Thursday, September 15, 2016

Europa League: Group-Stage Play Commences; Feyenoord Knock Off Red Devils; Zenit Overcome Three Goal Deficit To Knock Off Maccabi Tel Aviv In Israel; Saints Dominate Spara Prague; Ajax Get Best Of Panathinakos

Group-stage play in the Europa League commenced with 24 games on Thursday.

GROUP A:

At Rotterdam, Netherlands:

Tonny Vilhena scored the only goal of the match in the 79th minute as Feyenoord Rotterdam knocked off visiting Manchester United 1-0.

At Odessa, Ukraine:

Simon Kjaer's equalizer in the sixth minute of second-half stoppage time lifted Fenerbahce to a 1-1 road draw with Zorya Kuhansk.  Dmytro Hrechyshkin scored for Zorya in the 52nd minute.  The match was contested at Odessa due to the ongoing war-like conditions in eastern Ukraine.

Group A Standings:

1. Feyenoord Rotterdam (GP: 1; GD: +1; PTS: 3)
2. Fenerbahce (GP: 1; GD: 0; PTS: 1)
3. Zorya Kuhansk (GP: 1; GD: 0; PTS: 1)
4. Manchester United (GP: 1; GD: -1; PTS: 0)

NOTE:  Fenerbahce gained a 1-1 road draw with FC Zorya Kuhansk on Thursday.



GROUP B:

At Bern, Switzerland:

Esteban Cambriasso scored the lone goal of the match in the 42nd minute as Olympiacos beat BSC Young Boys 1-0 on the road.

At Nicosia, Cyprus:

Igor de Camrago scored the winning goal in the 87th minute as APOEL FC defeated visiting Astana 2-1.

Group B Standings:

1. APOEL FC (GP: 1; GD: +1; PTS: 3)
2. Olympiacos (GP: 1; GD: +1; PTS: 3)
3. Astana (GP: 1; GD: -1; PTS: 0)
4. BSC Young Boys (GP: 1; GD: -1; PTS: 0)



GROUP C:

At Mainz, Germany:

Robert Beric's equalizer in the 88th minute lifted Saint-Etienne to a 1-1 road draw with Mainz 05.  Niko Bungert scored in the 57th minute for the hosts.

At Brussels, Belgium:

Rafael Alves dos Santos' own goal in the 41st minute proved to be decisive as RSC Anderlecht defeated visiting Gabala 3-1.

Group C Standings:

1. RSC Anderlecht (GP: 1; GD: +2; PTS: 3)
2. Saint-Etienne (GP: 1; GD: 0; PTS: 1)
3. FSV Mainz 05 (GP: 1; GD: 0; PTS: 1)
4. Gabala (GP: 1; GD: -2; PTS: 0)

NOTE:  Saint-Etienne gained a 1-1 road draw with Mainz 05 on Thursday.



GROUP D:

At Alkmaar, Netherlands:

Claran Kilduff delivered the equalizer in the 89th minute to carry Dundalk to a 1-1 road draw with AZ Alkmaar.  Stijm Wuytens scored for the hosts in the 61st minute.

At Netanya, Israel:

Aleksandr Kokorin (77'), Mauricio Jose da Silveira Junior (84'), Giuliano de Paula (86'), and Luka Dordevic (90'+2) each scored once in the final quarter-hour or so as Zenit Saint Petersburg erased a three-goal deficit and upended Maccabi Tel Aviv 4-3 on the road.

Group D Standings:

1. Zenit Saint Petersburg (GP: 1; GD: +1; PTS: 3)
2. Dundalk (GP: 1; GD: 0; PTS: 1)
3. AZ Alkmaar (GP: 1; GD: 0; PTS: 1)
4. Maccabi Tel Aviv (GP: 1; GD: -1; PTS: 0)

NOTE:  Dundalk gained a 1-1 road draw with AZ Alkmaar on Thursday.



GROUP E:

At Plzen, Czech Republic:

Marek Bakos' equalizer in the 11th minute enabled FC Viktoria Plzen to salvage a 1-1 home draw with AS Roma.  Diego Perotti successfully converted a penalty kick in the fourth minute for the Wolves' score.

At Bucharest, Romania:

Alexander Grunwald scored the winning goal in the 58th minute as Austria Vienna knocked off Astra Giurgiu 3-2 on the road.

Group E Standings:

1. Austria Vienna (GP: 1; GD: +1; PTS: 3)
2. AS Roma (GP: 1; GD: 0; PTS: 1)
3. FC Viktoria Plzen (GP: 1; GD: 0; PTS; 1)
4. Astra Giurgiu (GP: 1; GD: -1; PTS: 0)

NOTE:  AS Roma gained a 1-1 road draw with FC Viktoria Plzen on Thursday.



GROUP F:

At Vienna, Austria:

Omar Colley's own goal in the 60th minute proved decisive as Rapid Vienna held off visiting KRC Genk 3-2.

