Europa League: Galatasaray Defeats Spurs, Man United Finally Secures Win

Victor Osimhen scored twice as Galatasaray handed Tottenham their first Europa League loss of the season with a 3-2 win in Istanbul on Thursday. Meanwhile, Manchester United secured their first victory in the competition, defeating PAOK Thessaloniki.

Galatasaray, now with 10 points from four matches, is close to securing a spot in at least the knockout play-off round. Tottenham, however, dropped to seventh place, losing their perfect record in the group stage. “We expected a tough game,” said Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou. “They have dangerous players, and we couldn’t perform as we wanted in the first half.”

The game saw an early strike from Galatasaray’s Yunus Akgun, who scored a stunning long-range volley in the sixth minute. Tottenham responded 12 minutes later when young striker Will Lankshear tapped in a cross from Brennan Johnson to level the score. Galatasaray regained control before halftime as Osimhen scored twice within eight minutes. First, he found the net just after the half-hour mark and then volleyed in a cross from Dries Mertens, bringing his tally to six goals in eight games since joining Galatasaray on loan from Napoli.

Although Galatasaray missed chances to extend their lead, Spurs’ hopes of a comeback dimmed when Lankshear was sent off in the second half after picking up two quick yellow cards. Dominic Solanke pulled one back for Tottenham in the 69th minute, but Galatasaray held firm to secure the win.

 

United’s Long-Awaited Win in Europe

At Old Trafford, Amad Diallo scored twice as Manchester United earned a 2-0 win over PAOK, marking their first Europa League victory since parting ways with Erik ten Hag. Diallo, often overlooked by the previous manager, opened the scoring with a header early in the second half, followed by a brilliant individual goal 13 minutes from time, sealing United’s first three points after three previous draws.

“He has been fantastic in training and keeps pushing to improve,” said interim manager Ruud van Nistelrooy, whose final game as manager will be against Leicester before Ruben Amorim takes over.

 

Elsewhere in Europa League

Lazio remains the only team with a perfect record after four games, with Pedro scoring in injury time to secure a 2-1 win over Porto. Alessio Romagnoli had put Lazio ahead just before halftime, with Stephen Eustaquio equalizing for Porto.

Ajax, now second in their group, trails Lazio by two points following a 5-0 rout of Maccabi Tel Aviv. Eintracht Frankfurt, fourth behind Galatasaray due to goal difference, earned a 1-0 win over Slavia Prague with a free-kick goal from Omar Marmoush, his 13th of the season.

Athletic Bilbao came from behind to defeat Ludogorets 2-1, with goals from Inaki Williams and Nico Serrano in quick succession. Meanwhile, Roma’s struggles continued as they managed only a 1-1 draw with Union Saint-Gilloise, with Kevin Mac Allister’s late goal earning the Belgian side a point.

In other games, Rangers played Olympiakos to a 1-1 draw in Greece, and Hoffenheim and Lyon shared a 2-2 result in a dramatic match with both sides scoring in added time.

 

Conference League Highlights

Chelsea dominated at Stamford Bridge, securing an 8-0 win over Armenian side Noah. Joao Felix and Christopher Nkunku each scored twice, while Mykhailo Mudryk, Axel Disasi, Marc Guiu, and Tosin Adarabioyo also found the net in a one-sided affair.