European qualifiers: Getafe break Partizan down to ten men, Tromsø hold off Brighton, Arokodare seals Ajax win

On August 20, clubs from Europe's five leading leagues took part in UEFA Europa Conference League qualifying with mixed results. Bergamo's Atalanta, winners of the competition in 2024, were held to a surprising 0:0 draw at home by Tel Aviv's Hapoel. Brighton experienced a similar outcome away to Norway's Tromsø, although the hosts dominated play, registering 20 more shot attempts than their visitors.

Spain's Getafe, this season's Europa League finalists Freiburg, and Monaco all scored three goals to secure wins. Getafe took an early lead against Belgrade's Partizan, but the Serbian side equalised before halftime. In the second half, Getafe were reduced to ten men after a second yellow card, yet still managed to score twice late on to win 3-1.

In Zabrze, Poland's Górnik lost 2-3 to Monaco despite outshooting their opponents, after trading goals throughout the match. Freiburg won 3-1 away to Scotland's Motherwell, converting a penalty after a foul in the box.

Athens' Panathinaikos led Czech side Hradec Králové 2-0 at home, but conceded twice in stoppage time to finish 2-2. Split's Hajduk and Edinburgh's Hearts also surrendered home leads to draw 2-2. Meanwhile, Azerbaijan's Qarabağ, Inter Turku, and Norway's Brann Bergen achieved favourable results against stronger opposition.

Amsterdam's Ajax beat Switzerland's Sion 4-2 away, with former Valmiera player Tolu Arokodare scoring the decisive goal after leaving England's Wolverhampton this summer.

Latvia's Riga also featured in the competition's main qualifying bracket, drawing 0:0 away to Faroese club KÍ Klaksvík. The return leg is scheduled for August 27.