18 Apr 2025 13:00:00 GMT?.css-1txiau5-AnswerContainer{color:var(--GlobalColorScheme-Text-secondaryText2);}Portimonense won 2–0 over Pacos de Ferreira on Fri
Predicted lineups are available for the match a few days in advance while the actual lineup will be available about an hour ahead of the match
The current head to head record for the teams are Portimonense 5 win(s)
Have scored 3 goals in their last 5 matches
Haven't scored in their last 2 matches
Who won between Portimonense and Pacos de Ferreira on Fri
18 Apr 2025 13:00:00 GMT?Portimonense won 2–0 over Pacos de Ferreira on Fri
18 Apr 2025 13:00:00 GMT.InsightsHave scored 5 goals in their last 5 matches
Portimonense is playing home against Pacos de Ferreira on Fri
06 Apr 2025 10:00:00 GMT?.css-1txiau5-AnswerContainer{color:var(--GlobalColorScheme-Text-secondaryText2);}FC Porto B won 1–0 over Pacos de Ferreira on Sun
The current head to head record for the teams are FC Porto B 1 win(s)
Who won between FC Porto B and Pacos de Ferreira on Sun
06 Apr 2025 10:00:00 GMT?FC Porto B won 1–0 over Pacos de Ferreira on Sun
06 Apr 2025 10:00:00 GMT.InsightsHave scored 4 goals in their last 5 matches
FC Porto B is playing home against Pacos de Ferreira on Sun
12 Apr 2025 10:00:00 GMT?.css-1txiau5-AnswerContainer{color:var(--GlobalColorScheme-Text-secondaryText2);}Tondela won 1–0 over Pacos de Ferreira on Sat
The current head to head record for the teams are Pacos de Ferreira 8 win(s)
Have scored 10 goals in their last 5 matches
Who won between Pacos de Ferreira and Tondela on Sat
12 Apr 2025 10:00:00 GMT?Tondela won 1–0 over Pacos de Ferreira on Sat
12 Apr 2025 10:00:00 GMT.InsightsHave scored 3 goals in their last 5 matches
Pacos de Ferreira is playing home against Tondela on Sat
Spurs have work to do in order to stay in the competition
Nuno Espirito Santo was always going to play a heavily rotated side in Portugal last week
but the new Tottenham Hotspur boss took that to the extreme in the first leg of the Europa Conference League Playoff
with only Giovanni Lo Celso active from the typical starting XI
the home side Paços de Ferreira ended the night ahead 1-0
A one-goal deficit is not necessarily any cause for alarm
This side had nearly zero cohesion given its composition
and while it is never fun to trot out a group without much clear talent or experience
most fans were hoping for this sort of lineup anyway
with UEFA getting rid of the away goals rule
there is absolutely still a great chance to advance
the question of how important it truly is to get to the Group Stage still remains
Can enough be taken from the team’s first two league matches to justify punting cup competitions to go for the top four
Or is it still worth the coefficient points
the shot at finally breaking the trophy drought
but maybe the decision will be made by tonight’s outcome
August 26Time: 2:45 pm ET | 7:45 pm UKLocation: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
Nuno will need to roll out a slightly stronger side in the second leg if Spurs want to advance
With Watford on the docket for this weekend and an international window to follow
perhaps some of the typical first-teamers can log a few extra minutes mid-week
Having this match at home helps make that argument as well
One area where Spurs could really use some reinforcement is in midfield
This has been a theme during the league fixtures as well
it seemed like Lo Celso was left on a bit of an island
Even with reserves taking a majority of the spots on the pitch
adding in some players that can actually progress and distribute the ball will be a huge boost compared to the first leg
[Editor’s note: after this article was written and scheduled
it was announced that this match WILL be streamed in the United States on Paramount+
Read more</a>“Not a good performance,” Nuno admitted
Spurs created just one goalscoring situation in the entire game
and never showed anything like the gumption required to penetrate robust but generally drab opponents
designed to give minutes to players who had lacked game time while bedding in a sprinkling of youngsters and new signings
the head coach might have liked to see some of them stake something resembling a claim to a Premier League start
They were undone just before half-time by a home team that
after beginning as if braced for a tornado of high-octane Premier League speed and intensity
had noticeably begun to understand there was rather less to fear
played a smart advantage in midfield Tottenham were characteristically slow to react
It meant Valente Santos had space to weigh a perfect slide-rule pass for Silva
It was Silva’s first goal since arriving from Flamengo a year ago: disarray among Spurs’ back three had abetted it
with Cameron Carter-Vickers allowing the forward to run off him far too easily and Cristian Romero over-hasty in stepping up
<a href="#img-2" data-ignore="global-link-styling" aria-hidden="true" tabIndex="-1" class="open-lightbox dcr-13fd1ms">View image in fullscreen</a>Bryan Gil
was one of the few players to make a positive impression
Photograph: Gualter Fatia/Getty ImagesRomero
was making his first start and looked uncomfortable at times
twice almost letting the hosts in with lapses before they scored
His hunger to engage in challenges high up the pitch bordered on rashness and might be punished against top-class foes: he was fortunate not to be booked after one such tackle on the goalscorer in the second half
At least he brought a certain edge to the party
though; it was impossible to say the same of his new teammates
“Individually some players had good situations but as a team we were not organised enough
didn’t move the ball fast enough to break down a team that was very compact,” Nuno said
covered themselves in glory and the sight of the former being turned with embarrassing ease by Denílson after half-time summed up the lack of energy on show
ShowEuropa Conference League play-off roundup
Alfredo Morelos' second-half strike gave 10-man Rangers the narrowest of advantages in the first leg of their Europa League play-off tie against Alashkert at Ibrox.
The Light Blues, knocked out of the Champions League by 10-man Malmo last week, struggled to break down the limited visitors and then suffered a blow in the 43rd minute when midfielder John Lundstram was sent off for picking up his second yellow card.
Rangers maintained their dominance and Morelos' strike in the 67th minute for the 1-0 win restored confidence ahead of the second leg in Armenia.
Aberdeen lost 1-0 to Qarabag on a poor pitch in Baku, a contest that saw Dons defender Andy Considine carried off on a stretcher early on. Jaime Romero subsequently put the hosts ahead with a strike on the half-hour mark.
St Johnstone drew 1-1 away against LASK, with Chris Kane having put the Perth side ahead in the 17th minute. The Austrians replied via a 60th-minute Mamoudou Karamoko penalty following Jamie McCart's foul on Thomas Goiginger.
Shamrock Rovers lost 4-2 at Estonian outfit Flora, who went 2-0 up in the first half through Sergei Zenjov and Martin Miller. Graham Burke reduced the deficit just before the interval, and after Rauno Sappinen made it 3-1, Liam Scales then pulled another goal back for the Irish side in the 86th minute, only for Miller to net again a minute later.
Thank you for your feedback.Gil continued to work promising spaces for a while from his attacking midfield position but that chance was as good as it got for him and Spurs, both of whom faded sharply. “Bryan started well but that’s my responsibility, we still have to find the right position for him,” Nuno said.
Spurs’ disjointedness, coupled with the inability of more senior players to lead, meant their youngest players could hardly be blamed for not shining. Nile John, deployed to maraud with Gil, was replaced at the interval; the exciting 17-year-old Dane Scarlett, whose inclusion had been eagerly anticipated amid narratives that one striker from the academy might be heir to another, barely had a kick. “We needed to create more chances for him and that’s down to us,” Nuno said.
Even Kane might have struggled on gruel this thin but, in any case, he was back home limbering up for whatever comes next. “He trained today with the group of players that stayed in England. He trained well and he’s going to train tomorrow again,” explained Nuno, who at this rate must decide whether it is worth his while to rouse him next Thursday.
25 Apr 2025 17:00:00 GMT?.css-1txiau5-AnswerContainer{color:var(--GlobalColorScheme-Text-secondaryText2);}Uniao de Leiria won 3–2 over Pacos de Ferreira on Fri
The current head to head record for the teams are Pacos de Ferreira 3 win(s)
Pacos de Ferreira haven&#x27;t lost to Uniao de Leiria in their last 7 meetings (3W
Have scored 7 goals in their last 5 matches
Who won between Pacos de Ferreira and Uniao de Leiria on Fri
25 Apr 2025 17:00:00 GMT?Uniao de Leiria won 3–2 over Pacos de Ferreira on Fri
25 Apr 2025 17:00:00 GMT.InsightsHave scored 3 goals in their last 5 matches
Pacos de Ferreira is playing home against Uniao de Leiria on Fri
Spurs quickly overcame the 1-0 deficit from last week’s first leg
<a href="https://cartilagefreecaptain.sbnation.com">Tottenham Hotspur</a> picked up a commanding 3-0 victory at home to Portuguese side Paços de Ferreira
overcoming a 1-0 deficit from last week’s first leg to qualify for the Conference League group stage
Harry Kane made his first start of the season and scored twice
while Giovani Lo Celso scored the game’s final goal in the second half
1’ - Kane makes his way into the box and takes the game’s first shot just 15 seconds after kickoff
7’ - Pierluigi Gollini looks a little bit shaky early on
struggling twice now to keep the ball at his feet under pressure from Paços’ attackers
Harry Winks wins a tackle on the left side of the pitch and sends it forward to Bryan Gil
and he wastes no time scoring his first goal of the season
17’ - Lo Celso makes his way through a crowd and approaches the goal line
sending the ball to the other side of the net to meet Ryan Sessegnon
does not get to the ball in time and misses a chance to shoot from close range
29’ - Cristian Romero is booked for going studs up on Denílson
which earns Paços a freekick but nothing comes of it
33’ - Bryan takes a shot from right outside the penalty area
but his shot hits the goalpost and heads out for an inconsequential corner
Paços and Tottenham go back and forth as the visitors try to clear the ball
Paços cannot regain possession and Kane moves closer to the goal to pounce on the loose ball and score his second goal of the game
42’ - Lucas has the chance to whip in a cross to a wide-open Kane
50’ - Lo Celso takes a freekick from right outside the penalty area and goes straight for goal
53’ - Paços enjoy its best spell in front of the Spurs goal
but were not able to convert their efforts into a meaningful chance
capitalizing on a loose ball in the penalty area and sending the ball over the net
this time a shot from an angle that rolls just wide of the goal
Lo Celso takes a freekick from the right side of the box
ends up right in front of goal but misses the target
He gets close to goal again but can’t put the shot on target
At least there is only one qualifying round this year
Despite a tough second half of the 2020/21 season
a Ryan Mason-led Tottenham Hotspur was able to end the year with a little dignity
sneaking ahead of Arsenal for the fifth time in a row and finishing seventh in the Premier League
good enough to secure the club’s 11th (!!) straight season of European football
this season’s competition will feel a little different
giving Spurs the chance to win the inaugural Europa Conference League trophy
The intention is to give clubs from smaller countries a better chance to compete internationally
though there will still be some stronger sides such as Roma
Unlike last year’s three single-legged qualifying rounds — thanks
Covid — to get into the Europa League group stage
Tottenham will just need to get through one opponent to earn a spot in the 32-team next phase
One thing to note: UEFA has abolished the away goals rule across its club competitions for this season and going forward
August 19Time: 2:30 pm ET | 7:30 pm UKLocation: Estádio Capital do Móvel
