After another great night of Europa League action some of the competition’s big guns have taken another stride towards the knockout stage, but not everyone had it their own way.
Thursday night’s Europa League 2021 results threw up big wins for Napoli, Lyon and Bayer Leverkusen, but Leicester City were booed off after being held at home by Spartak Moscow. The Europa League 2021 betting odds here at SBOTOP have placed West Ham as one of the favourites to lift the title but they too had to settle for a draw against Belgian side Genk.
Let’s take a look at the highlights and results as the action unfolded in a packed schedule.
Legia 1-4 Napoli
Napoli have been taking Serie A by storm and they romped to the top of Group C with a resounding win over previous leaders Legia. Mahir Madatov gave Warsaw a first half lead but a penalty, won and converted by Piotr Zielinski, hauled Gli Azzurri back into the game early in the second half and then the Italians pulled away like the well oiled machine they are. First the fit again Dries Mertens slotted home a second penalty after Matteo Politano was fouled and then, on 78 minutes, Mexican hit man Hirving Lozano made it three. Substitute Adam Ounas rounded of a fine night for Napoli with a 90th minute strike.
Lyon 3-0 Sparta Prague
Lyon have taken a firm grip on Group A, winning their first four games, and tonight former Leicester City striker Islam Slimani was the star as he scored two goals in two minutes to see off second placed Sparta Prague. Karl Toko Ekambi headed home a third in stoppage time.
Leverkusen 4-0 Real Betis
A Moussa Diaby double either side of half time gave Bayer Leverkusen a healthy lead over La Liga high flyers Real Betis. The second was a beauty, fired from distance into the top right corner and that floored Betis, leaving Florian Wirtz and Nadiem Amiri to make it 4-0. Both sides ended up with tem men when Bayer’s Kerem Derimbay fouled Nabil Fekir, they squared up and both saw red. Leverkusen are top of Group G with Betis second.
Leicester 1-1 Spartak Moscow
Former Chelsea midfielder Victor Moses headed Spartak into a lead early in the second half but Dani Amartey responded quickly for the Foxes, nodding in from a corner. But the Foxes were off the pace for much of the game and as they struggle in the Premier League this was little encouragement for their fans as they trail Napoli and Legia n Group C.
Genk 2-2 West Ham
West Ham won their first three group games and have been storming it in the Premier League but they went behind to a 4th minute goal courtesy of Joseph Paintsil and the Belgians continued to dominate throughout the opening period. It was the first goal the Hammers had conceded in the competition, but they listened to their boss at half time and equalised on the hour with a sublime goal. Manuel Lanzini sent Vladimir Coufal racing down the wing and he pulled the ball back for Said Benrahma to fire home.
Then we started to see the West Ham we know and Benrahma scored his second with a brilliant individual goal, but Tomas Soucek headed through his own goal to deny manager David Moyes a win on his 1000th game as a manager.
The Hammers are in good shape, four points clear at the top of Group H.
Real Sociedad 1-1 Sturm
Jacob Jantscher gave Sturm a 38th minute lead to give Sociedad a harder challenge than they’d hoped for against the Group B bottom side, but Alexander Sorloth spared La Real’s blushes and kept them in second place as leaders Monaco drew 0-0 with PSV.
Sociedad have worked hard to keep up a challenge at the top of La Liga with a lengthy injury list, and to stay in the top two of Europa League Group B as well is as good as it gets for the Basque club.
Olympiacos 1-2 Eintracht Frankfurt
In an explosive start to this Group D clash Youssef El Arabi fired into the top corner to give the Greeks a 12th minute lead, but just five minutes later Frankfurt were level when Daichi Kamada raced onto a through ball and slid his shot into the bottom corner.
The Greeks can feel they should have won with a shot count of 12 to five and five to three on target but Jens Petter Hauge scored after a fast break to win the points for Frankfurt and keep them top.
Marseille 2-2 Lazio
After Arkad Milik fired Marseille into a first half lead from the penalty spot, Felipe Anderson hammered an equaliser into the top right corner deep into first half stoppage time. And Lazio went ahead early in the second half when top scorer Ciro Immobile finished clinically into the bottom right corner. But Marseille scored a late equaliser when former West Ham star Dimitri Payet fired home. Lazio in second, and Marseille in third trail Galatasaray in Group E.
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