Europa League: Spurs March on in as Mourinho Sees Red Against Man Utd
Tottenham Hotspur made it three wins from three in the Europa League with a 1-0 victory at home against AZ on Thursday. Meanwhile, Manchester United remains winless after being held to a 1-1 draw by a red-carded Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce.
Spurs are one of three teams, alongside Lazio and Anderlecht, to have won all their matches so far. Lazio secured their perfect record with a 2-0 win over Twente, while Anderlecht defeated Ludogorets by the same scoreline.
In their match, Tottenham rotated their squad from the weekend’s 4-1 Premier League victory against West Ham. Notably, 17-year-old Mikey Moore nearly opened the scoring but headed wide.
The introduction of Brennan Johnson at halftime energized Spurs, leading to a 53rd-minute penalty when Lucas Bergvall was fouled. James Maddison set up Brazilian striker Richarlison, who converted to give Spurs the lead. AZ’s Moller Wolfe was sent off for a bad tackle on Johnson, allowing Spurs to secure the victory.
Manchester United faced their former manager Mourinho in Istanbul, settling for their third draw in the tournament after a heated match that saw Mourinho sent off for protesting a penalty decision.
United initially took the lead in the 15th minute through Christian Eriksen, assisted by Joshua Zirkzee. Marcus Rashford came close to doubling the lead but hit the post.
However, United’s lead evaporated just four minutes into the second half due to poor defending, allowing Youssef En-Nesyri to score from Allan Saint-Maximin’s cross. The draw leaves United in 21st place out of 36 teams, while Fenerbahce sits 14th with five points.
In other matches, Lazio maintained their perfect record with goals from Pedro Rodríguez and Gustav Isaksen in a 2-0 win over Twente. Anderlecht’s Samuel Edozie and Anders Dreyer also contributed to a 2-0 victory against Ludogorets.
Rangers shone with a stunning 4-0 win over FCSB, featuring two goals from Vaclav Cerny. Ajax secured a 3-0 win against Qarabag, who ended the match with nine players after two red cards.
