Conference League Quarter-Finals: Rayo, Shakhtar and Mainz Take Commanding First-Leg Leads

All four first-leg matches in the UEFA Conference League quarter-finals produced clear winners, with each victorious team securing at least a two-goal advantage heading into next week's return fixtures. Spanish side Rayo Vallecano, Ukrainian club Shakhtar Donetsk, and German team Mainz were among the sides to establish commanding leads in the opening legs of European football's third-tier competition. The substantial margins of victory put these teams in strong positions to advance to the semi-finals when the second legs are played.