Baku: The UEFA Conference League play-off round has kicked off, with the first-leg matches played on August 20. PAOK were held to a 1-1 draw by Brann, while Vikingur suffered a 3-1 home defeat to Borac. Azerbaijani champions Qarabag secured an important 1-0 away victory over Twente. Elsewhere, Monaco beat Gornik 3-2, Ajax defeated Sion 4-2, Freiburg claimed a 3-1 victory over Motherwell, and Getafe overcame Partizan 3-1.

According to Azeri-Press News Agency, the play-off round provided an array of thrilling encounters. Lincoln Red Imps were defeated 0-2 by Larne, while Inter Turku and Copenhagen played out a goalless draw. Tromso also held Brighton to a 0-0 stalemate. Midtjylland managed a 2-0 win over Rijeka, and Nordsjaelland secured a narrow 1-0 victory against St Gallen. KI Klaksvik and Riga could not be separated in their 0-0 draw.

In other matches, Drita and Inter d'Escaldes shared the spoils in a 2-2 draw, while Lugano edged out Maccabi Tel Aviv with a 2-1 scoreline. Hearts and Rapid also ended their match level at 2-2. Rangers managed a slim 1-0 win against Jablonec, and Shamrock Rovers drew 1-1 with KuPS. Hajduk and Rakow also ended their match in a 2-2 tie. Dinamo City matched Pafos with a 1-1 finish, and Braga secured a comfortable 2-0 victory over Austria.

With the first-leg matches setting the stage, the return legs are anticipated to bring more excitement and determine which teams will advance further in the competition.