Lille's promising start in the Europa League was halted by a 4-3 defeat to PAOK, who played with ten men. The French team faced a daunting 3-0 deficit at halftime, with goals from Soualiho Meite, Andrija
Zivkovic, and Giannis Konstantelias. Despite a spirited comeback with goals from Benjamin Andre and Hamza Igamane, Zivkovic's second goal restored PAOK's lead. Lille's late equaliser was disallowed after a VAR review.
PAOK's victory marked a significant milestone as they became the first Greek team to defeat a French side in the Europa League. Previously, French teams had dominated these encounters, winning all nine matches against Greek opponents while scoring at least two goals each time. Lille also experienced their first home loss in the group stages of a major European competition after remaining unbeaten in their last 14 such games.
The match concluded dramatically when Tomasz Kedziora received his second yellow card during stoppage time. Despite being reduced to ten players, PAOK managed to secure an impressive win. Lille's hopes were dashed when Andre's potential equaliser was ruled out for a foul following a VAR check.
In contrast to Lille's setback, Lyon maintained their perfect record in the competition with a 2-0 victory over Basel. Captain Corentin Tolisso scored early, and Afonso Moreira sealed the win in the final minute. Lyon is among three teams, alongside Midtjylland and Braga, to have won all three of their opening matches this season.
Madness. #UEL pic.twitter.com/XUg6Qt78AL UEFA Europa League (@EuropaLeague) October 23, 2025
Meanwhile, Roma faced disappointment at home with a 2-1 loss to Viktoria Plzen. Despite Paulo Dybala converting a penalty early in the second half, Roma couldn't capitalise on their numerous chances. Plzen scored twice within two minutes through Prince Adu and Cheick Souare, making efficient use of their limited opportunities.
3 @EuropaLeague matches, 3 wins! Let's go! 2-0 #OLFCB pic.twitter.com/m0mbUOLqiv Olympique Lyonnais (@OL_English) October 23, 2025
Plzen's victory was remarkable given they only had two shots on target compared to Roma's twenty attempts. The Italian side generated an expected goals (xG) value of 2.36 but failed to convert those chances into more goals.
The Europa League continues to deliver thrilling encounters and unexpected results as teams vie for advancement in this prestigious competition.
