Europa League

24 games were played on Thursday as the second half of Europa League group-stage play commenced.

Group A:

At Moscow:

Lacina Traore scored the only goal of the match (45'+1) as FC Anzhi Makhachkala knocked off visiting Liverpool 1-0.

At Udine, Italy:

Raphael Nuzzolo scored what proved to be the winning goal in the 73rd minute as BSC Young Boys defeated Udinese 3-2 on the road.

GROUP A STANDINGS:

1. FC Anzhi Makhachkala (GP: 4; GD: +2; PTS: 7)
2. Liverpool (GP: 4; GD: +1; PTS: 6)
3. BSC Young Boys (GP: 4; GD: -1; PTS: 6)
4. Udinese (GP: 4; GD: -2; PTS: 4)

Group B:

At Coimbra, Portugal:

Eduardo Wilson provided both goals (29', PK-70') as Academica de Coimbra ended Atletico Madrid's 16-game winning streak in European competitions with a 2-0 home victory, keeping their own flickering hopes of advancing alive.

At Plzen, Czech Republic:

Daniel Kolar scored twice (23', 76') as FC Viktoia Plzen placed themselves on the cusp of advancing to the knockout stage with their 4-0 demolition of visiting Hapoel Tel Aviv, eliminating the Israeli club from the tournament and European competition.

GROUP B STANDINGS:

1.     Atletico Madrid (GP: 4; GD: +3; PTS: 9)
2.    FC Viktoria Plzen (GP: 4; GD: +6; PTS: 9)
3.    Academica de Coimbra (GP: 4; GD: -1; PTS: 4)
4. z-Hapoel Tel Aviv FC (GP: 4; GD: -8; PTS: 1)

z-Eliminated from European competition

Group C:

At Marseilles, France:

Goals from Mike Hanke (19') and Juan Arango (90'+3) enabled Borussia Monchengladbach to gain a 2-2 road draw with Marseille.  Jody Barton (54') and Jordan Ayew (67') each delivered a goal for the hosts.

At Istanbul, Turkey:

Dirk Kuyt (11') and Moussa Sow (41') provided the first-half scoring that lifted Fenerbahce to a 2-0 home win over AEL Limassol as the Yellow Canaries close in on advancing to the Round of 32.

GROUP C STANDINGS:

1. Fenerbahce (GP: 4; GD: +5; PTS: 10)
2. Borussia Monchengladbach (GP: 4; GD: 0; PTS: 5)
3. Marseille (GP: 4; GD: +2; PTS: 5)
4. AEL Limassol (GP: 4; GD: -8; PTS: 1)

Group D:

At Bruges, Belgium:

Vurnon Anita (41') and Shola Ameobi (43') delivered the scoring two minutes apart, lifting Newcastle United to a 2-2 road draw with Club Brugge.  Ivan Trickovski (14') and Jesper Jorgensen (19') each scored once for the hosts.

At Bordeaux, France:

David Bellion scored the lone goal of the match in the 16th minute as Bordeaux defeated visiting Maritimo 1-0.

GROUP D STANDINGS:

1. Newcastle United (GP: 4; GD: +4; PTS; 8)
2. Bordeaux (GP: 4; GD: +2; PTS: 7)
3. Club Brugge (GP: 4; GD: -3; PTS: 4)
4. Maritimo (GP: 4; GD: -3; PTS: 2)

Group E:

At Molde, Norway:

Iasmin Latovlevici scored what proved to be the winning goal in the 37th minute as Steaua Bucharest all but locked up a berth in the knockout stage with their 2-1 road win over Molde.

At Copenhagen, Denmark:

Vedad Ibisevic (75') and Martin Harnik (90'+3) provided the second-half scoring punch as VfB Stuttgart blanked FC Copenhagen 2-0 on the road.

GROUP E STANDINGS:

1. Steaua Bucharest (GP: 4; GD: +4; PTS: 10)
2. VfB Stuttgart (GP: 4; GD: 0; PTS: 5)
3. FC Copenhagen (GP: 4; GD: -2; PTS: 4)
4. Molde FK (GP: 4; GD: -2; PTS: 3)

Group F:

At Solna, Sweden:

Mohamed Bangura scored the only goal of the match in the 12th minute as AIK Solna defeated visiting PSV Eindhoven 1-0.

At Naples, Italy:

A four-goal night from Edinson Cavani (7', 77', 88', 90'+3) ignited Napoli to a 4-2 home win over Dnipro.

GROUP F STANDINGS:

1. FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk (GP: 4; GD: +3; PTS: 9)
2. Napoli (GP: 4; GD: +1; PTS: 6)
3. AIK Solna (GP: 4; GD: -4; PTS; 4)
4. PSV Eindhoven (GP: 4; GD: 0; PTS: 4)

Group G:

At Basel, Switzerland:

Marco Streller scored the only goal of the match in the 80th minute as FC Basel defeated visiting Viedoton FC 1-0.

