Europa League Results 2015: Scores for Thursday's Play-Off Leg 1 Matches
It was a night of comebacks in the Europa League play-off round as some of the key qualifiers saved themselves from embarrassment.
Borussia Dortmund staged an amazing fight back against Norwegian side Odd after finding themselves 3-0 after just 22 minutes. The former Champions League and UEFA Cup winners hit the back of the net four times to grab an important win and take a slim advantage back to Germany for the second leg.
Athletic Bilbao were humbled by Slovaks MSK Zilina after leading 2-0 at half-time, with the Shoshons scoring three times in the last 24 minutes to grab a famous home win.
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Southampton struggled against Midtjylland at St Mary's, needing a second half penalty to earn a vital 1-1 draw.
Read on for the full list of results from the first leg of the play-off round.
| Astra Giurgiu | 3-2 | AZ Alkmaar |
| Dinamo Minsk | 2-0 | FC Red Bull Salzburg |
| FK Qabala | 0-0 | Panathinaikos |
| Ajax | 1-0 | FK Jablonec |
| FK Krasnodar | 5-1 | HJK Helsinki |
| Molde | 2-0 | Standard Liege |
| PAOK Salonika | 5-0 | Brondby IF |
| Slovan Liberec | 1-0 | Hajduk Split |
| Sparta Prague | 3-1 | FC Thun |
| Zorya Luhansk | 0-1 | Legia Warsaw |
| Milsami Orhei | 1-1 | St Etienne |
| Atromitos Athens | 0-1 | Fenerbahce |
| BSC Young Boys | 0-1 | FK Qarabag |
| Rabotnicki | 1-1 | Rubin Kazan |
| Steaua Bucharest | 0-3 | Rosenborg |
| MSK Zilina | 3-2 | Athletic Bilbao |
| Bordeaux | 1-0 | Kairat Almaty |
| SCR Altach | 0-1 | Belenenses |
| Odd | 3-4 | Borussia Dortmund |
| Viktoria Plzen | 3-0 | FK Vojvodina |
| Lech Poznan | 3-0 | Videoton |
| Southampton | 1-1 | FC Midtjylland |
BVB Stage Amazing Comeback In Norway
Dortmund had to find incredible depths of resolve to gain their 4-3 win against Odd on Thursday, as the home side battered the BVB defence.
The hosts took a shock lead in just the second minute as BVB were caught napping. A quick breakaway saw Jone Samuelsen run to the edge of the opposition six yard box, and the midfielder made sure of his header to grab the opening goal.
Dortmund almost responded immediately as Shinji Kagawa hit the crossbar just one minute later, but the Germans were shocked for a second time as Odd soon extended their lead.
Fredrik Nordkvelle charged through the weak BVB defence on the counter attack, and the Odd player made sure of his shot, making it 2-0 after 20 minutes.
And the shocks didn't end there as Dortmund crumbled. Odd made it 3-0 just two minutes later from a spectacular 35-yard free-kick from Espen Ruud. The Norwegian defender hit the ball with power and curl, with goalkeeper Roman Weidenfeller only able to palm the shot into the top corner.
The fightback began 11 minutes before half-time as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang made the scoreline more respectable for the Bundesliga giants. The striker slotted the ball home from close range to give BVB hope going into the break.
Dortmund made the perfect start to the second half as Kagawa converted for the visitors. The former Manchester United attacker took his volley brilliantly from close range, making it 3-2.
BT Sport's Archie Rhind-Tutt commented on Kagawa's strike, who rejoined BVB after his miserable time at Old Trafford:
The German club competed their comeback after 76 minutes as the dangerous Aubameyang struck again. The striker's first-time finish flew past Odd goalkeeper Sondre Rossbach to level the match and spare Dortmund blushes.
And coach Thomas Tuchel watched his side's astonishing comeback bear fruit as Henrikh Mkhitaryan found the net with just five minutes to play. Kagawa's curling cross found the Armenian at the back post, and the midfielder was ruthless with his headed finish to grab his side's fourth goal.
Saints Struggle Against Great Danes
Southampton had a difficult night in the Europa League play-offs on Thursday after struggling against a buoyant Midtjylland. The Premier League side could only draw 1-1, but the away team were worth their draw.
The Danish champions pushed hard in the opening stages—and reaped their rewards on the stroke of half time as former Saints player Tim Sparv gave his side the lead.
Maarten Stekelenburg was left helpless as Sparv's beautifully struck shot flew in from 20 yards to give the visitors a shock lead.
Southampton put their foot on the gas in the second half as they hunted an equaliser. They finally got their wish 10 minutes into play as James Ward-Prowse was upended for a penalty. The returning Jay Rodriguez was clinical with the subsequent spot kick to bring Saints level.
The home side continued to push their opponents back, but they struggled to create good opportunities in open play. Coach Ronald Koeman watched on as his side battled against a hardened defence and had to accept a 1-1 draw at full time.
The Europa League could be at its most exciting this year if these preliminary matches are anything to go by. The bigger teams have found the quality to be of a high standard and have had to battle to stay in matches.
BVB are the biggest club in the play-offs, and they face a tricky second leg in order to qualify. However, Odd showed they do not have the defensive capabilities to stop the Germans but also proved they are clinical in front of goal.
The second legs will be played in one week on August 27.
