The rematch in the 1/16 round of the Europa League saw Marseille meet Shakhtar Donetsk from Ukraine on February 23, with the French side clinching a 3-1 victory. The win completed the tie on aggregate, sending Marseille into the 1/8 finals and extending a European campaign that had attracted attention from fans across Europe. This result highlighted Marseille’s resilience and tactical discipline over the two legs, sealing a place in the knockout stage despite a competitive challenge from Shakhtar, who had demonstrated moments of quality in the group and prior rounds. The match itself featured a penalty conversion that set the tone, followed by decisive strikes that put the French club in control and allowed them to manage the closing stages with composure. match reports
Sudakov struck first for Shakhtar from the penalty spot in the 12th minute, giving the visitors an early platform to push for a favorable result. Marseille responded with a flurry of attacking intent, and the equalizer soon followed as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang found the net, reinforcing Marseille’s belief in their ability to overturn the deficit. Ismaila Sarr then added another to restore the lead, and Geoffrey Kondogbia sealed the overall advantage with a late strike, making the final scoreline reflect Marseille’s superiority across the two legs. The aggregate victory secured Marseille a spot in the Europa League’s last eight, reinforcing the French club’s status as a tough opponent in European competition. Match summaries and official statistics
Looking at the broader picture, the triumph carried significance beyond a single tie. By advancing to the 1/8 finals based on the combined score from both matches, Marseille reinforced its status as a team capable of competing with strong European sides and advancing deep into the tournament. The result also had implications for how the two clubs were perceived in their respective leagues and European campaigns, as the competition moves toward the later stages and potential encounters with other high-caliber teams. UEFA competition overview
After this round, there was no Ukrainian club left in the European Cup tournaments for that season. Across the continent, Ukrainian sides had accumulated a total of 20.5 points in the UEFA coefficient table for that season, marking Ukraine’s poorest showing in the coefficient rankings since the 2007/2008 period. This downturn reflected the challenges faced by Ukrainian clubs in the continental arena, where competition intensity remained high and margins for error were small. UEFA coefficients and season summary
In related developments, Zorya Luhansk failed to advance from the group phase in the Conference League, while Shakhtar Donetsk finished third in their Champions League group, ending their campaign in the round-robin stage rather than the knockout rounds. The prospective path for Ukrainian clubs in Europe faced continued uncertainty, with performances in major tournaments shaping perceptions of the strength of Ukrainian football abroad. Team performance reports
During the spring of 2022, governing bodies took decisive actions that affected Russian participation in European football. The International Federation of Football Associations (FIFA) and the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) decided to suspend the participation of the Russian national team and all Russian clubs in all competitions controlled by these organizations. The suspension was part of broader responses to geopolitical events and aimed to maintain competitive integrity and safety for teams and fans across the continent. Governing body statements
As a result, Russian clubs, aside from Zenit Saint Petersburg, did not participate in European cups in 2022, while the Russian national team, under coach Valery Karpin, played six friendly matches in 2023 as part of a gradual return to international activity. The broader context of that period showed how politics, sport, and international competition intersected, influencing schedules, player development, and the opportunities available to clubs and national teams alike. Football federation updates
Previously, discussions centered on the potential outcomes for the 1/8 finals of the Europa League, with the calendar and matchups shaping expectations for teams entering the knockout rounds. The evolving nature of the competition and the strategic decisions made by clubs in the spring of that season reflected the high stakes involved in European football, where every tie can define a club’s season and its European aspirations. Season previews and round-by-round analyses