The teams advancing to the Europa Conference League last-16 have been decided.
Eight advanced to join the eight others already qualified for the knockout phase, beating their respective opponents in the play-off phase.
Real Betis, considered one of the favourites in the tournament, were looking to keep hold of their lead over Belgian side Gent.
Irish side Shamrock Rovers had a slender lead to protect against Molde.
And Panathinaikos were looking to fight back at home against Vikingur Reykjavik.
Read on to see how the action unfolded across Europe.
Real Betis 0-1 (3-1) Gent
90’ (+4) Full time at the Benito Villamarín.
💚🤍 #RealBetisGent 0-1 🔵⚪ pic.twitter.com/MH1irADeOz
— Real Betis Balompié (@RealBetis_en) February 20, 2025
Gent secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Real Betis but were dumped out of the competition.
The game remained goalless for much of the contest, with both sides struggling to break the deadlock despite several opportunities.
The first half was a cagey affair, with Real Betis dominating possession but failing to capitalise on their chances. Abde Ezzalzouli and Vitor Roque both tested Gent goalkeeper Davy Roef, but their efforts were comfortably dealt with.
At the other end, Atsuki Ito and Franck Surdez had opportunities for the visitors, but their shots were wayward.
The match took a dramatic turn in the 82nd minute when Vitor Roque was initially shown a yellow card for a challenge on Archie Brown. However, after a VAR review, the decision was upgraded to a red, reducing Betis to ten men for the closing stages.
Gent took full advantage of the numerical superiority, and just five minutes later, Archie Brown fired home. The left-back latched onto a pass from Momodou Sonko and rifled a powerful shot into the top left corner, leaving Betis goalkeeper helpless.
Ultimately, their three-goal cushion from the first leg was enough to see them through to the last-16.
Panathinaikos 2-0 (3-2) Vikingur Reykjavik
Λήξη αγώνα με νίκη και πρόκριση για την ομάδα μας! Επιστροφή του Παναθηναϊκού στη φάση των «16» ευρωπαϊκής διοργάνωσης! #Panathinaikos #PAOFC #PAOVIK #UECL #GB32 pic.twitter.com/k2daJ2gDtf
— Panathinaikos F.C. (@paofc_) February 20, 2025
Panathinaikos secured a 2-0 victory over Vikingur Reykjavik to send them through.
The Greek side dominated possession and gradually broke down the resilient Icelandic defence, securing the win with two second-half goals.
The first half was an evenly contested battle, with both teams struggling to create clear-cut chances. Vikingur stood firm at the back, frustrating Panathinaikos, who relied on long-range efforts and set pieces.
After the break, Panathinaikos upped the tempo and found the breakthrough in the 70th minute. Filip Mladenovic capitalised on a loose ball inside the box and rifled a right-footed shot into the top right corner, giving the home side a deserved lead.
Vikingur pushed forward in search of a goal of their own, but their efforts were met with a well-organised Panathinaikos defence. Goalkeeper Bartlomiej Dragowski was called into action, making a number crucial saves to deny the visitors.
In stoppage time, Panathinaikos sealed their progression with a clinical finish from Tete. The Brazilian winger latched onto a pass in the box and fired a left-footed shot into the top left corner, putting the game beyond Vikingur’s reach.
Shamrock Rovers 0-1 (5-6 pens) Molde
Heartbreak for Shamrock Rovers, as Hestad scores the decisive penalty to take Molde through to the Last 16, winning the shoot-out 5-4 🎯
📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/dhFLtbFnHW
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) February 20, 2025
Molde edged out Shamrock Rovers in a dramatic penalty shootout to secure their safe passage after a tense 120 minutes in Dublin.
The visitors took an early lead in the 10th minute when Magnus Eikrem found the net with a shot from outside the box.
Graham Burke and Aaron McEneff tested the opposition goalkeeper, while Michael Noonan and Roberto Lopes came close to levelling the score.
Molde suffered a setback in stoppage time when Isak Amundsen was shown a second yellow card, reducing the visitors to ten men.
Despite their numerical advantage, Shamrock Rovers were unable to capitalise in extra time.
The match was ultimately decided by penalties. Both teams converted their opening spot-kicks, but a crucial miss from Aaron Greene handed Molde the advantage.
Eirik Hestad stepped up for the decisive strike, sending the ball into the bottom right corner and sealing victory for the Norwegian side.
Europa Conference League results in full
FC Heidenheim 1-3 FC Kobenhavn (FC Kobenhavn win 4-3 on aggregate)
Olimpija Ljubljana 0-0 Borac Banja Luka (Borac Banja Luka win 1-0 on aggregate)
Pafos FC 2-1 Omonia Nicosia (Pafos FC win 3-2 on aggregate)
Real Betis 0-1 Gent (Real Betis win 3-1 on aggregate)
APOEL Nicosia 0-2 NK Celje (NK Celje win 4-2 on aggregate)
Jagiellonia Bialystok 3-1 TSC Backa Topola (Jagiellonia Bialystok win 6-2 on aggregate)
Panathinaikos 2-0 Vikingur Reykjavik (Panathinaikos win 3-2 on aggregate)
Shamrock Rovers 0-1 Molde (Molde win 6-5 on pens)