Paços de Ferreira finished fifth in last season’s Primeira Liga
this is the first time in seven seasons that the Portuguese club will play European football
with a 4-1 aggregate victory over Northern Irish club Larne in the Third Qualifying Round
Paços have played three additional matches this season as well
winning one and losing one in the league and advancing on penalties in the Taça da Liga
a cup amongst the top two flights in Portugal
All three opponents were mid-table finishers in the Primeira Liga last year
Paços is not the weakest team Spurs could have faced in the Playoff Round
but of course the Lilywhites will be expected to advance
building a lead in the first leg makes everything much less stressful going forward
and if Sunday’s win over Manchester City was any indication
the club is ready to hit the ground running behind Nuno Espirito Santo
08 Feb 2025 18:00:00 GMT?.css-1txiau5-AnswerContainer{color:var(--GlobalColorScheme-Text-secondaryText2);}Pacos de Ferreira won 2–1 over Penafiel on Sat
The current head to head record for the teams are Penafiel 1 win(s)
Have scored 8 goals in their last 5 matches
Who won between Penafiel and Pacos de Ferreira on Sat
08 Feb 2025 18:00:00 GMT?Pacos de Ferreira won 2–1 over Penafiel on Sat
08 Feb 2025 18:00:00 GMT.InsightsHave scored 5 goals in their last 5 matches
Penafiel is playing home against Pacos de Ferreira on Sat
<a href="https://cartilagefreecaptain.sbnation.com">Tottenham Hotspur</a> went to Portugal to play Pacos de Ferreira with a very young and completely rotated squad
They’ll return home with a loss in the first leg of their Europa Conference League play-off series
Lucas Silva scored in extra time of the first half on a breakaway after Harry Winks coughed up the ball in midfield and Cameron Carter-Vickers and Cuti Romero weren’t able to recover defensively
taking a slight deficit into the return leg at White Hart Lane next Thursday
Playing a starting XI that was anchored by experienced players Winks
Pierluigi Gollini and Ryan Sessegnon with the rest filled in by youth teamers and literal children
Tottenham only managed two total shots in the match
who earned his first senior start for Tottenham
and Doherty all had pretty awful games on the whole
I’m maybe very slightly annoyed that Tottenham’s reserves couldn’t manage to come away with anything close to a decent performance against a club of Pacos’ caliber
but I expect that Nuno Espirito Santo will tweak a few things after the Wovles match this weekend and put out a stronger side in the return leg next week
I still feel confident that Spurs have enough quality to win the tie
A lot of fans want Spurs to punt competitions like this
because Spurs are apparently too good for the Conference League
Those same fans are probably the ones who are melting down on social media right now over this performance
Spurs fans: Play the kids in the Conference League!Also Spurs fans: FFS why are we losing to the fifth best club in Portugal
A bunch of recovering or unfit players got major minutes today
we got a look at Bryan Gill (who looked lively) and a few promising youngsters even in the loss
15 Feb 2025 14:00:00 GMT?.css-1txiau5-AnswerContainer{color:var(--GlobalColorScheme-Text-secondaryText2);}Feirense won 2–1 over Pacos de Ferreira on Sat
Pacos de Ferreira and Feirense have not drawn any of their last 9 matches against each other
Have kept the most clean sheets in the competition (11)
Who won between Pacos de Ferreira and Feirense on Sat
15 Feb 2025 14:00:00 GMT?Feirense won 2–1 over Pacos de Ferreira on Sat
15 Feb 2025 14:00:00 GMT.InsightsHave scored 6 goals in their last 5 matches
Pacos de Ferreira is playing home against Feirense on Sat
08 Mar 2025 15:30:00 GMT?.css-1txiau5-AnswerContainer{color:var(--GlobalColorScheme-Text-secondaryText2);}Torreense won 3–0 over Pacos de Ferreira on Sat
The current head to head record for the teams are Torreense 0 win(s)
Who won between Torreense and Pacos de Ferreira on Sat
08 Mar 2025 15:30:00 GMT?Torreense won 3–0 over Pacos de Ferreira on Sat
08 Mar 2025 15:30:00 GMT.InsightsHave scored 7 goals in their last 5 matches
Torreense is playing home against Pacos de Ferreira on Sat
31 Jan 2025 18:00:00 GMT?.css-1txiau5-AnswerContainer{color:var(--GlobalColorScheme-Text-secondaryText2);}Pacos de Ferreira vs Leixoes on Fri
The current head to head record for the teams are Pacos de Ferreira 2 win(s)
Have scored 9 goals in their last 5 matches
Haven&#x27;t kept a clean sheet in 5 matches
Who won between Pacos de Ferreira and Leixoes on Fri
31 Jan 2025 18:00:00 GMT?Pacos de Ferreira vs Leixoes on Fri
31 Jan 2025 18:00:00 GMT ended in a 0–0 tie.InsightsHave scored 9 goals in their last 5 matches
Pacos de Ferreira is playing home against Leixoes on Fri
16 Mar 2025 20:30:00 GMT?.css-1txiau5-AnswerContainer{color:var(--GlobalColorScheme-Text-secondaryText2);}Vizela won 2–1 over Pacos de Ferreira on Sun
The current head to head record for the teams are Vizela 1 win(s)
Haven&#x27;t scored in their last 3 matches
Who won between Vizela and Pacos de Ferreira on Sun
16 Mar 2025 20:30:00 GMT?Vizela won 2–1 over Pacos de Ferreira on Sun
16 Mar 2025 20:30:00 GMT.InsightsHave scored 14 goals in their last 5 matches
Vizela is playing home against Pacos de Ferreira on Sun
25 Jan 2025 15:30:00 GMT?.css-1txiau5-AnswerContainer{color:var(--GlobalColorScheme-Text-secondaryText2);}Maritimo vs Pacos de Ferreira on Sat
The current head to head record for the teams are Maritimo 11 win(s)
Who won between Maritimo and Pacos de Ferreira on Sat
25 Jan 2025 15:30:00 GMT?Maritimo vs Pacos de Ferreira on Sat
25 Jan 2025 15:30:00 GMT ended in a 2–2 tie.InsightsHave scored 6 goals in their last 5 matches
Maritimo is playing home against Pacos de Ferreira on Sat
04 May 2025 10:00:00 GMT?.css-1txiau5-AnswerContainer{color:var(--GlobalColorScheme-Text-secondaryText2);}Alverca won 1–0 over Pacos de Ferreira on Sun
The current head to head record for the teams are Alverca 1 win(s)
Anthony Carter is the competition&#x27;s top scorer (14)
Have scored 4 goals in their last 5 matches
Who won between Alverca and Pacos de Ferreira on Sun
04 May 2025 10:00:00 GMT?Alverca won 1–0 over Pacos de Ferreira on Sun
04 May 2025 10:00:00 GMT.InsightsHave scored 8 goals in their last 5 matches
Alverca is playing home against Pacos de Ferreira on Sun
It’s a trip to Portugal to qualify for the ECL group stages
The result was pretty much a foregone conclusion after the first leg, but now it’s official: <a href="https://cartilagefreecaptain.sbnation.com">Tottenham Hotspur</a> will face off against Portuguese side Pacos de Ferreira in the Playoff Round of the Europa Conference League
Our opponents for the <a href="https://twitter.com/europacnfleague?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@europacnfleague</a> play-off round have been confirmed as <a href="https://twitter.com/fcpf?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FCPF</a>. See you soon, <a href="https://twitter.com/fcpf?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FCPF</a>!   <a href="https://t.co/RDWKFr29j2">pic.twitter.com/RDWKFr29j2</a>
Pacos actually lost their match at Northern Irish side Larne 1-0 in today’s second leg
but the tie was more or less over after the first leg in Portugal
Pacos de Ferreira finished fifth in the Liga Nos last season
though still 11 points behind fourth place Braga
Their stats put them solidly mid-table in terms of xG and non-penalty xG+xA/90
but finishing fifth in a non-terrible European league isn’t shabby
and if Tottenham roll out a U23 side or simply aren’t sharp it’s not out of the question that they could spring a surprise
but I’m not very worried about this tie over two legs
The first leg is in Portugal and takes place next week, four days after Spurs face <a href="https://bitterandblue.sbnation.com">Manchester City</a> in the first week of Premier League action
and three days before they travel to Wolves
three days before Spurs host newly-promoted (and new Danny Rose team) Watford
Spurs need a result to get to the group stages of Conference League today
<a href="https://cartilagefreecaptain.sbnation.com">Tottenham Hotspur</a> host Pacos de Ferreira today in the second leg of their playoff matchup to qualify for Europa Conference League
Spurs trail 1-0 in the tie after playing a heavily rotated side in Portugal that featured several youth players
Nuno Espirito Santo will have to go for it today in order to punch Spurs ticket to European play
Pacos de Ferreira are hoping to pull off a monumental upset that would see the second-highest rated club in the competition eliminated before the group stages
No live blog for this as most of us are in the weeds at work
Come chat with the community while watching Spurs play
Your team to face <a href="https://twitter.com/fcpf?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@fcpf</a>!   <a href="https://t.co/HcxtGoNOIZ">pic.twitter.com/HcxtGoNOIZ</a>
The match thread rules are the same as always
To any visitors coming here for the first time
and be sure to check out the other pages at this outstanding site
</a>Search site (opens in an overlay)<a href="https://www.tottenhamhotspurstadium.com/?utm_source=thfc&amp;utm_medium=navigation-bar&amp;utm_campaign=ths_2425_0_2024_8" class="SearchBarDesktop__stadium-link" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Tottenham Hotspur Stadium</a>SearchClose search overlayArticles from Spurs
<a href="/tags/mensfirstteam/" rel="nofollow">#Men&#x27;sFirstTeam </a><a href="/tags/europaconferenceleague/" rel="nofollow">#EuropaConferenceLeague </a><a href="/tags/prematch/" rel="nofollow">#PreMatch </a><a href="/tags/opinion/" rel="nofollow">#Opinion </a><a href="/tags/pacosdeferreira/" rel="nofollow">#PacosdeFerreira </a>
<a href="https://twitter.com/SpursOfficial" target="_blank" class="twitter-link" rel="noopener noreferrer">@SpursOfficial</a>
Welcome back to our new feature for 2020/21 - Ben &amp; Rob’s preview - where N17 Live host Ben Haines and Club commentator Rob Daly will give their views ahead of every match
Following the fantastic opening day win against champions Manchester City in the Premier League on Sunday
we now step back onto the European trail with our journey in the new UEFA Europa Conference League starting at Portuguese Primeira Liga side Pacos de Ferreira in our play-off
Rob: “Sunday was possibly the best atmosphere I've experienced at the stadium
City in the Champions League was special as was the stadium opener against Crystal Palace
but the level of effort and quality in the performance against the champions
coupled with the joy from fans of being back at the football with friends and family
the Champions League tie against City where we won 1-0
there was just so much to unpack in terms of narrative and storylines
but the fact is it all just kind of went out of the window as soon as we heard that first roar from the crowd and what took over was everyone being so clearly overjoyed to be back supporting the boys - and it gave us the edge
I genuinely believe the crowd took us to another level at certain moments
can we just all please acknowledge what an unbelievable performance that was from Japhet Tanganga?”
Rob: “Pacos de Ferreira will press aggressively up the pitch and will catch Spurs out if they're too ponderous on the ball
as they did for a couple of goals in the previous round against Larne
They're without their first-choice goalkeeper Jordi who is injured for the season
but in attack they have Brazilian forwards Uilton
Denilson (who scored two against Larne) and Douglas Tanque (11 goals last season) who can hurt teams
Canadian international Stephan Eustaquio has an excellent long-range shot on him
Pacos were cut open by Boavista quite easily on Monday in a 3-0 loss
If Spurs to play to any level close to what we saw on Sunday
Ben: “I haven’t seen much at all of Pacos de Ferreira - and won’t for a moment claim to be an expert on the Primeira Liga
I’ve had a watch through of the highlights of their first two games - they played with a high line and were caught out twice by Boavista progressing the ball quickly after getting caught out in possession further forward
Given how we’ve played in pre-season you would hope stylistically that plays into our hands.”
