SSC Napoli’s Marek Hamsik enjoyed a memorable return to his former club SK Slovan Bratislava, scoring one and creating another in a 2-0 victory on Thursday as the Italian team joined five others who made it two wins from two in the UEFA Europa League group stage.
With the incentive of UEFA Champions League qualification for the competition winners, ACF Fiorentina, Legia Warsaw, Dynamo Kiev, Inter and Dynamo Moscow also took a stranglehold on their respective groups and edged a step closer to the knockout stages.
Holders Sevilla needed a 90th-minute equalizer from Stephane Mbia to rescue a 2-2 draw at Croatian side HNK Rijeka, while it was a disappointing night for former European champions PSV Eindhoven and Steaua Bucharest, who both suffered defeats.
Photo: Reuters
Two other former European Cup winners fared better, with Celtic beating Dinamo Zagreb 1-0 and Feyenoord winning 2-1 at home to Royal Standard de Liege, which could prove a good omen as the last time they beat the Belgian side they went on to lift the continent’s second-tier trophy in 1973-1974.
After the opening round of matches provided a shower of goals and entertainment, Thursday’s action showcased the more measured and tactical side of European soccer.
Napoli have endured a difficult start in Serie A with only two wins from their opening five games, heaping pressure on manager Rafael Benitez, who had already failed to steer his team through a Champions League playoff.
However, the Spanish coach remains a wily operator in Europe, having won the Champions League, UEFA Cup and Europa League at previous clubs, and his team never looked troubled on what could have been a testing outing to eastern Europe.
Hamsik began his professional career at their Slovakian opponents, but showed no sentimentality when he headed his side ahead in the first half and then set up substitute Gonzalo Higuain to double the lead with only his second touch after the break.
Napoli’s Serie A rivals Inter also enjoyed a comfortable victory, bouncing back from a chastening 4-1 home defeat by Cagliari at the weekend to beat Azerbaijan champions Qarabag Agdam 2-0 in Group F with goals from Danilo D’Ambrosio and Mauro Icardi.
However, it was a more trying evening for champions Sevilla, who needed Mbia to ride to their rescue in their Group G clash having been reduced to 10 men in the second half.
The Spanish team took the lead through Liverpool loan-signing Iago Aspas, but Timothee Kolodziejczak was sent off for bringing down Andrej Kramaric, who fired in the resulting penalty and Zoran Kvrzic then put the hosts 2-1 ahead.
There was late drama involving English Premier League sides Everton and Tottenham Hotspur.
Everton, who had enjoyed a victorious return to the European stage after a five-year absence, were spared defeat against Russian side Krasnodar in Group H when Samuel Eto’o scored a late equalizer in a 1-1 draw that left manager Roberto Martinez feeling positive.
“You always want six points after two games — that’s what you’re fighting for — but today that’s a good point,” Martinez told ITV.
Tottenham gave an indication of where the competition ranks in their priorities by making 10 changes to their team, but still came within minutes of beating Besiktas JK in a 1-1 draw.
The Turkish side, who were making a return to north London after losing to Arsenal in a Champions League playoff, trailed to a superb left-footed strike from Tottenham’s Harry Kane, but were handed a lifeline late in the game.
Vlad Chiriches handled in the penalty area to concede a penalty and former Chelsea and Newcastle United striker Demba Ba scored from the spot past Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, who had been a one-man barrier until that point.
Also on Thursday, Zurich were held to a 1-1 draw by Borussia Moenchengladbach, Spain’s Villarreal thrashed Apollon Limassol 4-0, HJK were beaten 3-0 by Club Brugge KV, Torino defeated Copenhagen 1-0 and Asteras Tripolis overcame Partizan Belgrade 2-0.
Astra Giurgiu were edged 2-1 by Red Bull Salzburg, GD Estoril Praia defeated Panathinaikos 2-0, Dinamo Moscow edged PSV Eindhoven 1-0, AS Saint-Etienne were held goalless by Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk, while VfL Wolfsburg and LOSC Lille Metropole drew 1-1.
AC Sparta Prague defeated BSC Young Boys 3-1, Dynamo Kiev beat Steaua Bucharest 3-1, AaB Fodbold edged Rio Ave 1-0, En Avant de Guingamp defeated PAOK 2-0, Dinamo Minsk were beaten 3-0 by ACF Fiorentina, KSC Lokeren Oost-Vlaanderen edged Metalist Kharkiv 1-0 and Trabzonspor were beaten 1-0 by Legia Warsaw.
Four-time NBA all-star DeMarcus Cousins arrived in Taiwan with his family early yesterday to finish his renewed contract with the Taiwan Beer Leopards in the T1 League. Cousins initially played a four-game contract with the Leopards in January. On March 18, the Taoyuan-based team announced that Cousins had renewed his contract. “Hi what’s up Leopard fans, I’m back. I’m excited to be back and can’t wait to join the team,” Cousins said in a video posted on the Leopard’s Facebook page. “Most of all, can’t wait to see you guys, the fans, next weekend. So make sure you come out and support the Beer
Revelations of positive doping tests for nearly two dozen Chinese swimmers that went unpunished sparked an intense flurry of accusations and legal threats between the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the head of the US drug-fighting organization, who has long been one of WADA’s fiercest critics. WADA on Saturday said it was turning to legal counsel to address a statement released by US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) CEO Travis Tygart, who said WADA and anti-doping authorities in China swept positive tests “under the carpet by failing to fairly and evenly follow the global rules that apply to everyone else in the world.” The
Taiwanese judoka Yang Yung-wei on Saturday won silver in the men’s under-60kg category at the Asian Judo Championships in Hong Kong. Nicknamed the “judo heartthrob” in Taiwan, the Olympic silver-medalist missed out on his first Asian Championships gold when he lost to Japanese judoka Taiki Nakamura in the finals. Yang defeated three opponents on Saturday to reach the final after receiving a bye through the round of 32. He first topped Laotian Soukphaxay Sithisane in the round of 16 with two seoi nage (over-the-shoulder throws), then ousted Indian Vijay Kumar Yadav in the quarter-finals with his signature ude hishigi sankaku gatame (triangular armlock). He
Rafael Nadal on Wednesday said the upcoming French Open would be the moment to “give everything and die” on the court after his comeback from injury in Barcelona was curtailed by Alex de Minaur. The 22-time Grand Slam title winner, back playing this week after three months on the sidelines, battled well, but eventually crumbled 7-5, 6-1 against the world No. 11 from Australia in the second round. Nadal, 37, who missed virtually all of last season, is hoping to compete at the French Open next month where he is the record 14-time champion. The Spaniard said the clash with De Minaur was