Our verdicts are in. David Hytner, Ewan Murray and Paul Doyle were on hand to run the rule over a mixed night in Europe. You know what to do. Clickity click! Thanks for reading this Clockwatch. Nighty night.
...and in the Europa Conference League, ten-man Tottenham beat nine-man Vitesse 3-2 in the First Thriller of the Conte Era. Their old boss Jose Mouirnho meanwhile only just avoided more humiliation at the hands of Bodo/Glimt. The Norwegian minnows beat the Italian giants 6-1 the other week, and were six minutes away from completing a remarkable double at the Stadio Olimpico, only for Ibañez to snaffle an equaliser. It finished 2-2.
All the full-time scores
Group A
- Brondby 1-1 Rangers
- Lyon 3-0 Sparta Prague
Group B
- Monaco 0-0 PSV Eindhoven
- Real Sociedad 1-1 Sturm Graz
Group C
- Legia Warsaw 1-4 Napoli
- Leicester City 1-1 Spartak Moscow
Group D
- Olympiacos 1-2 Eintracht Frankfurt
- Royal Antwerp 0-3 Fenerbahce
Group E
- Galatasaray 1-1 Lokomotiv Moscow
- Marseille 2-2 Lazio
Group F
- Red Star Belgrade 0-1 FC Midtjylland
- Braga 4-2 Ludogorets
Group G
- Bayer Leverkusen 4-0 Real Betis
- Ferencvaros 2-3 Celtic
Group H
- Genk 2-2 West Ham
- Dinamo Zagreb 3-1 Rapid Vienna
FULL TIME: Leicester 1-1 Spartak
Jamie Vardy’s missed penalty costs Leicester a couple of precious points.
FULL TIME: Ferencvaros 2-3 Celtic
A huge result for Ange Postecoglou’s men in Budapest.
FULL TIME: Spurs 3-2 Vitesse
Welcome to N17, Antonio.
Spurs 3-2 Vitesse. Lo Celso is one on one with Houwen. The substitute keeper parries brilliantly around the post. Nothing comes of the corner ... and Lo Celso’s miss is nearly costly, as Openda threatens to dribble free in the box up the other end. He’s eventually crowded out, as Conte performs a little dance of irritation on the touchline.
Ferencvaros 2-3 Celtic. ... and they nearly find one. Szánthó jigs in from the right and looks for the top left. The shot is way too high, but that was a very decent chance, and all of a sudden Celtic are hanging on.
GOAL! Ferencvaros 2-3 Celtic (Uzuni 86)
The hosts are back in it, and this is a pearler! Uzuni, to the left of the D, opens his body and curls an unstoppable shot around Hart and into the top-right corner! More than enough time left for an equaliser, too.
Spurs 3-2 Vitesse. Schubert is really unhappy with the decision, claiming the shot hit him on the back as he turned. You could certainly make a case for him, but here we area.
RED CARD! Schubert (Vitesse)
... and another! Schubert suffers an extreme rush of blood. It comes as he races miles out of his area, Emerson having been sent clear down the right. Emerson gets there first and shapes to lob the keeper from distance. His shot hits Schubert on the arm, and the referee decides it was intentional. Vitesse are down to nine!
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RED CARD! Doekhi (Vitesse)
Some pretty dim play by the Vitesse captain Doekhi. Having picked up a yellow card five minutes previously for flick-kicking Sanchez, he barrels into the back of Kane, and it’s ten versus ten. That was beyond daft.
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Ferencvaros 1-3 Celtic. The Hoops are holding on fairly comfortably at the minute. With Bayer Leverkusen currently leading Real Betis 2-0 in the other Group G game, Celtic will move to within a point of the second-placed Seville side.
Leicester 1-1 Spartak. Vardy, only recently on as a sub, is made to wait an age before the referee’s happy. The wait addles his mind. He hits a poor effort towards the bottom right. It’s nowhere near the corner, and easily cleared by Selikhov, who accepts all the plaudits!
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Leicester 1-1 Spartak. Leicester penalty! Moses yanks Lookman by the shoulder, and the referee points to the spot!
Spurs 3-2 Vitesse. The visitors force another corner, but Conte can wait no longer to shuffle his pack. Ndombele, Sanchez and Winks come on; Son, Moura and Skipp make way. The first Annoyed Triple Substitution of the Conte Era!
Spurs 3-2 Vitesse. He’s not going to make it while defending a corner, though. And from it, Bazoer nearly finds the top right with a curler from the edge of the box. Lloris tips around. The second corner comes to nothing.
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Spurs 3-2 Vitesse. Wittek has a crack from the left-hand edge of the D. Lloris gathers easily enough, but Conte is nothing if not a man of action, and having seen more than enough, is preparing a triple substitution.
