2015–16 UEFA Europa League play-off round

The 2015–16 UEFA Europa League play-off round began on 20 August and ended on 27 August 2015. A total of 44 teams competed in the play-off round to decide 22 of the 48 places in the group stage of the 2015–16 UEFA Europa League.[1]

All times were CEST (UTC+2).

Round and draw dates edit

All draws were held at UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland.[2]

Round Draw date and time First leg Second leg
Play-off round 7 August 2015, 13:00[3] 20 August 2015 27 August 2015

Matches could also be played on Tuesdays or Wednesdays instead of the regular Thursdays due to scheduling conflicts.

Format edit

In the qualifying phase and play-off round, each tie was played over two legs, with each team playing one leg at home. The team that scored more goals on aggregate over the two legs advanced to the next round. If the aggregate score was level, the away goals rule was applied, i.e., the team that scored more goals away from home over the two legs advanced. If away goals were also equal, then thirty minutes of extra time was played, divided into two fifteen-minutes halves. The away goals rule was again applied after extra time, i.e., if there were goals scored during extra time and the aggregate score was still level, the visiting team advanced by virtue of more away goals scored. If no goals were scored during extra time, the tie was decided by penalty shoot-out.[1]

In the draws for each round, teams were seeded based on their UEFA club coefficients at the beginning of the season, with the teams divided into seeded and unseeded pots. A seeded team was drawn against an unseeded team, with the order of legs in each tie decided by draw. Due to the limited time between matches, the draws for the second and third qualifying rounds took place before the results of the previous round were known. For these draws (or in any cases where the result of a tie in the previous round was not known at the time of the draw), the seeding was carried out under the assumption that the team with the higher coefficient of an undecided tie advanced to this round, which means if the team with the lower coefficient was to advance, it simply took the seeding of its defeated opponent. Prior to the draws, UEFA formed "groups" in accordance with the principles set by the Club Competitions Committee, but they were purely for convenience of the draw and for ensuring that teams from the same association were not drawn against each other, and did not resemble any real groupings in the sense of the competition.[1]

Seeding edit

A total of 44 teams played in the play-off round: the 29 winners of the third qualifying round, and the 15 losers of the Champions League third qualifying round.[3] The draw was held on 7 August 2015.[4][5] (Note: The numbers for each team were pre-assigned by UEFA so that the draw could be held in one run for all groups with 10 teams and another run for all groups with 12 teams.)

Group 1 Group 2
Seeded Unseeded Seeded Unseeded

  Athletic Bilbao[†] (1)
  Viktoria Plzeň[CL] (2)
  Steaua București[CL] (3)
  Legia Warsaw[†] (4)
  Belenenses[†] (5)

  Rosenborg[†] (6)
  Zorya Luhansk[†] (7)
  Žilina[†] (8)
  Vojvodina[†] (9)
  Rheindorf Altach[†] (10)

  Ajax[CL] (1)
  PAOK[†] (2)
  Young Boys[CL] (3)
  Standard Liège[†] (4)
  Saint-Étienne[†] (5)

  Qarabağ[CL] (6)
  Molde[CL] (7)
  Jablonec[†] (8)
  Brøndby[†] (9)
  Milsami Orhei[CL] (10)

Group 3 Group 4
Seeded Unseeded Seeded Unseeded

  Rubin Kazan[†] (1)
  Red Bull Salzburg[CL] (2)
  Fenerbahçe[CL] (3)
  Bordeaux[†] (4)
  Lech Poznań[CL] (5)
  Slovan Liberec[†] (6)

  Hajduk Split[†] (7)
  Atromitos[†] (8)
  Dinamo Minsk[†] (9)
  Videoton[CL] (10)
  Rabotnički[†] (11)
  Kairat[†] (12)

  Borussia Dortmund[†] (1)
  AZ[†] (2)
  Sparta Prague[CL] (3)
  Panathinaikos[CL] (4)
  Southampton[†] (5)
  Krasnodar[†] (6)

  HJK[CL] (7)
  Thun[†] (8)
  Astra Giurgiu[†] (9)
  Midtjylland[CL] (10)
  Odd[†] (11)
  Gabala[†] (12)

Notes
  1. Winners of the third qualifying round.

Summary edit

The first legs were played on 20 August, and the second legs were played on 27 August 2015.

