around and beat Rapid 2-0 in Italy. Eintracht Frankfurt beat Levski Sofia 2-0 in Germany. In the first leg, the duel ended with a draw. Lille had more trouble, needing extra time to tie Rijeka in Croatia and avoid elimination after winning 1-0 in their home field in the first game.
In total, thirty-two clubs that will play the group stage of the competition and that will be divided, in the draw on Friday, into eight blocks of four teams each.
