Go Ahead Eagles, go, go! 'Flying Dutchmen' toppled the former European champion

It probably happens once in ten years in modern football — but it does happen! A historic night in Deventer and a historic victory! The charming Go Ahead Eagles have claimed yet another European scalp in the continent’s second-tier competition. After defeating Panathinaikos (2–1), Aston Villa have now fallen at the 125-year-old De Adelaarshorst Stadium — 2–1.

A team worth around thirty million euros defeated a side whose squad is valued at over half a billion euros?! And what’s even more impressive — the Eagles’ starting lineup today, the one that beat a former European champion and one of the richest clubs in the world, cost only 2,475,000 euros in total!

Most players were brought in for free, with transfer fees paid for only four of them — and none exceeding one million euros.

The conclusion: football still knows, from time to time, how to write a genuine sports fairy tale. And that’s probably why we love it so much — and why there’s a certain duty to give full support to the main heroes of such stories. So — Go Ahead, go, go, go!

For the Dutch side, this was their second win in this season’s Europa League, meaning they’re in a very good position to even fight for a place in the spring phase of the competition. True, the schedule ahead is quite tricky: next up is Salzburg away, then they host Stuttgart, travel to Lyon and Nice, and finish the group stage against Braga.

That they could become a true European sensation was already clear in the opening round against FCSB, where they outplayed their opponent but lost unluckily. Then, as mentioned, they stunned Panathinaikos in Athens — and tonight’s result can comfortably be labeled a first-rate shock.

The heroes of this huge celebration for the Dutch club were, of course, scorers Matis Suray (this is the GOAL) and captain Mats Deijl (the goal is HERE) — but goalkeeper Jari De Busser also deserves special praise. He recorded six saves and, in the 79th minute, bewitched the net by forcing Emiliano Buendía to send his penalty kick over the bar.

UEFA EUROPA LEAGUE - MATCHDAY 3

Thursday

Braga - Crvena Zvezda 2-0 (1-0)

/Navarro 22, Dorgeles 72/

Brann - Rangers 3-0 (1-0)

/Kornvig 40, Sorensen 55, Jean Holm 79/

FCSB - Bologna 1-2 (0-2)

/Birligea 54 - Odgaard 9, Dallinga 12/

Fenerbahce - Stuttgart 1-0 (1-0)

/Akturkoglu 34 pen/

Genk - Betis 0-0

Go Ahead - Aston Villa 2-1 (1-1)

/Suray 42, Deijl 61 - Guessand 4/

Olympique Lyon - Basel 2-0 (1-0)

/Tolisso 3, Moreira 90/

Salzburg - Ferencvaros 2-3 (1-0)

/Baidoo 13, Vertessen 72 - Varga 50, Zachariassen 56, Bamidele 58/

Celta - Nice IN PROGRESS

Celtic - Sturm IN PROGRESS

Freiburg - Utrecht IN PROGRESS

Lille - PAOK IN PROGRESS

Maccabi T.A. - Midtjylland IN PROGRESS

Malmo - Dinamo Zagreb IN PROGRESS

Nott. Forest - Porto IN PROGRESS

Roma - Plzen IN PROGRESS

Young Boys - Ludogorets IN PROGRESS