Team 1 Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
Rheindorf Altach   0–1   Belenenses 0–1 0–0
Žilina   3–3 (a)   Athletic Bilbao 3–2 0–1
Steaua București   1–3   Rosenborg 0–3 1–0
Zorya Luhansk   2–4   Legia Warsaw 0–1 2–3
Viktoria Plzeň   5–0   Vojvodina 3–0 2–0
Milsami Orhei   1–2   Saint-Étienne 1–1 0–1
Ajax   1–0[D]   Jablonec 1–0 0–0
Young Boys   0–4   Qarabağ 0–1 0–3
Molde   3–3 (a)   Standard Liège 2–0 1–3
PAOK   6–1   Brøndby 5–0 1–1
Bordeaux   2–2 (a)   Kairat 1–0 1–2
Lech Poznań   4–0   Videoton 3–0 1–0
Dinamo Minsk   2–2 (3–2 p)   Red Bull Salzburg 2–0 0–2 (a.e.t.)
Rabotnički   1–2   Rubin Kazan 1–1 0–1
Slovan Liberec   2–0   Hajduk Split 1–0 1–0
Atromitos   0–4   Fenerbahçe 0–1 0–3
Gabala   2–2 (a)[D]   Panathinaikos 0–0 2–2
Southampton   1–2   Midtjylland 1–1 0–1
Astra Giurgiu   3–4   AZ 3–2 0–2
Odd   5–11   Borussia Dortmund 3–4 2–7
Krasnodar   5–1   HJK 5–1 0–0
Sparta Prague   6–4[D]   Thun 3–1 3–3
Notes
  1. ^ a b c
    Order of legs reversed after original draw.

Matches edit

Rheindorf Altach  0–1  Belenenses
Report Caeiro   13'
Belenenses  0–0  Rheindorf Altach
Report

Belenenses won 1–0 on aggregate.


Žilina  3–2  Athletic Bilbao
Paur   66'
William   77', 90+4'
Report Merino   16'
Sola   33'
Athletic Bilbao  1–0  Žilina
Elustondo   24' Report
Attendance: 38,688[6]

3–3 on aggregate. Athletic Bilbao won on away goals.


Steaua București  0–3  Rosenborg
Report Mikkelsen   61'
Helland   67'
Jensen   90+3'
Attendance: 21,204[6]
Referee: Luca Banti (Italy)
Rosenborg  0–1  Steaua București
Report Popa   54'

Rosenborg won 3–1 on aggregate.


Zorya Luhansk  0–1  Legia Warsaw
Report Kucharczyk   48'
Legia Warsaw  3–2  Zorya Luhansk
Brzyski   16'
Guilherme   62'
Duda   90+5' (pen.)
Report Khomchenovskyi   39'
Malinovskyi   66'
Attendance: 23,163[6]
Referee: Tobias Welz (Germany)

Legia Warsaw won 4–2 on aggregate.


Viktoria Plzeň  3–0  Vojvodina
Kopic   25', 82'
Vaněk   51'
Report
Vojvodina  0–2  Viktoria Plzeň
Report Đurić   19' (o.g.)
Ďuriš   60'

Viktoria Plzeň won 5–0 on aggregate.


Milsami Orhei  1–1  Saint-Étienne
Bud   56' Report Hamouma   40'
Saint-Étienne  1–0  Milsami Orhei
Corgnet   15' Report

Saint-Étienne won 2–1 on aggregate.


Ajax  1–0  Jablonec
Milik   54' (pen.) Report
Attendance: 30,898[6]
Referee: Tony Chapron (France)
Jablonec  0–0  Ajax
Report

Ajax won 1–0 on aggregate.


Young Boys  0–1  Qarabağ
Report Almeida   67'
Qarabağ  3–0  Young Boys
Almeida   4' (pen.)
Reynaldo   43'
Ismayilov   61'
Report

Qarabağ won 4–0 on aggregate.


Molde  2–0  Standard Liège
Høiland   24'
Elyounoussi   28'
Report
Attendance: 3,940[6]
Standard Liège  3–1  Molde
Knockaert   26'
Santini   48'
Trebel   90+5'
Report Hussain   42'

3–3 on aggregate. Molde won on away goals.


PAOK  5–0  Brøndby
Mak   17', 80', 82'
Pelkas   36'
Rodrigues   51'
Report
Brøndby  1–1  PAOK
Rashani   27' Report Costa   21'

PAOK won 6–1 on aggregate.


Bordeaux  1–0  Kairat
Khazri   27' Report
Kairat  2–1  Bordeaux
Guilbert   1' (o.g.)
Kuat   66'
Report Crivelli   76'
Attendance: 23,800[6]

2–2 on aggregate. Bordeaux won on away goals.


Lech Poznań  3–0  Videoton
Linetty   11'
Thomalla   57'
Trałka   68'
Report
Attendance: 14,133[6]
Videoton  0–1  Lech Poznań
Report Kędziora   57'

Lech Poznań won 4–0 on aggregate.


Dinamo Minsk  2–0  Red Bull Salzburg
Rassadkin   57'
Adamović   90+3'
Report
Red Bull Salzburg  2–0 (a.e.t.)  Dinamo Minsk
Minamino   11'
Soriano   58'
Report
Penalties
Hinteregger  
Soriano  
Minamino  
Atanga  
Berisha  
2–3   Bećiraj
  Karytska
  Begunov
  Palitsevich

2–2 on aggregate. Dinamo Minsk won 3–2 on penalties.


