Europa League

24 games were contested in Europa League group-stage play on Thursday.

GROUP A:

At Astana, Kazakhstan:

Cedric Bakambu scored twice in the final half-hour (65', 83') as Villarreal held off Astana 3-2 on the road to clinch a berth in the knockout stage.

At Netanya, Israel:

Josef Husbauer scored both goals (45'+1, 54') in Slavia Prague's 2-0 road triumph against Maccabi Tel Aviv.

Group A Standings:

1. x-Villarreal (GP: 5; GD: +5; PTS: 11)
2.     Slavia Prague (GP: 5; GD: +1; PTS: 8)
3.     Astana (GP: 5; GD: +2; PTS: 7)
4. z-Maccabi Tel Aviv (GP: 5; GD: -8; PTS: 1)

x-Clinched berth in Europa League knockout stage

z-Eliminated from tournament



GROUP B:

At Elbasan, Albania:

Ali Sowe scored the game winner in the 56th minute as Skenderbeu Korce held off visiting Dynamo Kiev 3-2.  Due to Partizan Belgrade's victory over Young Boys, though, the Albanian club was still eliminated from the tournament.

At Belgrade, Serbia:

Ognjen Ozegovic scored the game-winning goal in the 53rd minute as Partizan Belgrade defeated visiting BSC Young Boys 2-1 to gain a berth in the knockout stage.

Group B Standings:

1. x-Dynamo Kiev (GP: 5; GD: +3; 10)
2. x-Partizan Belgrade (GP: 5; GD: +2; PTS: 8)
3. z-Skenderbeu Korce (GP: 5; GD: -3; PTS: 5)
4. z-BSC Young Boys (GP: 5; GD: -2; PTS: 3)

x-Clinched berth in Europa League knockout stage

z-Eliminated from tournament



GROUP C:

At Braga, Portugal:

Fransergio scored twice (81', 90'+3) as SC Braga defeated TSG 1899 Hoffenheim 3-1 to lock up a berth in the knockout stage while eliminating the German club in the process.

At Razgrad, Bulgaria:

Kerim Frei scored the winning goal in the 27th minute as Istanbul Basaksehir kept their chances of advancing in the tournament alive by knocking off Ludogorets Razgrad 2-1 on the road.

Group C Standings:

1. x-SC Braga (GP: 5; GD: +2; PTS: 10)
2.    Ludogorets Razgrad (GP: 5; GD: +2; PTS: 8)
3.    Istanbul Basaksehir (GP: 5; GD: -2; PTS: 5)
4. z-TSG 1899 Hoffenheim (GP: 5; GD: -2; PTS: 4)

x-Clinched berth in Europa League knockout stage

z-Eliminated from tournament



GROUP D:

At Milan, Italy:

Andre Silva (38', 70') and Patrick Cutrone (42', 90'+3) each scored twice, once in each half, as AC Milan sealed top spot in Group D after demolishing visiting Austria Vienna 5-1.

At Athens:

Sergio Araujo (45'+ 2) and Lazaros Christodoulopoulos (55') each scored once as AEK Athens find themselves on the cusp of advancing to the knockout stage after erasing a two-goal deficit to gain a 2-2 home draw with Rijeka. 

Alexander Gorgon scored twice (8', 28') for the now-eliminated Croatian club.

Group D Standings:

1. y-AC Milan (GP: 5; GD: +9; PTS: 11)
2.    AEK Athens (GP: 5; GD: +1; PTS: 7)
3.    Austria Vienna (GP: 5; GD: -7; PTS: 4)
4. z-Rijeka (GP: 5; GD: -3; PTS: 4)

y-Won Group D and clinched berth in Europa League knockout stage

z-Eliminated from tournament

NOTE:  In the two games contested between Austria Vienna and Rijeka, the Austrian club outscored the Croatian club 5-4 overall, 4-3 on away goals.



GROUP E:

At Liverpool, England:

Bryan Cristante (GP: 12' , 64') and Andreas Cornelius (88', 90'+4) each scored once as Atalanta scored four goals in the second half en route to a 5-1 road fist-beating of Everton as the Italian club locked up a berth in the knockout stage.

At Decines-Charpieu, France:

Mouctar Diakhaby (29'), Nabil Fekir (32'), Mariano Diaz Mejia (67'), and Myziane Maolida (80') each scored once as Lyon advanced to the knockout stage after blasting visiting Apollon Limassol 4-0.

Group E Standings:

1. x-Atalanta (GP: 5; GD: +9; PTS: 11)
2. x-Lyon (GP: 5; GD: +8; PTS: 11)
3. z-Apollon Limassol (GP: 5; GD: -6; PTS: 3)
4. z-Everton (GP: 5; GD: -11; PTS: 1)

x-Clinched berth in Europa League knockout stage

z-Eliminated from tournament



GROUP F:

At Moscow:

Jefferson Farfan scored twice (17', 51') as Lokomotiv Moscow upended visiting FC Copenhagen 2-1.

At Tiraspol, Moldova:

Jairo de Macedo da Silva scored the only goal of FC Sheriff's 1-0 home win over Fastav Zlin in the 11th minute.

Group F Standings:

1.    FC Sheriff (GP: 5; GD: +2; PTS: 9)
2.    Lokomotiv Moscow (GP: 5; GD: +3; PTS: 8)
3.    FC Copenhagen (GP: 5; GD: +2; PTS: 6)
4. z-Fastav Zlin (GP: 5; GD: -7; PTS: 2)

z-Eliminated from tournament



GROUP G:

At Lucerne, Switzerland:

Carlos Antonio de Souza Junior scored the game's lone goal in the 50th minute as Lugano defeated visiting Hapoel Be'er Sheva 1-0.