Spurs are one of the favourites and given Nuno's experience in European competition and the way he managed a relatively-small Wolves squad through the Europa League to the semi-finals in 2019/20
I expect him to navigate domestic and continental obligations too
so to be the first winners of the Europa Conference League wouldn't be bad!"
secondly as an opportunity to get game time for some of our exciting youngsters who shone in pre-season
I’d love to see the likes of Dane Scarlett
Harvey White and Nile John continue the form they showed in July
this is also a brilliant way for some of the players coming back after extended breaks or those just joining the club to get some minutes in the bank.”
Ben: “I have to give a slight disclaimer here..
my earliest memories of Spurs in Europe involve us going out of the UEFA Cup to Kaiserslautern (1999)- so I’m very jealous of those who got to experience the glory
we’ve had some incredible nights in Europe over the last few years
in this order:1 - Spurs 4-4 City (2nd leg)2 - Spurs 3-3 Ajax (2nd leg)3 - Bale tearing Inter apart at WHL4 - Beating Real Madrid at Wembley 5 - Super Jan v Borussia Dortmund - what a performance
especially the goal where he whipped it in low for Peter Crouch
as well as the Wembley win over Real Madrid
Given I started working for the club in 2018/19
my favourite memories come from that run to the Champions League Final
Lucas's late goal for the decisive draw at Barcelona
Spurs going 2-1 up after 10 minutes at the Etihad thanks to Sonny's double and
I also have a lot of time for the Spurs’ all-white kit on European nights and hope to see plenty of that in N17 this season.”
Spurs will play a team from either Portugal or Northern Ireland
As much as it may be hard to believe that there’s other news happening in the world of football than Harry Kane being a knob, <a href="https://cartilagefreecaptain.sbnation.com">Tottenham Hotspur</a> found out who they will be facing in the playoff round of the Europa Conference League this morning
Spurs will face the winner of the two-legged series between Pacos de Ferreira and Larne F.C
for a trip straight to the Europa Conference League group stages
We will face either <a href="https://twitter.com/fcpf?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@fcpf</a> or <a href="https://twitter.com/larnefc?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@larnefc</a> in the play-off round of the <a href="https://twitter.com/europacnfleague?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@europacnfleague</a>!   <a href="https://t.co/spERvAbZkQ">pic.twitter.com/spERvAbZkQ</a>
I also know that Tottenham Hotspur should be able to roll out a group of reserve players and youth teamers and win this tie easily over two legs
I’m already in love with the Europa Conference League
random clubs based in small European towns
The first leg takes place on August 19, and yes, that’s four days after Tottenham host <a href="https://bitterandblue.sbnation.com">Manchester City</a>
Nuno Espirito Santo&#x27;s side have an uphill battle on their hands to get through to the next round after a disappointing showing in Portugal
Tottenham have suffered a 1-0 defeat to Pacos de Ferreira in their opening Europa Conference League clash
Spurs were heavy favourites for victory heading into the first leg of their qualifying playoff against Pacos de Ferreira at the Capital do Mpvel Municipal Stadium on Thursday night
but a first-half strike from Lucas Silva ended up giving the Portuguese outfit a surprise victory
Nuno Espirito Santo made 11 changes to his side after their 1-0 win over Premier League champions Manchester City at the weekend
while club captain Harry Kane was absent once again
and they will now have to beat Pacos by two clear goals on home soil in order to reach the group stage of the continental competition
Atalanta loanee Pierluigi Gollini started in goal for Tottenham
while permanent summer signings Cristian Romero and Bryan Gil made their debuts and academy star Dane Scarlett was asked to lead the line against Pacos
Ben Davies and Matt Doherty were also included in Santo&#x27;s line-up
but Spurs struggled to create many clear-cut chances against the well organised Primeira Liga club
Pacos scored the all-important winner just before the half-time interval
with Valente Santos finding Silva with a defence-splitting pass and the Brazilian subsequently racing through on goal before calmly finishing past Gollini at his near post
Tottenham dominated the possession stakes in the second period as they pushed for an equaliser
but Pacos defended admirably and held on for a famous win which puts them in a strong position heading into the second leg
Santo&#x27;s team will welcome Pacos to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for the second leg of the tie on August 26
where anything less than a win will see them exit the inaugural Europa Conference League
Spurs will only have four days to prepare for the contest too
with a trip to Wolves up next for the north London outfit in the Premier League on Sunday
Football fans from across England have taken to social media to react to Tottenham&#x27;s embarrassing defeat
with the club labelled &quot;a laughing stock&quot; after their first loss of the 2021-22 campaign
No better duo than Spurs and being a laughing stock
In Europe&#x27;s third tier competition yet can&#x27;t save themselves from banter😭
Bryan Gil doesn’t look too happy after losing his first Spurs game <a href="https://t.co/iXejlOpLv5"> pic.twitter.com/iXejlOpLv5 </a>
Tottenham become the first English club to lose games in each of the Champions League / European Cup
the Intertoto Cup &amp; the Europa Conference League
<a href="https://theathletic.com/news/tottenham-dane-scarlett-contract-who/1upGMcplQ7CY" target="_self" rel="noopener">Dane Scarlett</a> is set to make his first Tottenham Hotspur start in their Europa Conference League play-off game against Pacos de Ferreira on Thursday night
Nuno Espirito Santo is set to make 11 changes to his team in Portugal
resting all of the players who started the 1-0 Premier League win against Manchester City on Sunday afternoon
This will likely hand opportunities to new signings Pierluigi Gollini
will not be involved after suffering a “small injury” in training on Tuesday
Speaking in his pre-match press conference from Portugal on Wednesday evening, Nuno confirmed that<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/2758767/2021/08/09/the-premier-league-2021-22-breakthrough-stars/" target="_self" rel="noopener"> 17-year-old forward Scarlett</a> would start Spurs’ first ever game in the inaugural season of this competition
“This is a good chance for us to have the squad involved
to have young players from the academy also on the bench potentially,” he said
“And this is how we want to build our squad
Kane's England team-mates got themselves fit for their clubs
Nuno spoke very warmly about Scarlett in his pre-match press conference on Wednesday evening
“He’s going to start the game tomorrow,” the Portuguese said
big expectations regarding Dane because he did so well in pre-season
which you recall the game against Leyton Orient in which he scored and he was involved in many of the games in pre-season
“He’s a young talent that we want to develop
We want to make him better and want to make him grow because there’s a lot of potential there.”
Scarlett was first introduced into the Tottenham team last season
making three substitute appearances under former head coach Jose Mourinho
the other was in the Premier League against West Bromwich Albion
Scarlett contributed an assist for  Carlos Vinicius’ goal
Nuno said on Wednesday evening that the Europa Conference League represented a “good chance” to get youngsters from the academy involved in his teams this season
and Spurs progress and Scarlett performs well
then it is quite possible that we will see more of Scarlett in the Europa Conference League over the course of this season
especially with more senior strikers such as Troy Parrott currently out on loan
Kane has rejoined full training this week — although <a href="https://theathletic.com/news/harry-kane-will-not-be-involved-for-tottenham-against-pacos-de-ferreira/thGyEzRY6Fyp" target="_self" rel="noopener">he did not make the trip to Portugal</a>
instead staying at Spurs’ training ground to work on his fitness with a view to getting fit for Sunday’s Premier League game with Wolves
“He’s getting his fitness better and better each day,” said Nuno
and on Saturday we’re going to make the decision on who is going to be involved in the next game.”
Kane only joined training on Friday after a delayed return from his summer holiday
but the Tottenham head coach said he was pleased with how Kane was improving
While Nuno did not go into detail discussing Kane’s future
other than to say that he spoke to him over breakfast on Wednesday morning
he said that he did not believe that the current situation concerning Kane’s potential move to City was unique to Spurs
“There are not many managers actually in the Premier League that know what exactly is going to happen while the transfer window is open,” Nuno added
“We all live in the same situations all around the clubs.”
almost the entire England team managed to squeeze in their holidays
return for pre-season and get fit enough to play for their clubs this weekend
(Photo: Tottenham Hotspur FC/Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images)
<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/author/jack-pitt-brooke/" aria-label="Jack Pitt-Brooke's Author Page">Jack Pitt-Brooke</a>  is a football journalist for The Athletic based in London. He joined in 2019 after nine years at The Independent. Follow Jack on Twitter <a target="_blank" aria-label="Follow Jack on Twitter" href="https://twitter.com/JackPittBrooke" rel="noopener noreferrer">@JackPittBrooke</a>
AdvertisementHow was your experience today?