At Reggio Emilia, Italy:

Pol Lirola (60'), Gregoire Defrel (75'), and Matteo Politano (82') each scored once as Sassuolo dominated visiting Athletic Bilbao 3-0.

Group F Standings:

1. Sassuolo (GP: 1; GD: +3; PTS: 3)
2. Rapid Vienna (GP: 1; GD: +1; PTS: 3)
3. KRC Genk (GP: 1; GD: -1; PTS: 0)
4. Athletic Bilbao (GP: 1; GD: -3; PTS: 0



GROUP G:

At Liege, Belgium:

Giuseppe Rossi's equalizer in the 13th minute carried Celta Vigo to a 1-1 road draw with Standard Liege.  Mathieu Dossevi scored in the third minute for the hosts.

At Athens, Greece:

Jairo Riedewald delivered the game-winning goal in the 67th minute as Ajax Amsterdam defeated Panathinaikos 2-1 on the road.

Group G Standings:

1. Ajax Amsterdam (GP: 1; GD: +1; PTS: 3)
2. Celta Vigo (GP: 1; GD: 0; PTS: 1)
3. Standard Liege (GP: 1; GD: 0; PTS: 1)
4. Panathinaikos (GP: 1; GD: -1; PTS: 0)

NOTE:  Celta Vigo gained a 1-1 road draw with Standard Liege on Thursday.



GROUP H:

At Konya, Turkey:

Facundo Ferreyra scored the only goal of the match in the 76th minute as Shakhtar Donetsk defeated Konyaspor 1-0 on the road.

At Braga, Portugal:

Andre Almeida Pinto's equalizer in the 24th minute enabled SC Braga to salvage a 1-1 home draw with KAA Gent.  Danijel Milicevic scored for the Belgian club in the sixth minute.

Group H Standings:

1. Shakhtar Donetsk (GP: 1; GD: +1; PTS: 3)
2. KAA Gent (GP: 1; GD: 0; PTS: 1)
3. SC Braga (GP: 1; GD: 0; PTS: 1)
4. Konyaspor (GP: 1; GD: -1; PTS: 0)

NOTE:  KAA Gent gained a 1-1 road draw with SC Braga on Thursday.



GROUP I:

At Wals-Siezenheim, Austria:

Joaozinho scored the only goal of the match in the 37th minute as FC Krasnodar knocked off FC Red Bull Salzburg 1-0 on the road.

At Nice, France:

Baba Rahman scored the only goal of Schalke 04's 1-0 road win over Nice in the 75th minute.

Group I Standings:

1. FC Schalke 04 (GP: 1; GD: +1; PTS; 3)
2. FC Krasnodar (GP: 1; GD: +1; PTS: 3)
3. FC Red Bull Salzburg (GP: 1; GD: -1; PTS: 0)
4. Nice (GP: 1; GD: -1; PTS: 0)



GROUP J:

At Baku, Azerbaijan:

Michel (a.k.a. Miguel Marcos Madera) and Rashad Sadygov (90'+4) each scored once as Qarabag battled visiting Slovan Liberec to a 2-2 deadlock.  Jan Sykora (1') and Milan Baros (68') each tallied once for the Czech club.

At Thessaloniki, Greece:

Fiorentina held hosts PAOK FC to a 0-0 stalemate.

Group J Standings:

1. Slovan Liberec (GP: 1; GD: 0; PTS: 1)
2. Qarabag (GP: 1; GD: 0; PTS: 1)
3. Fiorentina (GP: 1; GD: 0; PTS: 1)
4. PAOK FC (GP: 1; GD: 0; PTS: 1)

NOTES:  Slovan Liberec gained a 2-2 road draw with Qarabag on Thursday; Fiorentina gained a 1-1 road draw with PAOK FC, also on Thursday.



GROUP K:

At Milan, Italy:

Miguel Vitor (54') and Maor Buzaglo (69') delivered the scoring punch as Hapoel Be'er Sheva knocked off Inter Milan 2-0 on the road.

At Southampton, England:

Charlie Austin scored twice (PK-5', 27') as Southampton dominated visiting Sparta Prague 3-0.

Group K Standings:

1. Southampton (GP: 1; GD: +3; PTS: 3)
2. Hapoel Be'er Sheva (GP: 1; GD: +2; PTS: 3)
3. Inter Milan (GP: 1; GD: -2; PTS: 0)
4. Sparta Prague (GP: 1; GD: -3; PTS: 0)



GROUP L:

At Ankara, Turkey:

Cheick Diabate (PK-64') and Aminu Umar (74') each tallied once as Osmanispor blanked visiting Steaua Bucharest 2-0.

At Villarreal, Spain:

Jonathan dos Santos scored the winning goal in the opening minute of first-half stoppage time as Villarreal defeated visiting FC Zurich 2-1.

Group L Standings:

1. Osmanispor (GP: 1; GD: +2; PTS: 3)
2. Villarreal (GP: 1; GD: +1; PTS: 3)
3. FC Zurich (GP: 1; GD: -1; PTS: 0)
4. Steaua Bucharest (GP: 1; GD: -2; PTS: 0)

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