Europa League: Galatasaray Upsets Tottenham, Manchester United Secures First Win
Victor Osimhen scored twice as Galatasaray inflicted a first Europa League defeat of the season on Tottenham with a 3-2 victory in Istanbul on Thursday, while Manchester United got their first win on the board by beating PAOK Thessaloniki.
The Turkish champions have 10 points from four games and have all but secured qualification for at least the knock-out play-off round, while Spurs sit in seventh place after losing their 100-percent record. “We expected it to be a difficult match. We encountered a team as we expected. They have dangerous players,” said Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou.
Galatasaray took an early lead when Yunus Akgun smashed a sensational long-range volley into the top corner in the sixth minute. However, the visitors hit back just 12 minutes later as teenage striker Will Lankshear marked just his second first-team appearance with a goal by tapping in Brennan Johnson’s pass across the six-yard box.
Galatasaray regained control before halftime, with Osimhen scoring twice in the space of eight minutes. The Nigerian star fired them back in front just after the half-hour mark, before cleverly volleying Dries Mertens’ cross past Tottenham goalkeeper Fraser Forster. Osimhen has now scored six goals in eight appearances for Galatasaray since joining on loan from Napoli.
The home side passed up several opportunities to put the game out of sight for their opponents, but Spurs’ hopes of a comeback were dashed when Lankshear was sent off for two yellow-card offenses in quick succession in the second half. Dominic Solanke pulled one back in the 69th minute, shortly after being brought on by Postecoglou, but Galatasaray held on with relative comfort.
Meanwhile, Amad Diallo, often overlooked by former boss Erik ten Hag, scored twice as Manchester United beat PAOK 2-0 at Old Trafford in their first Europa League game since sacking the Dutchman. The Ivorian winger put United ahead early in the second half with a header across goal that bounced in at the far post. Diallo secured the hosts a much-needed three points, after three previous draws, with 13 minutes remaining with a wonderful individual effort.
“He (Diallo) has been incredible in training, he always trains well and is asking me to do more,” interim manager Ruud van Nistelrooy told TNT Sports. Van Nistelrooy’s next and final game in charge will be the Premier League visit of Leicester this weekend before Ruben Amorim takes over after the international break. “Sunday is another one and I’m so focused on doing that so I’m not thinking of what is next.”
Lazio remain the only team with four wins from four games after Pedro scored an injury-time winner in a 2-1 success against Porto. Alessio Romagnoli gave the Romans the lead on the stroke of halftime before Stephen Eustaquio leveled for Porto. Ajax sit in second place, two points behind Lazio, after a 5-0 thrashing of Maccabi Tel Aviv.
Omar Marmoush’s 13th goal of the season clinched Eintracht Frankfurt, who are fourth behind Galatasaray in scored goals, a 1-0 win against Slavia Prague. The Egyptian clipped a superb free-kick in off the crossbar shortly after the break. Athletic Bilbao came from behind to grab a 2-1 success at Ludogorets, with Inaki Williams and Nico Serrano scoring in a two-minute burst.
Roma’s disappointing form this season continued as Kevin Mac Allister’s goal 13 minutes from time secured Union Saint-Gilloise their second point of the competition with a 1-1 draw in Belgium. Elsewhere, Rangers held Olympiakos to a 1-1 stalemate in Greece, while Hoffenheim and Lyon both scored deep into added time in a dramatic 2-2 draw.
In the Conference League, a much-changed Chelsea romped to an 8-0 thrashing of Armenians Noah at Stamford Bridge, with Joao Felix and Christopher Nkunku both netting doubles, and Mykhailo Mudryk, Axel Disasi, Marc Guiu, and Tosin Adarabioyo all also on the scoresheet.