The current head to head record for the teams are Academico Viseu 0 win(s)
Haven&#x27;t kept a clean sheet in 6 matches
Have scored 2 goals in their last 5 matches
Pacos de Ferreira haven&#x27;t lost to Academico Viseu in their last 6 meetings (5W
Academico Viseu is playing home against Pacos de Ferreira on Sat
'#' : location.hash;window._cf_chl_opt.cOgUQuery = location.search === '' && location.href.slice(0
location.href.length - window._cf_chl_opt.cOgUHash.length).indexOf('?') !== -1 
'?' : location.search;if (window.history && window.history.replaceState) {var ogU = location.pathname + window._cf_chl_opt.cOgUQuery + window._cf_chl_opt.cOgUHash;history.replaceState(null
"\/news\/mens\/kayky-sparta-rotterdam-loan-move-63860291?__cf_chl_rt_tk=0_0l5lg1erpUlC1v5Jjg13dfHPr5nRnr8sxbixuJui0-1746535315-1.0.1.1-wUYHFjmF6cmh_TtlSKNIGymLhAwO.wIlk8Jnb5ucASw" + window._cf_chl_opt.cOgUHash);cpo.onload = function() {history.replaceState(null
ogU);}}document.getElementsByTagName('head')[0].appendChild(cpo);}());
Porto will have an option to make the transfer permanent for &euro;4 million this upcoming summer.&nbsp;
"I know it's a very big challenge, but here I am ready to work to achieve results," Eust&aacute;quio, who grew up in Canada after his parents immigrated from Portugal <a href="https://www.fcporto.pt/pt/noticias/20220124-pt-stephen-eustaquio-reforca-o-fc-porto" target="_blank">said in a club statement</a>
"It was news that I received with pleasure and I believe it is deserved because I have always worked for it."&nbsp;
Sie haben erfolgreich Ihre Einwilligung in die Nutzung von Transfermarkt mit Tracking und Cookies widerrufen
Sie können sich jetzt zwischen dem Contentpass-Abo und der Nutzung mit personalisierter Werbung
Boavista secured their third win of the season after beating Paços de Ferreira 1-0 at Estádio do Bessa XXI
Robert Bozenik netted the winner in the 58th minute
opening his account for the Panthers after being teed up by the impressive Kenji Gorré
Paços de Ferreira’s miserable start to the season continues
the visitors creating one shot on target as they slumped to a fifth straight defeart
Boavista created the opening two opportunities in Porto
Robert Bozenik shooting into the side netting and Bruno Lourenço unable to connect cleanly after being picked out by Kenji Gorré
Paços de Ferreira put the ball into the net in the 13th minute after Nigel Thomas’ cross wasn’t dealt with
the goal ruled out for a foul in the build up
The Panthers had a great chance to open the scoring in the 18th minute after a loose touch from Jordan Holsgrove
Gorré broke clear and exchanged a 1-2 with Lourenço
his weak shot comfortably saved by Igor Vekic
Nigel Thomas cut inside from the right wing and curled an effort wide but chances for the visitors were few and far between
Boavista had the final two opportunities of the half
Gorré’s shot tipped wide by Vekic and Sebastián firing wide from distance
It was an action packed start of the second half
Bozenik narrowly missing the target after some great link up play with Lourenço
Holsgrove then saw his shot blocked after being teed up by Koffi
The visitors thought they had taken the lead when Thomas’ attempted cross went straight into the top corner
referee Cláudio Pereira checking the touchline monitor and awarding Boavista a free kick for an incident that happened at the opposite end of the pitch minutes earlier
It proved to be a turning point in the game with Boavista taking the lead in the 58th minute
releasing Gorré who surged forward and laid the ball to Bozenik who fired into the roof of the net from a tight angle
Matchoi Djaló missed the target with a long range free kick but there was no way back for César Peixoto’s side despite introducing Kayky and Arthur Sale
Boavista secured their third win in five attempts this season
a solid start after the departures of Jackson Porozo
Rodrigo Abascal had a strong game in central defence as he continues to build a relationship with Vincent Sasso
Ricardo Mangas is being integrated back into the team after a season on loan at Bordeaux
he will be an option on the left side with 21-year-old Pedro Malheiro first choice right back
Sebastian Pérez and Gaius Makouta are locked down in central midfield with Ibrahima Camará brought in from Moreirense before the transfer window closed
Kenji Gorré was always the likeliest to open the door against Paços de Ferreira
continually creating havoc down the left wing
going close to opening the scoring in the first half and providing the assist for Bozeník
Yusupha Njie had a great start to the season
scoring in Boavista's opening two games before picking up an injury
He will return to replace Bruno Lourenço and make the team stronger up front
Róbert Bozeník was making his first start at home after his loan move from Feyenoord
the Slovakian striker narrowly missing the target before scoring the winning goal
With striker Adalberto Peñaranda another player brought in on deadline day
Petit has depth and competition for places which should hold the Panthers in good stead for the remainder of the season
César Peixoto has attempted to fix a leaking defence by implementing a five-man defence when out of possession
his wing-backs breaking forward when they have the ball
Centre back Erick Ferigra made his debut and should improve
the 42-year-old manager hoping the Barcelona youth player can help solidify a defence that shows no signs of keeping a clean sheet
N'Dri Philippe Koffi has scored their only two goals this season
but he needs better service in order to build on that performance
Midfielder Bastien Toma came off the bench in the 65th minute
another player making his debut after securing a loan move from Genk
Luiz Carlos and Nico Gaitán to return from injury
there are some positives for Paços de Ferreira
time is running out for Peixoto who is clearly under pressure
He couldn’t have imagined a worse start to the season
his side losing five straight and unable to score in four of those defeats
During the week he said "We want a victory quickly and everything will change
anxiety will be lost and everything will return to normal," but it’s still hard to see how or against whom they are going to pick up enough points to get off the bottom of the table
By <a href="https://twitter.com/noobzcorp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Matthew Marshall</a> at Estádio do Bessa XXI
Harry Kane has been included in Tottenham&#8217;s squad to face Pacos de Ferreira in their Europa Conference League play-off clash later this week
Kane did not feature for Spurs as they <a href="https://www.football365.com/news/16-conclusions-tottenham-1-0-manchester-city">opened their Premier League campaign with a 1-0 win over Manchester City</a>
who the England captain wants to join this summer
Spurs are insistent that Kane is not for sale and the noises coming out of City are that they will not be prepared to pay the £150million-plus that would be needed to get Daniel Levy to the negotiating table
<a href="https://www.football365.com/news/daniel-levy-lambasted-arsenal-face-relegation-mailbox">Daniel Levy lambasted as Arsenal face relegation</a>
Kane trained on his own on Sunday morning and Nuno said after the City game that he is continuing to work hard to be in a position to help the team
The 28-year-old on Monday was named in Spurs’ 25-man squad for the Europa Conference League play-off against Pacos de Ferreira
though all first-teamers except Tanguy Ndombele and Serge Aurier were included
With the transfer window shutting in two weeks it is looking increasingly likely that Kane will stay at Spurs
but Nuno knows there is time for that to change
we have our Spurs players,” he told BBC Radio 5 Live
“We have to commit them but we have to know that 31st of August is sometimes not in your hands
All the managers in the Premier League have the same feeling that I have – trying to finish the window and settle down
he worked on Sunday morning and he’s getting ready to help the team
“We don’t expect [something to happen before the transfer deadline but] we have to be ready to act if necessary because until the 31st anything can happen in football.”
Defender Davinson Sanchez says his side are ready to turn around the club’s fortunes after a tough couple of years
Spurs got a new era off to the best possible start as they put the Kane saga to one side and beat City in Nuno’s first game in charge
It seems a long time since Spurs were in the Champions League final two years ago and sixth and seventh-placed finishes have seen them lose their spot at the top table of English football
The second half of last season was a particularly tough slog as Spurs slipped out of title contention
lost in the last 16 of the Europa League and finished outside the top six for the first time in more than a decade
But the Colombian is determined to turn the situation around
“There is always speculation and rumours about us not having a proper performance and for one reason or another we were exposed to a lot of people because we were conceding goals and losing matches,” he said
“We are just working in the way that we have to do
this has been hard because it has pained everyone to see not having the performances everyone expects
“In this moment against City we were strong
we know the last season was very tough for everybody
it was very tough for the fans and the club in general
“It was very hard for everybody and everybody wants to turn the situation in our favour.”
Teddy Sheringham has tipped Harry Kane to finish his career at one of Liverpool or Manchester City
as he suggested the Englishman could break the Premier League scoring record at ..
© Planet Sport Limited 2025 • All Rights Reserved
<a class="HomeLink_wrapper__mvp6o" data-testid="home-link" href="/en/home">OneFootball&#x27;s home page
</a><a class="Button_root__RKQ4c Button_icon__k478f Header_headerNavLink__2ueoJ" href="/en/search">Search
</a><a class="Button_root__RKQ4c Button_icon__k478f" href="/en/payments/profile/settings">Settings
</a><a class="Button_root__RKQ4c Button_icon__k478f Header_headerNavLink__2ueoJ" href="/en/payments/sign-in?redirect=%2Fpayments%2Fprofile%2Faccount">Sign In
</a><a class="Button_root__RKQ4c Button_outline__jxSq_ Header_headerNavButtonLink__HkrEA" href="/en/payments/sign-in?redirect=%2Fpayments%2Fprofile%2Faccount">Sign In</a><a class="Button_root__RKQ4c Button_fill__AQ8Ba Header_headerNavButtonLink__HkrEA" href="/en/payments/sign-up?redirect=%2Fpayments%2Fprofile%2Faccount">Join</a>How Pacos de Ferreira’s Stephen Eustaquio Became “Irreplaceable” For Canada | OneFootballWorld Football Index
Canadian soccer is living an incredible moment
They beat Mexico for the first time in over 20 years back in November to claim first place in the CONCACAF qualifying table
a giant step toward their ambition of making it to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar
Much has been made of the success of several of their players in Europe
Alphonso Davies is the most notable example – the 21-year-old is one of the best full-backs in world football right now
fleet-footed individual with the brightest of futures ahead
He’s won three Bundesliga titles and the Champions League with Bayern Munich
Jonathan David is another impressive export
he provided 13 goals and three assists last season as Lille remarkably beat Paris Saint-Germain to win Ligue 1
scoring 12 goals in 19 appearances for a Lille side who have regressed significantly and now sit eighth in the league table
Several of Europe’s elite are keeping a close eye on a player who’s become one of the most exciting talents around
Stephen Eustáquio isn’t as glamorous a figure as Davies or David
and while he was born in Ontario he returned to Portugal at the age of seven
was born in Ghana to Liberian parents while David was born in Brooklyn to Haitian parents
But Eustáquio doesn’t quite have the same ceiling as either Davies or David
and plays a far less explosive role on the pitch
either – he plays at the centre of Paços de Ferreira’s midfield
a modest Portuguese club currently sitting 12th in the Primeira Liga
Standing at 178 centimetres tall and weighing 77 kilograms
He’s not too short to be outmuscled in the middle of the park
and nor is he so tall that more nimble opponents can outsmart him
His average build offers a blank canvas that he’s built on through sheer determination. A student of the game since childhood, Eustáquio learned at an early age the importance of being able to read the game and <a href="https://theathletic.com/2814727/2021/09/08/stephen-eustaquio-canada/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">consciously cultivated an ability to do just that</a>
He’s watched his diet since he was a teenager
and was always the first to retire from parties
This fastidiousness and seriousness <a href="https://breakingthelines.com/scouting-report/scouting-report-stephen-eustaquio/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">reflects the way Eustáquio plays the game</a>
He stands out due to his intelligence and aggression
that ability to know when to make a challenge coupled with the bite to successfully execute it
That’s an essential quality that every football team prizes
“He’s a lovely player,” Portuguese football expert <a href="https://twitter.com/PortuGoal1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">Tom Kundert</a> told <a href="https://worldfootballindex.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">WFi</a>
“Not too eye-catching but everything he does
but I’m sure he’ll move on to a bigger club soon
He began his senior career with Portuguese side Nazarenos before leaving them to join Torreense and then Leixões
He stepped up to the Primeira Liga for the first time in 2018 when he signed for Chaves
earning a move to Mexican side Cruz Azul the following year
But his time in Mexico City was an unmitigated disaster
He was sent off minutes into his Liga MX debut
only for VAR to rescind the decision and instead change his red card to a yellow
he was stretchered off with an injury that was to keep him out of action for the next eight months
He never played for Cruz Azul again and was loaned to Paços when he returned
Eustáquio has thrived since returning to Portugal, however, and has displayed form that’s helped him become a key player for <a href="/en/team/canada-132">Canada</a>
He committed to play for the country of his birth at the beginning of 2019, after featuring for Portugal throughout their youth system. Now, his eyes are firmly on helping <a href="/en/team/canada-132">Canada</a> make it through the final stretch of qualifying and to their first World Cup in 36 years
“Eustáquio has blossomed with the Canadian Men’s National Team this year, becoming their midfield orchestrator throughout 2021 virtually out of nowhere,” Canadian football expert <a href="https://twitter.com/wilson_emt" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">Emily Wilson</a> told WFi
positioning himself in the proper positions at the correct times thanks to his ability to read the game and adjust his next step appropriately
“Whether it’s driving the team forward or regaining possession in the middle of the park
he’s the type of player who can set the team’s tempo across the 90 minutes
And that’s on top of having the ability to score
assist and deliver passes on a platter in real-time or dead-ball situations
“Yet his most important characteristic is his dependability – especially for the national team
Despite only having a handful of caps to his name
Eustáquio’s ability to be consistent in his game has allowed him to carve himself out an important role in a short amount of time
Related News<a class="RelatedNewsItem_container__7KgBl" href="/en/news/tactically-technically-i-am-better-and-i-am-also-a-lot-fitter-stephen-welsh-41058283">“Tactically, technically I am better, and I am also a lot fitter,” Stephen Welsh
RFEF President speaks on Negreira case and Real Madrid referee vendetta
Atlanta United takes a small step forward with 1-1 draw vs Nashville SC
One step from glory, Arsenal and PSG face their Champions reckoning
PANOS RETSOS: FROM FALLEN PRODIGY TO FIERY CAPTAIN OF THRYLOS
</a><a class="NewsTeaser_teaser__content__BP26f" href="/en/news/4-things-to-look-out-for-in-the-champions-league-this-week-41071357">4️⃣ things to look out for in the Champions League this week
The Champions League returns with a bang this week as the finalists will be determined following some tense first leg action.Here is what to look out for...⚔️ Match of the...
</a><a class="NewsTeaser_teaser__content__BP26f" href="/en/news/ten-years-ago-was-this-messis-most-iconic-goal-41072369">📽 Ten years ago: was this Messi’s most iconic goal?
