Górnik Zabrze vs AS Monaco

Monaco left Zabrze with a first-leg cushion after edging a lively Conference League playoff opener 3-2. Gornik Zabrze gave the visitors a real scare in the second half, twice pulling a goal back, but a fast start from Monaco proved too much to fully overturn. Mika Biereth set the tone inside nine minutes, giving Monaco a lead they held into the break. Lamine Camara doubled it in the 51st minute, before Erik Prekop hauled Gornik back into it three minutes later. Paris Brunner restored the two-goal cushion in the 58th, and S. Liseth's 74th-minute strike set up a tense finish that the hosts couldn't complete. The result leaves Monaco in control of the tie ahead of the return leg, though Gornik's second-half spirit means nothing is settled. For the Polish side, already eliminated from Europa League qualifying by Ferencváros, this was a chance to salvage their European campaign, and they'll need another big away performance to complete the turnaround.