UEFA Conference League: CSKA 1948 beats Spartak Trnava on penalties; Apollon and Drita also advance
CSKA 1948 Sofia defeated Spartak Trnava 5-3 on penalties after a goalless draw. Apollon Limassol won 3-0 against Dila Gori (7-0 aggregate), and Drita Gjilan beat Floriana 2-1 after extra time.
In the UEFA Conference League second qualifying round on Thursday, several teams secured their progression. Limassol's Apollon cruised past Georgia's Dila Gori with a 3-0 home victory, completing a 7-0 aggregate win. Spanish forward Brandon Thomas scored in both legs, while countryman Daniel Escriche and Cape Verde international Garry Rodrigues also found the net in the second match. Apollon will next face either Brann of Bergen or Universitatea Cluj.
CSKA 1948 Sofia advanced after a tense penalty shootout. The match ended 0-0 after regulation and extra time, but the Bulgarian side converted all five of their spot kicks, while Trnava's Marin Laušić, a former Liepāja player, missed the decisive penalty. CSKA 1948 now moves to the third round, where they will face Greek giants Panathinaikos.
Kosovo champions Drita from Gjilan also progressed, coming from behind to beat Malta's Floriana 2-1 after extra time. Floriana took the lead through Paul Mbong late in the first half, but Drita equalized in stoppage time via Albanian midfielder Xhorgo Pellumbi. The Kosovars scored early in extra time and held on. In the next round, Drita will meet San Marino's Tre Fiori.
Other matches in this round are scheduled for the coming days, including games involving Latvian clubs: RFS hosts Iceland's Vestri, Auda travels to Romania's FCSB, and Liepāja faces Austria Wien in Austria.