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇫🇷 here.And time stood still...There are goals that you forget, and then there are...
</a><a class="NewsTeaser_teaser__content__BP26f" href="/en/news/arsenal-get-major-injury-boost-for-champions-league-showdown-with-psg-41072395">Arsenal get major injury boost for Champions League showdown with PSG
Harry Kane received a standing ovation after scoring twice to put Spurs through to the group stage of the Europa Conference League
</a><a href="?page=with%3Ablock-6127fad98f080840ca17c871#block-6127fad98f080840ca17c871" data-ignore="global-link-styling" class="dcr-19aedk7">26 Aug 202122.36 CEST</a>Full time: Tottenham 3-0 Pacos de Ferreira (agg: 3-1)Spurs cruise into the group stage of the Europa Conference League. Two clinical finishes from Harry Kane in the first half put them in control of the tie, and an own goal sealed it. It was a comfortable night for Spurs, who also hit the woodwork three or four times.
</a><a href="?page=with%3Ablock-6127fab08f080840ca17c86b#block-6127fab08f080840ca17c86b" data-ignore="global-link-styling" class="dcr-19aedk7">26 Aug 202122.34 CEST</a>Full time: Shamrock Rovers 0-1 Flora (agg: 2-5)Shamrock Rovers dominated all the main statistics bar one
</a><a href="?page=with%3Ablock-6127fa038f08b1506f20fe54#block-6127fa038f08b1506f20fe54" data-ignore="global-link-styling" class="dcr-19aedk7">26 Aug 202122.32 CEST</a>GOAL! Aberdeen 1-3 Qarabag (agg: 1-4; Ferguson 90+1 pen)You can’t really call this a consolation goal, can you.
</a><a href="?page=with%3Ablock-6127f89c8f080ef844e76b5f#block-6127f89c8f080ef844e76b5f" data-ignore="global-link-styling" class="dcr-19aedk7">26 Aug 202122.25 CEST</a>“That first Kane goal was pretty amusing,” writes J.R in Illinois
“Not the part where he kicked the ball into the net
After Winks slid in and won the ball an opposing player charged towards him like a madman and Ben Davies just calmly took a little teentsy step in front of the dude and just shunted him right into the ground
I’ve re-watched it several times and laughed each time
𝗛𝗘&#39;𝗦 𝗕𝗔𝗖𝗞.📺 <a href="https://twitter.com/PremierSportsTV?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PremierSportsTV</a> <a href="https://t.co/o8bpgK5yVn">pic.twitter.com/o8bpgK5yVn</a>
</a><a href="?page=with%3Ablock-6127f8508f080840ca17c858#block-6127f8508f080840ca17c858" data-ignore="global-link-styling" class="dcr-19aedk7">26 Aug 202122.24 CEST</a>The draw for the group stages of the Europa League and Europa Conference League take place tomorrow lunchtime.
</a><a href="?page=with%3Ablock-6127f6838f080840ca17c83e#block-6127f6838f080840ca17c83e" data-ignore="global-link-styling" class="dcr-19aedk7">26 Aug 202122.16 CEST</a>The latest/final scores in our featured games
</a><a href="?page=with%3Ablock-6127f6018f08b1506f20fe24#block-6127f6018f08b1506f20fe24" data-ignore="global-link-styling" class="dcr-19aedk7">26 Aug 202122.15 CEST</a>72 min: Tottenham 3-0 Pacos de Ferreira Harry Kane, who scored twice in the first half, leaves the field to a very warm ovation.
</a><a href="?page=with%3Ablock-6127f5a48f080840ca17c834#block-6127f5a48f080840ca17c834" data-ignore="global-link-styling" class="dcr-19aedk7">26 Aug 202122.13 CEST</a>GOAL
Tottenham 3-0 Pacos de Ferreira (agg: 3-1; Tanque og 70)Giovani Lo Celso’s free-kick is headed into his own net by Douglas Tanque
and that should be enough for Spurs to move into the group stages of the new Europa Conference League
</a>Updated at 22.15 CEST<a href="?page=with%3Ablock-6127f51b8f080840ca17c82d#block-6127f51b8f080840ca17c82d" data-ignore="global-link-styling" class="dcr-19aedk7">26 Aug 202122.10 CEST</a>Tottenham 2-0 Pacos de Ferreira (agg: 2-1) Bryan Gil has missed a good chance to make it safe for Spurs, dragging a left-footed shot just wide of the far post.
</a><a href="?page=with%3Ablock-6127f44a8f080840ca17c825#block-6127f44a8f080840ca17c825" data-ignore="global-link-styling" class="dcr-19aedk7">26 Aug 202122.09 CEST</a>Full time: AZ Alkmaar 2-1 Celtic (agg: 2-3)Celtic are through! Kyogo Furuhashi’s early goal, which put Celtic 3-0 up on aggregate, was ultimately decisive. Alkmaar came back to lead 2-1 on the night, and Celtic had to work so hard to repel them for the last hour. They managed it, just.
</a>Updated at 22.11 CEST<a href="?page=with%3Ablock-6127f3b78f080840ca17c81c#block-6127f3b78f080840ca17c81c" data-ignore="global-link-styling" class="dcr-19aedk7">26 Aug 202122.05 CEST</a>90 min: AZ Alkmaar 2-1 Celtic Four minutes of added time in Alkmaar, where Celtic are hanging on desperately.
</a><a href="?page=with%3Ablock-6127f3dd8f080840ca17c81e#block-6127f3dd8f080840ca17c81e" data-ignore="global-link-styling" class="dcr-19aedk7">26 Aug 202122.05 CEST</a>The latest/final scores in our featured games
Tottenham 2-0 Pacos de Ferreira (agg: 2-1; 7.45pm)
Shamrock Rovers 0-1 Flora (agg: 2-5; 7.45pm)
</a><a href="?page=with%3Ablock-6127f2d88f08b1506f20fdf8#block-6127f2d88f08b1506f20fdf8" data-ignore="global-link-styling" class="dcr-19aedk7">26 Aug 202122.01 CEST</a>86 min: AZ Alkmaar 2-1 Cetic (agg: 2-3) It’s been a fraught night in Alkmaar, but Celtic are tantalisingly close to a Europa League place.
</a><a href="?page=with%3Ablock-6127f1c38f080840ca17c804#block-6127f1c38f080840ca17c804" data-ignore="global-link-styling" class="dcr-19aedk7">26 Aug 202122.00 CEST</a>GOAL! Shamrock Rovers 0-1 Flora (agg: 2-5; Sappinen 58)It looks like Shamrock Rovers are also heading out of the Europa Conference League.
</a><a href="?page=with%3Ablock-6127f1418f080ef844e76b05#block-6127f1418f080ef844e76b05" data-ignore="global-link-styling" class="dcr-19aedk7">26 Aug 202121.54 CEST</a>79 min: AZ Alkmaar 2-1 Celtic (agg: 2-3) What a chance for Alkmaar! The 17-year-old Ernest Poku has missed a glorious chance, slicing the ball wide from six yards.
</a><a href="?page=with%3Ablock-6127efef8f080840ca17c7ea#block-6127efef8f080840ca17c7ea" data-ignore="global-link-styling" class="dcr-19aedk7">26 Aug 202121.53 CEST</a>Full time: St Johnstone 0-2 LASK (agg: 1-3)St Johnstone’s European run is over. They were well beaten in the end and finished with nine men after losing their heads a little in the second half. It’ll sting tonight, and for the next few days, but in time this match will become nothing more than a postscript to a fairytale.
</a><a href="?page=with%3Ablock-6127ef9e8f080ef844e76af1#block-6127ef9e8f080ef844e76af1" data-ignore="global-link-styling" class="dcr-19aedk7">26 Aug 202121.47 CEST</a>73 min: AZ Alkmaar 2-1 Celtic (agg: 2-3) Bruno Martins Indi has missed a good chance to bring the tie level, heading just wide from a corner.
</a><a href="?page=with%3Ablock-6127eed98f080840ca17c7e3#block-6127eed98f080840ca17c7e3" data-ignore="global-link-styling" class="dcr-19aedk7">26 Aug 202121.44 CEST</a>GOAL! St Johnstone 0-2 LASK (Raguz 84 pen)Marko Raguz sends Clark the wrong way, a very confident penalty, and LASK are heading into the Europa Conference League group stages. For all the anger at McDiarmid Park - and there’s a helluva lot of it - LASK have been much the better team in the second half.
</a>Updated at 21.45 CEST<a href="?page=with%3Ablock-6127ee8c8f080840ca17c7de#block-6127ee8c8f080840ca17c7de" data-ignore="global-link-styling" class="dcr-19aedk7">26 Aug 202121.43 CEST</a>St Johnstone 0-1 LASK It has gone horribly wrong for St Johnstone. Shaun Rooney has been penalised for pulling back the goalscorer Balic in the area - and he was given a second yellow card, which means St Johnstone are down to nine men.
</a><a href="?page=with%3Ablock-6127ee018f080840ca17c7d7#block-6127ee018f080840ca17c7d7" data-ignore="global-link-styling" class="dcr-19aedk7">26 Aug 202121.41 CEST</a>A reminder of the earlier <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/championsleague" data-link-name="in body link" data-component="auto-linked-tag">Champions League</a> draw, which was a treat for those who are partial to hype and narratives.
</a>Updated at 21.36 CEST<a href="?page=with%3Ablock-6127ec4a8f080840ca17c7be#block-6127ec4a8f080840ca17c7be" data-ignore="global-link-styling" class="dcr-19aedk7">26 Aug 202121.33 CEST</a>Half-times: Aberdeen 0-2 Qarabag (agg: 0-3), Shamrock Rovers 0-0 Flora (agg: 2-4), Harry Kane 2-0 Pacos de Ferreira (agg: 2-1)
</a><a href="?page=with%3Ablock-6127eb918f080ef844e76ac5#block-6127eb918f080ef844e76ac5" data-ignore="global-link-styling" class="dcr-19aedk7">26 Aug 202121.31 CEST</a>GOAL! St Johnstone 0-1 LASK (agg: 1-2; Balic 72)A huge blow to St Johnstone! Husein Balic, on as a substitute, has put LASK ahead with a superb finish. He took one touch to shift the ball away from Shaun Rooney, 10 yards from goal, and then lashed the ball into the roof of the net. Zander Clark had no chance.
</a><a href="?page=with%3Ablock-6127eae08f080ef844e76ab5#block-6127eae08f080ef844e76ab5" data-ignore="global-link-styling" class="dcr-19aedk7">26 Aug 202121.27 CEST</a>69 min: St Johnstone 0-0 LASK Middleton’s snapshot is beaten away by Alexander Schlager! It was close enough to him for it to be a comfortable save, though Middleton caught it very well from the edge of the area.
</a><a href="?page=with%3Ablock-6127ea378f080ef844e76aa8#block-6127ea378f080ef844e76aa8" data-ignore="global-link-styling" class="dcr-19aedk7">26 Aug 202121.24 CEST</a>St Johnstone 0-0 LASK Saying which, St Johnstone almost take the lead after a scramble in the LASK penalty box. Glenn Middleton, on loan from Rangers, had a couple of shots blocked. The first, in particular, looked like a crucial bit of defending.
</a><a href="?page=with%3Ablock-6127e9fd8f080ef844e76aa6#block-6127e9fd8f080ef844e76aa6" data-ignore="global-link-styling" class="dcr-19aedk7">26 Aug 202121.22 CEST</a>The latest scores in our featured games
</a><a href="?page=with%3Ablock-6127e99c8f080ef844e76a98#block-6127e99c8f080ef844e76a98" data-ignore="global-link-styling" class="dcr-19aedk7">26 Aug 202121.22 CEST</a>St Johnstone 0-0 LASK (agg: 1-1) Still goalless but it’s looking a bit worrying for St Johnstone, who have been under the pump since half-time. Husein Balic, one of the LASK substitutes, has just swished a volley over the bar.
