Europa League

24 games were contested on Thursday as Europa League group-stage play reached the midway point.

GROUP A:

At Molde, Norway:

Vegard Forren scored the winning goal in the 18th minute as Molde FK defeated visiting Celtic 3-1.

At Istanbul, Turkey:

Fernandao scored the only goal of the match in the 89th minute as Fenerbahce defeated visiting Ajax Amsterdam 1-0.

Group A Standings:

1. Molde FK (GP: 3; GD: +4; PTS: 7)
2. Fenerbahce (GP: 3; GD: -1; PTS: 4)
3. Celtic FC (GP: 3; GD: -2; PTS: 2)
4. Ajax Amsterdam (GP: 3; GD: -1; PTS: 2)

NOTE: Celtic scored two goals on the road in their September 17 contest with Ajax Amsterdam.



GROUP B:

At Liverpool, England:

Emre Can's equalizer in the 37th minute enabled Liverpool to salvage a 1-1 home draw with Rubin Kazan.  Marko Devic scored for the Russian club in the 15th minute.

At Bordeaux, France:

Leo Lacroix scored the lone goal of FC Sion's 1-0 road win over Bordeaux in the 21st minute.

Group B Standings:

1. FC Sion (GP: 3; GD: +2; PTS: 7)
2. Liverpool (GP: 3; GD: 0; PTS: 3)
3. FC Rubin Kazan (GP: 3; GD: -1; PTS: 2)
4. Bordeaux (GP: 3; GD: -1; PTS: 2)

NOTE:  Bordeaux and guests FC Rubin Kazan battled to a 0-0 stalemate on October 1.



GROUP C:

At Baku, Azerbaijan:

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang delivered a natural hat trick (31', 38', 72') as Borussia Dortmund downed Gabala FK 3-1 on the road.

At Thessaloniki, Greece:

FC Krasnodar gained a 0-0 road deadlock with PAOK FC.

Group C Standings:

1. Borussia Dortmund (GP: 3; GD: +3; PTS: 7)
2. FC Krasnodar (GP: 3; GD: 0; PTS: 4)
3. PAOK FC (GP: 3; GD: 0; PTS: 3)
4. Gabala FK (GP: 3; GD: -3; PTS: 1)



GROUP D:

At Warsaw, Poland:

Michal Kucharczyk's equalizer in the 51st minute lifted Legia Warsaw to a 1-1 home draw with Club Brugge.  Davy De fauw scored for the Belgian club in the 39th minute.

At Herning, Denmark:

Manolo Gabbiadini scored twice (31', 40') as Napoli defeated FC Midtjylland 4-1 on the road.

Group D Standings:

1. Napoli (GP: 3; GD: +10; PTS: 9)
2. FC Midtjylland (GP: 3; GD: 0; PTS: 6)
3. Club Brugge (GP: 3; GD: -7; PTS: 1)
4. Legia Warsaw (GP: 3; GD: -3; PTS: 1)

NOTE:  Club Brugge gained a 1-1 road draw with Legia Warsaw on Thursday.



GROUP E STANDINGS:

At Villarreal, Spain:

Cedric Bakambu scored twice (17', 32') as Villarreal demolished visiting Dinamo Minsk 4-0.

At Vienna, Austria:

Athanasios Petsos scored the winning goal in the 68th minute as Rapid Vienna held off visiting FC Viktoria Plzen 3-2.

Group E Standings:

1. Rapid Vienna (GP: 3; GD: +3; PTS: 9)
2. Villarreal (GP: 3; GD: +4; PTS: 6)
3. FC Viktoria Plzen (GP: 3; GD: 0; PTS: 3)
4. FC Dinamo Minsk (GP: 3; GD: -7; PTS: 0)



GROUP F:

At Braga, Portugal:

Alan Osorio de Costa Silva scored the winning goal in the 88th minute as Sporting Braga, who blew a two-goal lead, still defeated visiting Marseille 3-2.

At Liberec, Czech Republic:

Danny Hoesen's equalizer in the sixth minute of second-half stoppage time lifted FC Groningen to a 1-1 road draw with FC Slovan Liberec.  Kevin Luckassen scored for the hosts in the 87th minute.

Group F Standings:

1. Sporting Braga (GP: 3; GD: +3; PTS: 9)
2. FC Slovan Liberec (GP: 3; GD: 0; PTS: 4)
3. Marseille (GP: 3; GD: +1; PTS: 3)
4. FC Groningen (GP: 3; GD: -4; PTS: 1)



GROUP G:

At Rome:

Felipe Anderson scored the winning goal in the 54th minute as ten-man Lazio defeated visiting Rosenborg 3-1.

At Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine:

Romain Hamouma scored the only goal of Saint-Etienne's 1-0 road win over FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk in the 44th minute.

Group G Standings:

1. Lazio (GP: 3; GD: +3; PTS: 7)
2. Saint-Etienne (GP: 3; GD: 0; PTS: 4)
3. FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk (GP: 3; GD: 0; PTS: 4)
4. Rosenborg BK (GP: 3; GD: -3; PTS: 1)

NOTE:  Saint-Etienne defeated FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk 1-0 on the road on Thursday.



GROUP H:

At Moscow:

Mario Gomez delivered the equalizer in the 64th minute lifted Besiktas to a 1-1 road draw with Lokomotiv Moscow.  Maicon Marques scored for the hosts in the 54th minute.

At Lisbon, Portugal:

Matheus Pereira scored twice (64', 77') each scored twice as Sporting CP demolished visiting Skenderbeu Korce 5-1.

Group H Standings:

1. Lokomotiv Moscow (GP: 3; GD: +4; PTS: 7)
2. Besiktas (GP: 3; GD: +1; PTS: 5)
3. Sporting CP (GP: 3; GD: +2; PTS: 4)
4. Skenderbeu Korce (GP: 3; GD: -7; PTS: 0)



GROUP I:

At Basel, Switzerland:

Kuca Miranda scored the winning goal in the opening minute of first-half stoppage time as Belenenses knocked off FC Basel 2-1 on the road.

At Florence, Italy:

Maciej Gojos scored the winning goal in the 82nd minute as Lech Poznan held off Fiorentina 2-1 on the road.

Group I Standings:

1. FC Basel (GP: 3; GD: +2; PTS: 6)
2. Lech Poznan (GP: 3; GD: -1; PTS: 4)
3. Belenenses (GP: 3; GD: -3; PTS: 4)
4. Fiorentina (GP: 3; GD: +2; PTS: 3)



GROUP J:

At Fontvieille, Monaco:

Lacina Traore scored the only goal of the match in the 70th minute as AS Monaco downed visiting Qarabag FK 1-0.

At Brussels, Belgium:

Stefano Okaka scored the winning goal in the 75th minute as RSC Anderlecht defeated visiting Tottenham Hotspur 2-1.

Group J Standings:

1. AS Monaco (GP: 3; GD: +1; PTS: 5)
2. RSC Anderlecht (GP: 3; GD: 0; PTS: 4)
3. Tottenham Hotspur (GP: 3; GD: +1; PTS: 4)
4. Qarabag FK (GP: 3; GD: -2; PTS: 3)

NOTE:  RSC Anderlecht defeated visiting Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 on Thursday.



GROUP K:

At Gelsenkirchen, Germany:

Franco Di Santo (6') Leroy Sane (73') each scored a goal for FC Schalke as the Royal Blues salvaged a 2-2 home draw with Sparta Prague.  Kehinde Fatai (50') and David Lafata (63') produced the scoring for the visiting Czech club.

At Nicosia, Cyprus:

Carlos Roberto de Cruz Junior (also known as Carlao) scored the winning goal in the 59th minute as APOEL FC defeated visiting Asteras Tripoli 2-1.

Group K Standings:

1. FC Schalke 04 (GP: 3; GD: +7; PTS: 7)
2. Sparta Prague (GP: 3; GD: +2; PTS: 5)
3. APOEL FC (GP: 3; GD: -4; PTS: 3)
4. Asteras Tripoli FC (GP: 3; GD: -5; PTS: 1)



GROUP L:

At Alkmaar, Netherlands:

Piotr Trochowski scored the only goal of the match in the 43rd minute as FC Augsburg defeated AZ Alkmaar 1-0 on the road for their first victory in a European club competition.

At Belgrade, Serbia:

Raul Garcia (32') and Benat Etxebarria (85') delivered the goals as Athletic Bilbao blanked Partizan Belgrade 2-0 on the road.

Group L Standings:

1. Athletic Bilbao (GP: 3; GD: +3; PTS: 6)
2. Partizan Belgrade (GP: 3; GD: +1; PTS: 6)
3. FC Augsburg (GP: 3; GD: -3; PTS: 3)
4. AZ Alkmaar (GP: 3; GD: -1; PTS: 3)

NOTE:  FC Augsburg defeated AZ Alkmaar 1-0 on the road on Thursday.