Rabotnički  1–1  Rubin Kazan
Ristevski   85' Report Karadeniz   68'
Attendance: 10,000[6]
Referee: István Vad (Hungary)
Rubin Kazan  1–0  Rabotnički
Carlos Eduardo   35' Report

Rubin Kazan won 2–1 on aggregate.


Slovan Liberec  1–0  Hajduk Split
Pokorný   79' Report
Hajduk Split  0–1  Slovan Liberec
Report Šural   23'
Attendance: 33,000[6]

Slovan Liberec won 2–0 on aggregate.


Atromitos  0–1  Fenerbahçe
Report Van Persie   90'
Attendance: 3,328[6]
Fenerbahçe  3–0  Atromitos
Fernandão   7', 78'
Harbunow   59' (o.g.)
Report

Fenerbahçe won 4–0 on aggregate.


Gabala  0–0  Panathinaikos
Report
Panathinaikos  2–2  Gabala
Berg   34'
Nano   78'
Report Dodô   6', 60'

2–2 on aggregate. Gabala won on away goals.


Southampton  1–1  Midtjylland
Rodriguez   56' (pen.) Report Sparv   45'
Midtjylland  1–0  Southampton
Rasmussen   28' Report
Attendance: 9,481[6]
Referee: Liran Liany (Israel)

Midtjylland won 2–1 on aggregate.


Astra Giurgiu  3–2  AZ
Boldrin   25'
Alibec   41'
Dandea   45+3'
Report Henriksen   11'
Janssen   13'
AZ  2–0  Astra Giurgiu
Van der Linden   80'
Mühren   85'
Report

AZ won 4–3 on aggregate.


Odd  3–4  Borussia Dortmund
Samuelsen   1'
Nordkvelle   20'
Ruud   22'
Report Aubameyang   34', 76'
Kagawa   47'
Mkhitaryan   85'
Attendance: 12,436[6]
Borussia Dortmund  7–2  Odd
Mkhitaryan   25'
Reus   27', 32', 57'
Kagawa   40', 90'
Gündoğan   51'
Report Halvorsen   19'
Berg   64'

Borussia Dortmund won 11–5 on aggregate.


Krasnodar  5–1  HJK
Ojala   8' (o.g.)
Mamayev   10' (pen.)
Smolov   57' (pen.)
Wánderson   62'
Gazinsky   64'
Report Jallow   18'
Attendance: 15,425[6]
HJK  0–0  Krasnodar
Report
Attendance: 2,953[6]

Krasnodar won 5–1 on aggregate.


Sparta Prague  3–1  Thun
Costa   43'
Dočkal   45+1', 90+4'
Report Sutter   5'
Attendance: 12,448[6]
Thun  3–3  Sparta Prague
Ferreira   33', 81'
Munsy   50'
Report Dočkal   10'
Hušbauer   21'
Costa   71'
Attendance: 6,024[6]
Referee: Ruddy Buquet (France)

Sparta Prague won 6–4 on aggregate.

Notes edit

  1. ^ Rheindorf Altach played their home match at Tivoli-Neu, Innsbruck, instead of their regular stadium Cashpoint-Arena, Altach.
  2. ^ Zorya Luhansk played their home match at Valeriy Lobanovskyi Dynamo Stadium, Kyiv, instead of their regular stadium Avanhard Stadium, Luhansk, due to war in Eastern Ukraine.
  3. ^ Milsami Orhei played their home match at Zimbru Stadium, Chișinău, instead of their regular stadium CSR Orhei, Orhei.
  4. ^ Dinamo Minsk played their home match at OSK Brestskiy, Brest, instead of their temporary stadium Traktor Stadium, Minsk.
  5. ^ Rubin Kazan played their home match at Central Stadium, Kazan, instead of their regular stadium Kazan Arena, Kazan, which was hosting the 2015 World Aquatics Championships.
  6. ^ Gabala played their home match at Bakcell Arena, Baku, instead of their regular stadium City Stadium, Qabala.

References edit

  1. ^ a b c "Regulations of the UEFA Europa League 2015/16 Season" (PDF). UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 1 May 2015. Retrieved 17 July 2015.
  2. ^ "Match and draw calendar 2015/16". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. Retrieved 17 July 2015.
  3. ^ a b "UEFA Europa League play-off draw lineup". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 7 August 2015. Retrieved 7 August 2015.
  4. ^ "Draws – Play-off round". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. Retrieved 7 August 2015.
  5. ^ "UEFA Europa League play-off draw results". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 7 August 2015. Retrieved 7 August 2015.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar "Summary UEFA Europa League - Play-off". Soccerway. Retrieved 21 August 2015.

External links edit