</a><a href="?page=with%3Ablock-6127e9358f080ef844e76a95#block-6127e9358f080ef844e76a95" data-ignore="global-link-styling" class="dcr-19aedk7">26 Aug 202121.20 CEST</a>GOAL
Tottenham 2-0 Pacos de Ferreira (Kane 34)Harry Kane gets his second
finishing confidently from close range after Pacos de Ferreira were punished for trying to play the ball out from the back
</a><a href="?page=with%3Ablock-6127e7688f08b1506f20fd82#block-6127e7688f08b1506f20fd82" data-ignore="global-link-styling" class="dcr-19aedk7">26 Aug 202121.15 CEST</a>St Johnstone 0-0 LASK (agg: 1-1) It’s getting very tense at McDiarmid Park, where Zander Clark has just made a fine save from Hyun-Seok Hong’s snapshot. Fifty-seven minutes gone.
</a><a href="?page=with%3Ablock-6127e7008f08b1506f20fd7f#block-6127e7008f08b1506f20fd7f" data-ignore="global-link-styling" class="dcr-19aedk7">26 Aug 202121.10 CEST</a>Here’s Harry Kane’s goal
He’s up to something; has been for the last six years. I’ve no idea what it is, but he’s definitely up to something.
</a><a href="?page=with%3Ablock-6127e5db8f080ef844e76a7e#block-6127e5db8f080ef844e76a7e" data-ignore="global-link-styling" class="dcr-19aedk7">26 Aug 202121.06 CEST</a>Half time: AZ Alkmaar 2-1 Celtic (agg: 2-3)
Kyogo Furuhashi gave Celtic the perfect start, putting them 3-0 ahead on aggregate, but mistakes from Joe Hart and then Carl Starfelt have made things very interesting in Alkmaar - a bit too interesting for Celtic’s taste.
</a><a href="?page=with%3Ablock-6127e5208f080ef844e76a75#block-6127e5208f080ef844e76a75" data-ignore="global-link-styling" class="dcr-19aedk7">26 Aug 202121.04 CEST</a>GOAL! Aberdeen 0-2 Qarabag (agg: 0-3; Kady 18)Kady, who made the goal for Jaime Romero last week, has put Qarabag 3-0 up on aggregate against Aberdeen, whose Europa Conference League dreams are dying a death.
</a><a href="?page=with%3Ablock-6127e43b8f080ef844e76a6d#block-6127e43b8f080ef844e76a6d" data-ignore="global-link-styling" class="dcr-19aedk7">26 Aug 202120.58 CEST</a>The latest/final scores in our featured games
</a><a href="?page=with%3Ablock-6127e3c58f080ef844e76a69#block-6127e3c58f080ef844e76a69" data-ignore="global-link-styling" class="dcr-19aedk7">26 Aug 202120.57 CEST</a>GOAL! Aberdeen 0-1 Qarabag (agg: 0-2; Bayramov 8)Tural Bayramov has put Aberdeen in a bit of bother at Pittodrie.
</a><a href="?page=with%3Ablock-6127e3418f080ef844e76a63#block-6127e3418f080ef844e76a63" data-ignore="global-link-styling" class="dcr-19aedk7">26 Aug 202120.55 CEST</a>GOAL
Tottenham 1-0 Pacos de Ferreira (agg: 1-1; Kane 9)Nine minutes
Harry Kane has put Spurs ahead on the night
with an expert finish from Bryan Gil’s precise cutback
The reaction from both Kane and the Spurs fans suggests all is well with their relationship
</a><a href="?page=with%3Ablock-6127e2008f080ef844e76a52#block-6127e2008f080ef844e76a52" data-ignore="global-link-styling" class="dcr-19aedk7">26 Aug 202120.50 CEST</a>Half time: St Johnstone 0-0 LASK (agg: 1-1) A fast, furious half ends goalless. There’s no away goals rule any more, so as things stand it’s going to extra time.
</a><a href="?page=with%3Ablock-6127e13d8f080ef844e76a4c#block-6127e13d8f080ef844e76a4c" data-ignore="global-link-styling" class="dcr-19aedk7">26 Aug 202120.47 CEST</a>Tottenham 0-0 Pacos de Ferreira Harry Kane almost scores after 15 seconds
He was put through by a lovely long pass from Cristian Romero but
after killing the ball immaculately on the run
he lifted a shot over the keeper and just over the bar
</a><a href="?page=with%3Ablock-6127de498f08b1506f20fd1a#block-6127de498f08b1506f20fd1a" data-ignore="global-link-styling" class="dcr-19aedk7">26 Aug 202120.37 CEST</a>Full time: Lincoln Red Imps 3-1 Riga (agg: 3-2) History is made
Lincoln Red Imps become the first Gibraltarian side to reach the group stage of a European competition
Kian Ronan sealed a famous victory in added time after Roy Chipolina
had put them ahead on aggregate in extra-time
The master of headers... <a href="https://twitter.com/RoyC14?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RoyC14</a> <a href="https://t.co/hzYWX4m4c5">pic.twitter.com/hzYWX4m4c5</a>
</a><a href="?page=with%3Ablock-6127dd7f8f080ef844e76a0b#block-6127dd7f8f080ef844e76a0b" data-ignore="global-link-styling" class="dcr-19aedk7">26 Aug 202120.31 CEST</a>St Johnstone 0-0 LASK (agg: 1-1) Still goalless after 27 minutes at McDiarmid Park, though Jason Kerr came close to giving St Johnstone the lead with a header from a corner that flashed just wide.
</a><a href="?page=with%3Ablock-6127dc478f08b1506f20fd00#block-6127dc478f08b1506f20fd00" data-ignore="global-link-styling" class="dcr-19aedk7">26 Aug 202120.28 CEST</a>Europa Conference League There’s a cracking story unfolding in Gibraltar
where Lincoln Red Imps have gone 2-1 up (3-2 on aggregate) against the Latvian champions Riga
They are four minutes away from reaching the group stgaes of a European competition for the first time
Diogo Jota (middle) scored 14 goals for Pacos de Ferreira last campaign.&nbsp;Getty ImagesAtletico Madrid have signed 19-year-old winger Diogo Jota to a five-year contract
whose full name is Diogo Jose Teixeira Silva
moves to the club from Pacos de Ferreira in Portugal
The Portugal under-21 international scored 14 goals and provided 10 assists in all competitions last term
helping Pacos de Ferreira to seventh place
- Atlético de Madrid (@Atleti) <a href="https://twitter.com/Atleti/status/750741936085098496">July 6, 2016</a>
carries the ball very well and has a great outrun," Atletico sporting director Jose Luis Perez Caminero said of the move
"Diogo has a great projection and stands out for his one-on-one and his versatility
because he can play in several positions."
Diogo is scheduled to begin training with Los Rojiblancos on Thursday
Braga overturned a 1-0 half time deficit at Estádio Municipal de Braga to snatch all three points against a stubborn Paços de Ferreira side
Antunes gave the visitors the lead on the stroke of half-time with a free kick that snuck under Braga's poorly constructed wall
Ricardo Horta equalised in the 67th minute with a perfectly executed free kick and was on hand to convert Vítor Oliveira’s cross in the 90th minute
The victory gives Carlos Carvalhal’s side confidence before their long journey to face Sheriff in the Europa League
Braga exerted their authority early on with the first two chances falling for Vítor ‘Vitinha’ Oliveira
He headed Iuri Medeiros’ free kick over the bar before missing a glorious chance form close range following a pinpoint cross from Yan Couto
Paços de Ferreira had to wait until the 36th minute to fashion their first chance
Denilson running through on goal with Matheus coming off his line to smother the shot
The visitors took the lead on the stroke of half-time against the run of play
Matchoi Djaló was taken down by André Horta
Antunes stepping up and sending a free kick through Braga’s wall and into the bottom corner
Braga started the second half strong with Rodrigo Gomes forcing a save before his cross was cut out by from André Ferreira
Carlos Carvalhal had seen enough in the 55th minute
deciding to make a triple substitution and switch to a back four
André Horta and Iuri Medeiros made way for Leonardo Buta
The hosts continued to search for an equalider and found it with a familiar goalscorer
Marco Baixinho fouled Ricardo Horta to concede a free kick
Braga's talisman stepping up and slamming the ball into the top corner from distance
Braga were creating all the danger with Abel Ruiz looking dangerous through the middle
He couldn’t control a presentable opportunity before firing wide from a tight angle
The introduction of Ruiz had seen Vítor Oliveira drift into wider positions and it was the 21-year-old who created Braga's winner
He surged into the box and cut the ball back towards the penalty spot
who else but Ricardo Horta on hand to bury it into the bottom corner and send the home crowd into ecstasy
16-year-old Roger Fernandes had the final chance of the game
but was denied his third goal of the season by André Ferreira
Ricardo Horta is having the best season of his career and showed why
main instigator and the primary driving force with and without the ball
continually creating opportunities and scoring goals
You won’t see many better free kicks than the one he smashed home for the equaliser
When Vítor Oliveira’s ball came across the area in the 90th minute
it was fitting that Horta was on hand to put it away
Horta understandably has the freedom to do whatever he wants on the pitch
his two strikes making it 16 goals and six assists in all competitions this season
Carvalhal was quick to praise his captain after the victory: “To me he is very similar to Jota at Liverpool
moves very well and has a good personality
I am very happy he is at Braga and I hope that he can stay for a long time because he is very influential in our dynamic.”
