Lo Celso’s Bergkamp impression and six other things you might have missed from Europa League Matchday Two

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European football is in full swing as matchday two of the Europa League took centre stage this week.

No fewer than 24 games were contested across the continent on Thursday evening, featuring some of Europe’s biggest clubs so understandably with so much going on you might not be aware of everything that went on.

And that is where we come in. Here we’ve highlighted seven things you might have missed.

1. A trio of first goalscorers

Arsenal ran out comfortable 3-0 winners away to Qarabag which stretches their current winning streak under Unai Emery to eight matches.

It wasn’t pretty but the Gunners took another step towards progression from Europa League Group E which also includes Sporting Lisbon and Vorskla.

Emery, who succeeded long-serving Gunners boss Arsene Wenger in the summer, is relatively new. Arriving in the summer with him were a number of players including French midfielder Mattéo Guendouzi and Greek defender Sokratis Papastathopoulos both of whom registered their first Arsenal goals in Baku.

But they were not alone in breaking their duck. Emile Smith Rowe, who recently made his full senior debut under Emery, started and found the back for his boyhood club. The 18-year-old become the first 2000-born player to score a competitive goal for the club and Arsenal’s third-youngest English goalscorer in European competition.

2. And still unbeaten

Red Bull Salzburg may have missed out on Champions League football (again), which no doubt pains the powers that be, but expect them to have another deep run in the Europa League.

Last season’s semi-finalists have started with back-to-back victories over formidable opponents RB Leipzig and Scottish champions Celtic.

Marco Rose’s men, though, were given an early fright when Odsonne Edouard gave the visitors a second-minute lead. But they bounced back in an 18-minute spell in the second half with goals from Moanes Dabour (brace) and Takumi Minamino.

The result stretches their current unbeaten run in all competitions to 22 matches and when it comes to playing at home in the Europa League it’s 10 consecutive games without defeat.

3. Hard travels

In contrast, Celtic’s woeful run away from home in European football’s second major competition goes on.

Defeat in Salzburg was their sixth on the road from 13 matches played stretching back to September 2011.

More damning, and this is not the fault of one administration, is the failure to win in any of those outings.

After a positive start, snatching a very late winner at the expense of Rosenborg in Glasgow a fortnight ago, Celtic will now go toe-to-toe with RB Leipzig in consecutive matches as they look to turn their away fortunes in this competition around.

4. Lo Celso with a touch of class

Giovani Lo Celso is a footballer that is going places. The 22-year-old is currently enjoying a season-long loan at Real Betis from Paris Saint-Germain and he’s doing everything in his power to remind his parent club what they are missing.

And that couldn’t be more evident in the Spanish club’s empathic 3-0 home win over Luxembourg outfit and Europa League newcomers Dudelange.

Lo Celso, who came on with 30 minutes to go and the scoreline 1-0 in Betis’ favour, made things even more comfortable for Quique Setién’s side by doubling their lead and what a goal it was. A Bergkamp-esque finish if ever there was one.

5. Snatching victory from the jaws of defeat

It’s fair to say 2018 hasn’t been a good year for Sporting Lisbon.

Off-field trouble – notably 50 masked men storming the club’s training ground and unleashing violence on members of staff as well as players at the end of last season – has often placed the club in turmoil or close to it.

This season has started reasonably well, they currently sit fourth in their domestic standing and remain 100% in the Europa League, but just about.

Their match away to Vorskla was steering towards the hosts grabbing all three points, after Vladyslav Kulach had given the Ukrainian outfit a 10th-minute lead, however they were denied in spectacular fashion courtesy of two dramatic goals deep into stoppage time (Fredy Montero levelling proceeding before Jovane Cabral won the game) ensured José Peseiro’s men would be taking all the spoils back to Portugal.

6. An evening Lazio will want to forget

If things had worked out last season then Lazio would be playing Champions League football at Inter Milan’s expense.

But the 1999 Cup Winners’ Cup champions have to make do with the Europa League and their second match of this season was, to put it boldly, a nightmare.

Not only were they humbled 4-1 away to Bundesliga club Eintracht Frankfurt, but the Serie A side also saw two of their men handed an early bath – the second time this has happened this calendar year.

Serbian defender Dusan Basta was first shown two yellow cards in the space of 12 minutes before Joaquin Correa received a straight red for an unprofessional foul 14 minutes into the second half. Mamma Mia! as some would say.

7. Gerrard can’t be beaten in Europe…

Rangers meeting with Rapid Vienna at Ibrox was their 10th Europa League game this season (including qualifiers).

Steven Gerrard’s side left it late to collect all three points, James Tavernier slotting in an 84th-minute penalty after they had come from a goal down, meaning the Gers maintain their unbeaten streak in UEFA’s second club competition under the former Liverpool captain.

Of those first 10 matches, Rangers have picked up five wins and drawing the rest. It hasn’t been smooth sailing for Gerrard domestically but it’s a different story in Europe at least.

The post Lo Celso’s Bergkamp impression and six other things you might have missed from Europa League Matchday Two appeared first on Squawka News.



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