At Plzen, Czech Republic:

Milan Peterzela (49') and Jan Kopic (76') each scored once as FC Viktoria Plzen joined Steaua Bucharest in the knockout stage by blanking the visiting Romanian club 2-0.

Group G Standings:

1. x-Steaua Bucharest (GP: 5; GD: +3; PTS: 10)
2. x-FC Viktoria Plzen (GP: 5; GD: +3; PTS: 9)
3. z-Lugano (GP: 5; GD: -3; PTS: 6)
4. z-Hapoel Be'er Sheva (GP: 5; GD: -3; PTS: 4)

x-Clinched berth in Europa League knockout stage

z-Eliminated from tournament



GROUP H:

At Barysaw, Belarus:

Red Star Belgrade held hosts FC BATE Borisov to a 0-0 stalemate.

At Cologne, Germany:

FC Cologne kept their chances of advancing alive after knocking off visiting Arsenal 1-0.  Sehrou Guirassy successfully converted a penalty kick in the 82nd minute for the Billy Goats.
  The Gunners, nevertheless, locked up top spot in Group H.

Group H Standings:

1. y-Arsenal (GP: 5; GD: +4; PTS: 10)
2.    Red Star Belgrade (GP: 5; GD: 0; PTS: 6)
3.    FC Cologne (GP: 5; GD: 0; PTS: 6)
4.    FC BATE Borisov (GP: 5; GD: -4; PTS: 5)

y-Won Group H and clinched berth in Europa League knockout stage

NOTE:  Red Star Belgrade defeated FC Cologne 1-0 on the road on September 28.  The two clubs will again meet on December in the Serbian capital.



GROUP I:

At Konya, Turkey:

Wilfred Moke's own goal in the third minute of second-half stoppage time enabled Marseille to gain a 1-1 road draw with Konyaspor.  Nejc Skubic successfully converted a penalty kick for the hosts in minute #82.

At Wals-Siezenheim, Austria:

Moanes Dabour (26'), Andreas Ulmer (45'+1), and Huang Hee-chan (67') each scored once as FC Red Bull Salzburg dominated visiting Vitoria de Guimaraes 3-0 to lock up top spot in the Group I

Group I Standings:

1. y-FC Red Bull Salzburg (GP: 5; GD: +6; PTS: 11)
2.    Marseille (GP: 5; GD: 0; PTS: 7)
3.    Konyaspor (GP: 5; GD: -2; PTS: 5)
4.    Vitoria de Guimaraes (GP: 5; GD: -4; PTS: 4)

y-Won Group I and clinched berth in Europa League knockout stage



GROUP J:

At Ostersund, Sweden:

Dmytro Hrechyshkin (OG-40') and Saman Ghoddos (77') provided the scoring as Ostersund blanked visiting Zorya Luhansk 2-0 and clinched a berth in the knockout stage.

At Bilbao, Spain:

Aritz Aduriz scored twice (PK-35', PK-66') while Inaki Williams scored the winning goal in the 82nd minute as Athletic Bilbao defeated visiting Hertha BSC Berlin 3-2 to knock the German club out of the tournament.

Group J Standings:

1. x-Ostersund (GP: 5; GD: +4; PTS: 10)
2.    Athletic Bilbao (GP: 5; GD: +1; PTS: 8)
3.    Zorya Luhansk (GP: 5; GD: -4; PTS: 6)
4. z-Hertha BSC Berlin (GP: 5; GD: -1; PTS: 4)

x-Clinched berth in Europa League knockout stage

z-Eliminated from tournament



GROUP K:

At Nice, France:

Mario Balotelli (PK-5', 31') scored twice as Nice locked up a knockout-stage berth with their nice 3-1 home win over SV Zulte Waregem.

At Rome:

Luis Alberto's equalizer in the 42nd minute was good enough for Lazio as the Young Eagles locked up top spot in Group K after their 1-1 home deadlock with Vitesse Arnhem. 

Bryan Linssen scored for the Dutch club in the 13th minute.

Group K Standings:

1. y-Lazio (GP: 5; GD: +6; PTS: 13)
2. x-OGC Nice (GP: 5; GD: +6; PTS: 9)
3. z-SV Zulte Waregem (GP: 5; GD: -6; PTS: 4)
4. z-Vitesse Arnhem (GP: 5; GD: -6; PTS: 2)

y-Won Group K and clinched berth in Europa League knockout stage

x-Clinched berth in Europa League knockout stage

z-Eliminated from tournament



GROUP L:

At Saint Petersburg, Russia:

Emiliano Rigoni scored the winning goal at 43 minutes as Zenit Saint Petersburg defeated visiting Vardar 2-1.

At Trondheim, Norway:

Mikel Oyarzabal scored the only goal in the 90th minutes as Real Sociedad joined Zenit in the knockout stage after knocking out Rosenborg 1-0 on the road.

Group L Standings:

1. x-Zenit Saint Petersburg (GP: 5; GD: +10; PTS: 13)
2. x-Real Sociedad (GP: 5; GD: +12; PTS: 12)
3. z-Rosenborg (GP: 5; GD: -5; PTS: 4)
4. z-Vardar (GP: 5; GD: -17; PTS: 0)

x-Clinched berth in Europa League group stage

z-Eliminated from tournament