Brentford cruise into Carabao Cup quarters as Dortmund, Napoli and Milan feature in mixed results across Europe

WEB DESK: A busy night of football across Europe brought drama from England’s domestic cup to top-flight clashes in Germany and Italy, with emphatic victories and hard-fought draws defining the evening’s action.

In Germany, Borussia Dortmund booked their place in the next round of the DFB-Pokal after edging Eintracht Frankfurt in a tense second-round encounter at Deutsche Bank Park. Despite a spirited performance from Frankfurt, highlighted by Ansgar Knauff’s first-half strike, Dortmund’s superior finishing proved decisive. Serhou Guirassy and Maximilian Beier led the line effectively, while goalkeeper Gregor Kobel made key saves to protect the visitors’ lead. Frankfurt coach Dino Toppmöller’s side fought hard but were ultimately undone by Dortmund’s pace and precision in transition.

In Italy, Napoli extended their lead at the top of Serie A with a narrow 1-0 win over Lecce. Frank Anguissa’s glancing header secured victory after Lecce missed a golden chance to score from the spot. Teenage striker Francesco Camarda was left in tears after his penalty was saved by Vanja Milinkovic-Savic, continuing Napoli’s resilience despite an injury crisis that has sidelined playmaker Kevin De Bruyne until February. The champions now sit three points clear of Roma, who face Parma next.

Elsewhere in Bergamo, Atalanta and AC Milan shared the points in a 1-1 draw. Samuele Ricci fired Milan ahead early, but Ademola Lookman equalised before halftime to maintain Atalanta’s remarkable unbeaten run. Ivan Juric’s men have now drawn seven of their nine league fixtures, remaining one of only two undefeated teams across Europe’s top five leagues, alongside Bayern Munich. Milan, meanwhile, missed a chance to close the gap on Napoli, with both Davide Zappacosta and Yunus Musah spurning late chances.

In England, Brentford delivered the night’s most commanding performance, thrashing Grimsby Town 5-0 to storm into the Carabao Cup quarter-finals. Reiss Nelson shone on his full debut for the Bees, contributing a goal and an assist, while Mathias Jensen, Keane Lewis-Potter, Fabio Carvalho, and Nathan Collins were also on target. After an energetic start from League Two side Grimsby, Brentford’s Premier League class quickly told as they punished defensive errors with ruthless efficiency.

Head coach Keith Andrews hailed the victory as a reflection of the team’s growing belief: “Our attitude and application made the difference tonight. We’re showing that we can compete with anyone in knockout football.”

With Brentford’s cup run gaining momentum, Dortmund advancing, Napoli tightening their grip on Serie A, and Milan left frustrated, the evening summed up Europe’s midweek football — a mix of grit, glory, and growing title races across the continent.