Carvalhal understands Braga's need to keep developing youth players with a handful on show against Paços de Ferreira
Abel Ruiz and Vítor Oliveira have different attributes and can develop into top quality forwards
16-year-old Roger Fernandes will be afforded plenty of time to mature and work on his game
19-year-old Leonardo Buta made his top flight debut as a substitute
coming on at left back as Carvalhal switched to a back four
18-year-old Rodrigo Gomes made his first Primeira Liga start due to the absence of Nuno Sequeira and Francisco Moura
A winger by trade who has six caps for Portugal’s U19 side
he was deployed at left wing back before advancing to the left wing in the second half
He saw his shot blocked early on and was continually trying to get behind Paços de Ferreira’s defence
He executed a beautiful pass in the 41st minute that looked to have sent Vítor Oliveira through on goal
but the linesman caught Vitinha narrowly offside
Gomes started the second half by stinging André Ferreira’s hands with a fierce shot
before a neat 1-2 with Ricardo Horta saw his cross towards Vitinha intercepted
sometimes sounding more like an agent than a manager
is confident that Gomes will be another player to move onto bigger and better things
saying “He is the 13th youth player we have brought into the team this season
he will be another player that Braga will sell to a big club in the short to medium term
Paços de Ferreira were unbeaten in six of their seven matches under new manager César Peixoto
perhaps they should have been more conservative in the closing stages and been satisfied with another point
and despite having the second lowest goal tally this season
I expect them to pick up enough points in their final 13 matches to avoid relegation
Paços de Ferreira slumped to a sixth straight defeat after losing 3-2 to Casa Pia at Estádio da Capital do Móvel
Adrián Butzke scored in the 17th minute to give César Peixoto’s side a half-time lead but the beavers couldn’t close it out
The hosts undid all their good work in the second half
Saviour Godwin and Ângelo Neto scoring in the space of two minutes after capitalising on sloppy turnovers
Romário Baró teed up Clayton who extended the lead in the 74th minute
Mauro Couto headed Antunes’ cross into the net deep into added time
but it was too little too late for Paços with Peixoto’s position looking more fragile than ever
Paços de Ferreira created the first chances on a sunny afternoon in the furniture capital of Portugal
Matchoi Djaló’s shot was defected for a corner from which Adrián Butzke headed over the bar
Saviour Godwin testing Igor Vekic before Rafael Martins missed a great opportunity
Afonso Taira’s long ball released Lucas Soares who got behind Uilton
his cross picking out Martins who couldn’t connect with a goal going begging
It proved to be a costly miss with Paços de Ferreira taking the lead in the 17th minute
Adrián Butzke got behind Léo Bolgado and latched onto Luíz Carlos’ pass
showing strength to hold to off the centre back before finding the bottom corner
Godwin broke clear and forced a save before Paços got back on top
Djaló’s free kick found Erick Ferigra who tested Batista
Antunes firing over the bar and Kayky next to force a save from Batista after getting past Fernando Varela
Casa Pia created the final chance of the half which was a replica of their first
Lucas Soares finding an unmarked Martins who couldn’t connect cleanly
Felipe Martins made a change to his midfield at the break with Ângelo Neto replacing Yan Eticki
Djaló won two free kicks on the edge of the box
firing the first into the side netting before Antunes drilled the second one low which forced a save from Batista
Paços de Ferreira's supporters were growing in confidence which was brutally crushed inside the space of two minutes
Kayky lost the ball to Leonardo Lelo in the 58th minute
Taira breaking free and finding Samuel Godwin who beat Vekic from a tight angle
Godwin releasing Lelo who cut the ball back to Neto who found the bottom corner
The home crowd were getting further irritated with their side continuing to give the ball away
Djaló tested Batisita with a free kick before César Peixoto made two changes
Rui Pires and Kayky making way for Jordan Holsgrove and Nigel Thomas
Romário Baró and Clayton replacing Léo Bolgado
Peixoto made two more changes with Bastien Toma and N'Dri Philippe Kofi coming on for Luíz Carlos and Uilton
Two Casa Pia substutions combined to extend the lead in the 74th minute
Baró strolled through some non-existent defence and laid the ball off to Clayton
the Brazilian striker side footing the ball past Vekic
Paços de Ferreira tried hard to find a way back with Butzke and Delgado going close
Mauro Couto came off the bench to head Antunes’ cross into the net
but it was too late for the home side who had to face the music from their supporters after the final whistle
I wrote about Casa Pia and Filipe Martins after their <a href="/club-news/2701-casa-pia-1-0-benfica-goncalo-ramos-gets-the-eagles-past-a-plucky-promoted-side" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">1-0 defeat to Benfica</a> a month ago
Since then the promoted club have picked up 10 points from four games
winning 1-0 in Guimarães and earning a 0-0 against Arouca
Martins gave three players their first starts of the season
Fernando Varela and Léo Bolgado lining up next to Vasco Fernandes in central defence and Yan Eteki preferred to Ângelo in midfield
They capitalised on errors to overturn the 1-0 half-time deficit in Paços de Ferreira with all five substitutes playing their part in picking up another three points
Paços de Ferreira slumped to a sixth straight defeat
it’s been a terrible start for the beavers
There were signs that Peixoto was turning it around, his side scoring twice in the 3-2 defeat against Benfica and suffering a narrow <a href="/club-news/2760-bozenik-breaks-his-duck-as-boavista-beat-pacos-de-ferreira-1-0-in-porto" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">1-0 defeat against Boavista</a> last week
Peixoto’s tactical and personnel changes were working well against Casa Pia until it all fell apart in the space of two minutes
He was defiant in the build up to the match
saying “It takes a lot more to bring me down and with a win everything changes.”
The obvious problem is that his side can’t even earn a draw
Peixoto and his players faced the fury in front of both stands after the final whistle
graciously accepting the rage from the home supporters
One always feels for managers who are sacked after their players continually make individual mistakes
but we have already seen Marítimo pull the trigger and fire Vasco Seabra
Peixoto’s job security in Paços de Ferreira surely at an all time low
By <a href="https://twitter.com/noobzcorp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Matthew Marshall</a> at Estádio da Capital do Móvel
<a data-testid="link-data-testid" href="/sport" class="sc-iHbSHJ iMNmIu">Sport</a> | <a data-testid="link-data-testid" href="/sport/football" class="sc-iHbSHJ iMNmIu">Football</a>
featuring team news and expert analysis from Dan Kilpatrick
I would like to be emailed about offers, event and updates from Evening Standard. Read our <a href="/service/privacy-policy-6925316.html">privacy notice</a>
<a href="/topic/tottenham">Tottenham</a> have work to do to avoid an early Europa Conference League exit after <a href="/sport/football/pacos-vs-tottenham-result-europa-conference-league-2021-spurs-lose-in-portugal-b951498.html">losing the first leg of their play-off tie 1-0 to FC Pacos de Ferreira</a> in Portugal
<a href="/topic/nuno-espirito-santo">Nuno Espirito Santo</a> was without the likes of Harry Kane and Heung-min Son for the trip to Portugal as he took a young travelling squad and made 11 changes to the starting lineup that beat Manchester City on Sunday
Young forward Dane Scarlett was given a start up front
while there were also full debuts for summer signings Cristian Romero
it was no surprise to see Spurs lacking rhythm against the Portuguese outfit - and so it proved as they went into half-time a goal down
and Lucas Silva broke the offside trap before beating Gollini one on one - a little too easily
it should be said - to put the hosts in front
Nuno responded by introducing Jack Clarke - his most experienced substitute - at the interval
but Spurs failed to have a shot on target as Pacos ran out deserved winners
Spurs will be confident of winning the return leg in north London
especially given Nuno will be able to call on a host of experienced players this time around
Tottenham player ratings vs Pacos: Ryan Sessegnon promising; Cristian Romero requires patience
Europa Conference League match stream as Spurs lose in Portugal
the big question will be he turns to star names or offers the youngsters the chance to make amends - especially given this is a competition Spurs could perhaps do without being in this season
VE Day 2025 fashion: best looks from the day
VE Day 2025 fashion:  Princess of Wales to Lady Victoria Starmer
Prince Louis steals the show at VE Day parade as he keeps dad William looking sharp and mimics brother George
Prince Louis steals show with sweet antics at VE parade
David Beckham extends olive branch to son Brooklyn amid 'family feud'
Ukraine 'launches stunning Kursk offensive' in major blow for Putin ahead of Victory Day celebrations
Ukraine 'launches stunning Kursk offensive' in blow for Putin
Pregnant Jesy Nelson reveals plans for future in message from her hospital bed after surgery
Pregnant Jesy Nelson reveals plans for future in message from hospital
<a href="/topic/tottenham">Tottenham</a> vs FC Pacos de Ferreira LIVE
<a href="/topic/harry-kane">Harry Kane</a> felt the love of the Tottenham fans again as he enjoyed the perfect return with two goals in a <a href="/sport/football/tottenham-vs-pacos-result-europa-conference-league-2021-harry-kane-b952555.html">3-0 win over Pacos de Ferreira</a> which booked a spot in the group stage of the Europa Conference League
A day after the England captain announced he would be staying at his boyhood club after a coveted move to Manchester City never materialised
he went some way to repairing his relationship with a brace that helped overturn a 1-0 first-leg deficit
The last time Spurs played at their north London home
fans chanted ‘Are you watching Harry Kane?’
with the striker not involved in the Premier League opener against City having failed to report to pre-season training on time
But all was forgiven against the Portuguese outfit as the 30,000-plus crowd let their star striker know that he was still ‘one of our own’
and you know you are’ - Harry Kane and Tottenham fans mend fences after transfer saga
Tottenham player ratings vs Pacos: Ideal night for Harry Kane; Bryan Gil exciting; Romero finding his feet
Tottenham 3-0 Pacos de Ferreira: Harry Kane back to fire Spurs into Europa Conference League group stages
Two goals in the opening 35 minutes reminded everyone just why Spurs refused to sell him to City and Giovani Lo Celso’s deflected second-half free-kick sealed the game
Kane moved his tally to 223 goals for the club and
he will have eyes on Jimmy Greaves’ record total of 266 - a marker he could conceivably catch this season
Harry Kane rightly scores an 8/10 from Jack Rosser tonight
<a href="/sport/football/tottenham-player-ratings-kane-bryan-gil-romero-pacos-b952559.html">Click here for the rest of our Spurs player ratings.</a>
Job done for Spurs - but the real talking point tonight was the return of Harry Kane
who struck twice and seems to have been welcomed back with open arms by the Spurs fans
Dele Alli is on for Lucas as a late Spurs change
but smacks one off the woodwork after a nice turn
Here’s the moment Lo Celso put Spurs in total control..
Changes for Spurs - Son and Bergwijn replace Kane and Gil..
Lo Celso stands over a free-kick and whips it in..
and it misses everybody and goes all the way in
but he sends an effort just wide of the post
65 mins: A great chance for Spurs to add a third
Egyptian international Ahmed Hassan Koka started the game and played the full 90 minutes against 13th-placed Paços de Ferreira in the 13th round of the Primeira Liga
A brace from Rui Fonte and a goal from Ricardo Horta helped Braga to put their <a href="https://www.kingfut.com/2016/12/09/sporting-braga-eliminated-europa-league/">4-2 loss to Shakhtar Donetsk in Europa league</a> behind them
The first goal came in the 16th minute through Rui Fonte after an assist from Wilson Eduardo
before Ricardo Horta extended the lead in the 23rd minute to give Braga a comfortable 2-0 lead at halftime
The hosts continued their dominance after the break and the two Portuguese Wilson Eduardo and Rui Fonte proved to have good chemistry between themselves as Eduardo assisted Fonte again to score Braga&#8217;s third goal in the 65th minute
The result means that Sporting Braga are now fourth in the league with 26 points
eight points behind league leaders Benfica and their next game will be against third-placed Sporting CP on December 18
An African football Journalist based in Livingstone
Zamalek have been slapped with yet another transfer ban by FIFA
Mohamed Elneny has been awarded the UAE Pro League’s Player of the Month for..
Mohamed Salah has credited Liverpool manager Arne Slot for unlocking his best-ever form by..
