Europa Conference League LIVE: Midtjylland strike late, Palace held as Forest battle the deluge
Nottingham Forest lost to FC Midtjylland as heavy rain threatened abandonment, Crystal Palace were held by AEK Larnaca and Aston Villa won at Lille in European action; the europa conference league fixtures were disrupted by weather and late drama. The visitors struck late at Forest to secure victory, while Palace could not break a resilient AEK side. Substitutions, a hamstring injury and standing water shaped outcomes across the matches.
Match events and decisive moments
At the City Ground, Midtjylland scored late to beat Nottingham Forest, with the match taking a dramatic turn after prolonged heavy rain created puddles across the pitch and forced concern that play might be abandoned. The rain was focused around the halfway line and in the penalty area, with commentators noting the surface had large areas of standing water at the 65-minute mark and that puddles were appearing all over the place. Forest were hampered further when Kevin Mbabu pulled up with a hamstring injury, and a big chance went begging when Omari Hutchinson delayed his shot, frustrating Morgan Gibbs-White.
Europa Conference League: Palace held, AEK changes and key substitutes
Crystal Palace were held by AEK Larnaca in the same set of fixtures. AEK made tactical changes with Yahav Gurfinkel and Enzo Cabrera introduced, with Dorde Ivanovic and Riad Bajic taken off; Riad Bajic had been the match-winner on AEK’s previous visit here. Palace enjoyed periods of build-up play — Ismaila Sarr collected a dinked pass from Adam Wharton and flashed a low cross that Hrvoje Milicevic could only divert with his shin past his own upright. Brennan Johnson delivered set-piece threats from the right, but goalkeeper Zlatan Alomerovic had moments of control, diving forward to claim a dangerous free-kick under no pressure eight yards off his line.
Other results, conditions and immediate impacts
Watkins headed Aston Villa to a 1-0 win at Lille in the concurrent Europa League tie — a separate match in the same European session — while the Conference League fixtures battled weather and match-defining moments. At Forest, the players and fans felt the strain of a match played on a rain-soaked surface, with frustration audible in the stands as the home side struggled to convert chances and adapt to sloshing conditions. The late Midtjylland strike proved decisive after a deluge had reshaped the game.
The europa conference league schedule across these ties saw substitutions and in-game injuries change team shapes; managers will now assess fitness and whether the weather altered tactical plans. The europa conference league matches produced tight, low-scoring outcomes influenced by conditions rather than open, high-scoring football.
What happens next
Clubs involved will review injuries and the state of pitches before the second legs, and AEK will reflect on the impact of their substitutions while Forest regroup after a late defeat. Expect fitness checks on the injured and tactical adjustments where standing water affected passing and finishing. The remaining ties in the campaign will carry extra scrutiny after weather and late goals determined these first-leg outcomes in the europa conference league.