At Lisbon, Portugal:

Glynor Plet's stoppage-time equalizer (90'+1) lifted KRC Genk to a 1-1 road draw with Sporting CP.  Ricky van Wolfswinkel scored for the Lions in the 65th minute.

GROUP G STANDINGS:

1. KRC Genk (GP: 4; GD: +4; PTS: 8)
2. Videoton FC (GP: 4; GD: 0; PTS: 6)
3. FC Basel (GP: 4; GD: 0; PTS: 5)
4. Sporting CP (GP: 4; GD: -4; PTS: 2)

Group H:

At Baku, Azerbaijan:

Vladimir Dyadyun scored the only goal of the match in the 16th minute as FC Rubin Kazan defeated FC Neftchi Baku 1-0 on the road to lay claim to a knockout-stage berth.

At Belgrade, Serbia:

Rodrigo Palacio's double (51', 75') helped lock up a berth in the Europa League's knockout stage for Inter Milan as the visiting Nerazzurri defeated Partizan Belgrade 3-1 on the road.

GROUP H STANDINGS:

1. x-Inter Milan (GP: 4; GD: +5; PTS: 10)
2. x-FC Rubin Kazan (GP: 4; GD: +4; PTS: 10)
3. z-FC Neftchi Baku (GP: 4; GD: -4; PTS: 1)
4. z-Partizan Belgrade (GP: 4; GD: -5; PTS: 1)

x-Clinched berth in the knockout stage in the Europa League
z-Eliminated from European competition

Group I:

At Haifa, Israel:

Leonard Kweuke's equalizer in the 24th minute lifted Sparta Prague to a 1-1 road draw with Ironi Kiryat Shmona.  Darko Tasevski scored in the third minute for the Israeli club.

At Bilbao, Spain:

Alexandre Lacazette scored the winning goal in the 63rd minute as Lyon blew a two-goal lead then ended up beating Athletic Bilbao 3-2 on the road, clinching a berth in the knockout stage in the process while all but knocking the hosts out of European competition.

GROUP I STANDINGS:

1. x-Lyon (GP: 4; GD: +4; PTS: 12)
2.    Sparta Prague (GP: 4; GD: +2; PTS: 6)
3.    Ironi Kiryat Shmona (GP: 4; GD: -3; PTS: 2)
4.   Athletic Bilbao (GP: 4; GD: -4; PTS: 1)

x-Clinched berth in knockout stage of Europa League

Group J:

At Rome:

Libor Kozak scored twice (22', 40') as Lazio dominated visiting Panathinaikos 3-0.

At London:

Jermaine Defoe delivered a hat trick (22', 49', 77') as Tottenham Hotspur defeated visiting NK Maribor 3-1.

GROUP J STANDINGS:

1. Lazio (GP: 4; GD: +4; PTS: 8)
2. Tottenhotsup (GP: 4; GD: +2; PTS: 6)
3. NK Maribor (GP: 4; GD: 0; PTS: 4) 
4. Panathinaikos (GP: 4; GD: -6; PTS: 2)

Group K:

At Kharkiv, Ukraine:

Freda Barcellos Taison (4'), Ribeiro Cleiton Xavier (70'), and Juan Torres (90'+3) provided the goalpower that carried FC Metalist Kharkiv into the knockout stage of the Europa League with their 3-1 home win over now-eliminated Rosenborg.

At Leverkusen, Germany:

Jens Hageler (4'), Andre Schurrie (53'), and Manuel Friedrich (66') provided the scoring that lifted Bayer Leverkusen to a 3-0 domination of visiting Rapid Vienna and a berth in the knockout stage.

GROUP K STANDINGS:

1. x-Bayer Leverkusen (GP: 4; GD: +8; PTS: 10)
2. x-FC Metalist Kharkiv (GP: 4; GD: +5; PTS: 10)
3. z-Rosenborg BK (GP: 4; GD: -3; PTS: 3)
4. z-Rapid Vienna (GP: 4; GD: -10; PTS: 0)

x-Clinched berth in the Europa League knockout stage
z-Eliminated from European competition

Group L:

At Hanover, Germany:

Mame Biram Diouf scored twice (3', 50') and Sszabolics Huszti delivered the game winner on his successful second-half stoppage-time penalty kick (90'+1) as Hannover 96 locked up a Round-of-32 berth with a pulsating 3-2 home win over nine-man Helsingborg.

At Eschede, Netherlands:

Levante helped their hopes of advancing to the knockout stage by holding hosts FC Twente to a 0-0 stalemate.

GROUP L STANDINGS:

1. x-Hannover 96 (GP: 4; GD: +3; PTS: 10)
2.    Levante (GP: 4; GD: +3; PTS: 7)
3.    FC Twente (GP: 4; GD: -3; PTS: 3)
4.    Helsingborgs IF (GP: 4; GD: -3; PTS: 1)

x-Clinched berth in Europa League knockout stage