Al Ahly announced the departure of Marcel Koller on Saturday
The club has reached an agreement with Pa&ccedil;os de Ferreira for the signing of the 19-year-old U21 international Portuguese player for the next five seasons.&nbsp; The winger comes to Atl&eacute;tico de Madrid after finishing a great season in the Portuguese League in which he scored 12 goals and was named best young-player of the competition
The winger was very satisfied with his arrival: &quot;Being part of a club as big as this one makes me feel proud.&quot;&nbsp; For his part
praised the conditions of the new red and white player
carries the ball very well and has a great outrun
Diogo has a great projection and stands out for his one-on-one and his versatility
because he can play in several positions,&quot; he noted.The footballer will begin to train with the first team on Thursday
Bad Bunny will play two shows at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano
Get tickets to cheer on Atlético de Madrid Femenino in Alcalá
LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 26: Harry Kane of Tottenham Hotspur celebrates with Ryan Sessegnon and Lucas Moura after scoring their team&#x27;s second goal during the UEFA Conference League Play-Offs Leg Two match between Tottenham Hotspur and Pacos de Ferreira at
LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 26: Harry Kane of Tottenham Hotspur celebrates after scoring their team&#x27;s first goal during the UEFA Conference League Play-Offs Leg Two match between Tottenham Hotspur and Pacos de Ferreira at on August 26, 2021 in London, Englan
LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 26: Harry Kane of Tottenham Hotspur takes a shot under pressure from Andre Ferreira of Pacos de Ferreira during the UEFA Conference League Play-Offs Leg Two match between Tottenham Hotspur and Pacos de Ferreira at on August 26, 20
LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 26: Giovani Lo Celso of Tottenham Hotspur celebrates after scoring their team&#x27;s third goal during the UEFA Conference League Play-Offs Leg Two match between Tottenham Hotspur and Pacos de Ferreira at on August 26, 2021 in London,
AdvertisementHow was your experience today
considered one of Manchester’s United worst ever signings
is the best Portuguese goalscorer in the national league following his loan to modest Paços de Ferreira
it becomes easier to gauge the paucity of attacking talent in a country that has nurtured some brilliant strikers
finished the Portuguese league season with 11 goals
The leading goalscorer was the Colombian Jackson Martínez of Porto
The second highest Portuguese scorer was the Sporting Lisbon midfielder Adrien Silva and seven of his modest tally of eight goals came from penalties
The biggest teams in <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/portugal" data-link-name="in body link" data-component="auto-linked-tag">Portugal</a> field strikers from Colombia
Portugal’s coach Paulo Bento keeps showing his faith in Hélder Postiga of Lazio and Besiktas’s Hugo Almeida
Both strikers have succumbed to injuries early on
leaving the combative Éder as his sole option
The man from Braga scored only three goals in 13 league matches
Portugal seem unable to produce strikers with the quality of their wingers or midfielders
The last predator of real quality the Iberian nation produced was Pedro Pauleta
The goalscorer from the Azores made a name for himself in Spain and especially France
His 47 goals in 88 games for the national team until 2006 made him the top Portugal goalscorer until Cristiano Ronaldo blew away that record with 49 goals in 109 matches
Yet Pauleta drew a mixed reaction from Portuguese fans
used to technical and eye-catching strikers
The “Azores Cyclone” did one simple thing and little else: he scored goals and that did not seem enough
had more charisma and performed with distinction for Benfica and the national team
So what has happened since Eusébio shined with such intensity at the 1966 <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/world-cup-football" data-link-name="in body link" data-component="auto-linked-tag">World Cup</a>
“I think it’s a structural problem,” says the former Portugal striker Jorge Cadete
“It’s funny that many coaches complain about the problems in scoring goals and I’ve been speaking over the years about the necessity of setting up specific trainers to strikers
had trouble breaking into the national team
“It’s true that the Portuguese aren’t especially tall and strong,” he says
“but I developed other qualities and the scoring instinct.” Curiously
one of Portugal’s big hopes for the future is Gonçalo Paciência
now 19 years old and playing in Porto’s reserve team
Gonçalo is following in the footsteps of his father and will hopefully join the ranks of such national goalscoring idols as Luís Figo
the Portuguese are not usually tall or strong but those who are tend to end up as defenders
The Portuguese FA is trying to invert the logic but it might take some time before an old-school striker emerges
Portugal reached the semi-finals with six goals in five matches
only one of which was scored by a striker (Postiga)
Portugal are on the brink of going home after two games and their two goals have come from wingers
the striker deficit becomes more apparent and the fans’ thoughts turn to Bébé
Vítor Hugo Alvarenga is a journalist for <a href="http://www.maisfutebol.iol.pt" data-link-name="in body link">Maisfutebol</a>
<a href="/tags/mensfirstteam/" rel="nofollow">#Men&#x27;sFirstTeam </a><a href="/tags/mensu21/" rel="nofollow">#Men&#x27;sU21 </a><a href="/tags/pacosdeferreira/" rel="nofollow">#PacosdeFerreira </a><a href="/tags/michaelcraig/" rel="nofollow">#MichaelCraig </a><a href="/tags/matthewcraig/" rel="nofollow">#MatthewCraig </a>
Michael and Matthew Craig are making history tonight (Thursday 19 August) as the first ever identical twins to appear in a men’s first team matchday squad for us
The brothers have both been named on a youthful substitutes’ bench for our UEFA Europa Conference League play-off
first leg against at Paços de Ferreira in Portugal
Born two minutes apart at Barnet Hospital on 16 April
the 18-year-olds have shone in our Academy set-up over the last few years and signed their first professional contracts with us towards the end of last season
Stepping up to the Development Squad this year having played for our Under-18s in 2020/21
although Matthew – born second and therefore slightly younger – can also play at centre-half
The siblings haven’t always been together at Spurs
they actually spent a year on opposite sides of the north London divide
with Matthew joining us at Under-12 level while Michael played for Arsenal’s Under-12s
with both having previously been at Watford
Michael joined his brother in our colours in the Under-13s and they’ve been team-mates ever since
apart from when Michael spent a year out with a back injury in 2019/20
Former pupils at Dame Alice Owen’s School in Potters Bar
they studied A-Level French and maths while playing for our Under-18s and each recently attained A grades in both
Both talented footballers in their own right
they represent Scotland at youth level – both of their grandfathers are Scottish
one of whom is former Notts County forward Ron Still
Their father David played non-league football for Cockfosters and Broxbourne
they follow the NFL and are fans of the Atlanta Falcons
who will be taking on the New York Jets at our stadium in October
the pair appeared in catalogues and marketing material for a number of well-known department store chains to advertise various kids’ wear ranges
Matthew once spoke in our official matchday programme about what it’s like to be an identical twin: “I quite enjoy it,” he said
“I’m lucky because I get on with my brother really well so you always have someone to speak to if you need to and if you want to go out and do something you’ve always got someone to do it with
If he doesn’t want to do something I’ll pester him into it!”
Michael explained in the programme about how the pair like to link up on the pitch: “I think we’re lucky,” he said
“Everyone has players who they have a natural chemistry with and when you spend a lot of your lives together
you just end up knowing what the other person wants from you on and off the pitch
That gives you a deeper understanding of how you can work with them to try to dominate games with the team.”
This evening represents the first time either player has been part of our first team squad
although they’re in good company – Ryan Sessegnon knows all about life as a footballing twin
having played alongside his brother Steven at Fulham prior to joining us
Matchoi Djalo (19) became the youngest player to feature in the Portuguese top-flight in 2019, and the Paços de Ferreira attacking midfielder now looks set for a move. ESTAC Troyes, who are part of the City Football Group, are closing in on the player, according to <a href="https://www.footmercato.net/a6208395612878415680-troyes-fonce-sur-le-phenomene-matchoi-djalo" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sébastien Denis.</a>
they may have to compete with Premier League interest
Everton and Southampton are all interested in the Portugal U19 international
Arsenal are particularly interested and have been keeping tabs on the player for many months
Stade de Reims also have an interest in Djalo
Troyes have stolen a march on their competition and opened conversations both with his current club and with the player’s representatives
who made his championship debut against Benfica at the age of just 16
made 27 appearances in all competitions for Paços de Ferreira last season
also has 3 goals in 9 appearances for the Portugal U19 side
Twenty one rounds of Liga Bwin action down
thirteen to go as it remained business as usual in the league’s top four
Braga and Sporting registering wins to remain in their respective order in the high echelons of the division
Vitória Guimarães and Casa Pia’s battle for 5th ended in a stalemate
while Portimonense and Famalicão triumphed over Marítimo and Santa Clara to boost their own survival bids whilst condemning their opponents to further dread at the bottom
Another team at the wrong end of Primeira Liga is Paços Ferreira but they gave their bid for maintenance a shot in the arm with a much-needed victory at Estoril
Scottish midfielder and PortuGOAL Figure of the Week Jordan Holsgrove was instrumental throughout in contributing to a 3-1 success
23 year old Scot Jordan Holsgrove was little known in Portugal upon signing for Paços Ferreira last summer
arriving from Celta Vigo’s B team having come through the youth ranks in England with Reading previously
Holsgrove began the season largely as a regular under manager César Peixoto
the player’s own injury issue and the dismissal of the coach saw the midfielder fall out of favour somewhat
A bizarre set of circumstances that saw Peixoto re-hired as Paços manager brought about a change in both Holsgrove and the team’s fortunes however as having looked doomed to relegation throughout the campaign
there are now green shoots of hope of a recovery in the battle to avoid the drop and the former Scottish youth international’s influence has played no small part
notably starring in the two recent victories over Rio Ave and Gil Vicente
Holsgrove has become part of a settled midfield trio comprised of himself
veteran Luíz Carlos and former Porto youth Rui Pires
The three were in Peixoto’s XI once more for Saturday evening’s trip to Estoril
a vital match for Paços in being the type of fixture they will be realistically needing points from if they wish to remain in Liga Bwin beyond the summer
the midfielder testing Estoril keeper Dani Figueira in the 16th minute having exchanged passes with Carlos in the buildup
A minute later Paços went one better and took the lead
swapping passes with winger Nigel Thomas from a corner before whipping in a fine first time cross for the awaiting Adrián Butzke to head beyond Figueira
⚽ GOLOButzke 16&#39;Liga Portugal bwin (#21) | Estoril Praia 0-1 Paços de Ferreira<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LigaPortugalbwin?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LigaPortugalbwin</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GDEPFCPF?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GDEPFCPF</a> <a href="https://t.co/ySLteZCfdZ">https://t.co/ySLteZCfdZ</a> <a href="https://t.co/ebisq5OKvi">pic.twitter.com/ebisq5OKvi</a>
Paços were then denied a second by VAR but didn’t have to wait too much longer to extend their lead as Holsgrove claimed a second assist of the game
picking up a loose ball in midfield before carrying forward and offloading to Thomas
who unleashed a sensational effort past the flailing Figueira
⚽ GOLON. Thomas 26&#39;Liga Portugal bwin (#21) | Estoril Praia 0-2 Paços de Ferreira<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LigaPortugalbwin?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LigaPortugalbwin</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GDEPFCPF?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GDEPFCPF</a> <a href="https://t.co/ySLteZBHor">https://t.co/ySLteZBHor</a> <a href="https://t.co/k1UfiYhi8U">pic.twitter.com/k1UfiYhi8U</a>
Chico Geraldes reduced the arrears early in the second period but in the 64th minute Paços restored their two goal cushion as Holsgrove turned from provider to scorer
The Scot received a pass from substitute Paulo Bernardo before striking with his trusty left foot
the ball taking a deflection before nestling in the corner to effectively wrap up a massive three points
⚽ GOLOJ. Holsgrove 64&#39;Liga Portugal bwin (#21) | Estoril Praia 1-3 Paços de Ferreira<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LigaPortugalbwin?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LigaPortugalbwin</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GDEPFCPF?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GDEPFCPF</a> <a href="https://t.co/ySLteZBHor">https://t.co/ySLteZBHor</a> <a href="https://t.co/aYSZ1PYIRl">pic.twitter.com/aYSZ1PYIRl</a>
A goal and two assists for Holsgrove meant his output in the combined departments quadrupled in one afternoon
an indication of his growing confidence and ability in this team and the division as a whole
Paços remain bottom of the table but move to within 3 points of leaving the automatic relegation spots
☑ RESUMOLiga Portugal bwin (#21) | Estoril Praia 1-3 Paços de Ferreira<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LigaPortugalbwin?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LigaPortugalbwin</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GDEPFCPF?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GDEPFCPF</a> <a href="https://t.co/ySLteZCfdZ">https://t.co/ySLteZCfdZ</a> <a href="https://t.co/al2pDFnzDl">pic.twitter.com/al2pDFnzDl</a>
If Holsgrove and Paços can pull off a great escape in Primeira Liga this season it would be quite a remarkable story
There are plenty of points left to play for and crucially they may just have the momentum edge over their rivals going into a key stretch in determining the outcome of the drop
particularly if Holsgrove can maintain this level of performance during the coming weeks
<a href="/twitter.com/FRfutebolJamie">@FRfutebolJamie</a>