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Spurs 3-2 Vitesse. Dasa creams a first-time half-volley inches over the bar from the right-hand corner of the D. A sense that Spurs are hanging on at the minute. That Keystone Kops goal for 3-0 seems such a long time ago now.
Leicester 1-1 Spartak. A right-wing Tielemans cross threatens to loop over Selikhov and into the top left. The keeper does extremely well to adjust and fingertip over. Nothing comes from the corner.
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GOAL! Ferencvaros 1-3 Celtic (Abada 60)
Furuhashi busies himself across the front of the Ferencvaros box, left to right, then slips in Abada down the channel. Abada opens his body and whistles a lovely shot across Bogdan and into the far corner. It had been coming, Furuhashi having seen his dink cleared off the line a couple of minutes earlier.
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RED CARD! Romero (Spurs)
Romero, already on a booking, hauls down Openda from behind, and is sent packing. Antonio Conte is already getting a taste of how things roll round Tottenham way.
GOAL! Leicester 1-1 Spartak (Amartey 56)
... so having said that, a Leicester corner from the right is flicked on by Perez and crashed home by Amartey from close range! Clockwatch claims the assist, and a Pulitzer, too, why not?
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Leicester 0-1 Spartak. Not much of a response from Leicester, who as things stand will be bottom of Group C after Matchday 4.
Ferencvaros 1-2 Celtic. The Hoops nearly double their lead, Ralston crashing a header off the crossbar. A lot of free-flowing fun in Budapest.
GOAL! Leicester 0-1 Spartak (Moses 50)
Leicester are opened up with ludicrous ease down the right. Ignatov romps into space and whips in a mid-height cross that’s met by Moses, who sends a diving header across Schmeichel and into the bottom left. That’s a lovely finish by the former Palace, Wigan, Chelsea, Liverpool, Stoke and West Ham man.
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Ferencvaros 1-2 Celtic. Ferencvaros nearly equalise with a stunner! Nguen glides in from the right, one-twos with Zubkov - who returns the ball with an elegant backflick - and twangs a swerving shot off the crossbar! Hart beaten all ends up.
Spurs 3-2 Vitesse. Openda is this close to releasing Buitink down the inside-right channel. Then the visitors come again, Openda dragging a 25-yards shot wide left. Not miles away. Spurs threatening the first three-goal capitulation of the Conte Era.
The second half whistles sound. Off we go again, then!
Optimism pours out of our half-time postbag. “Royal is a world beater when in Vitesse’s half but to replicate that in his own half he surely will get some ‘tips’ from Conte. Dier is having a good old game of trying everything to tear every hair out of Conte’s head. But Spurs have played really well at times. Already there are positive signs. Skipp looks a player, hopefully he will continue on his upward trajectory” - Yash Gupta.
“Significantly better management from Jose Mourinho today, they are only trailing 1-0 at half time [at home to Bodo/Glimt]. Surely that kind of improvement will be noticed by Newcastle?” - Espen B.
Idiocy latest. There has been a bit of bother in the away end at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Fans and police have locked horns, leading to some of the Vitesse support being chucked out on their ear. It’s reportedly all calmed down now, thankfully.
The scores on the doors
Group A
- Brondby 1-1 Rangers (F)
- Lyon 3-0 Sparta Prague (F)
Group B
- Monaco 0-0 PSV Eindhoven (F)
- Real Sociedad 1-1 Sturm Graz (F)
Group C
- Legia Warsaw 1-4 Napoli (F)
- Leicester City 0-0 Spartak Moscow (HT)
Group D
- Olympiacos 1-2 Eintracht Frankfurt (F)
- Royal Antwerp 0-3 Fenerbahce (HT)
Group E
- Galatasaray 1-1 Lokomotiv Moscow (F)
- Marseille 1-1 Lazio (HT)
Group F
- Red Star Belgrade 0-0 FC Midtjylland (HT)
- Braga 3-1 Ludogorets (HT)
Group G
- Bayer Leverkusen 1-0 Real Betis (F)
- Ferencvaros 1-2 Celtic (HT)
Group H
- Genk 2-2 West Ham (F)
- Dinamo Zagreb 2-1 Rapid Vienna (HT)
HALF TIME: Ferencvaros 1-2 Celtic
Zubkov threatens to break clear down the middle, but Juranović sticks to him like glue, eventually forcing him wide and away from danger. And that’s the final act of a fine first half for Ange Postecoglou’s entertainers.
HALF TIME: Leicester 0-0 Spartak
Boubakary Soumaré nearly splintered the woodwork with a screamer, but apart from that, the Foxes have been relatively tame.
HALF TIME: Spurs 3-2 Vitesse
Pure tincture of Spurs, distilled for your pleasure, right here.
Leicester 0-0 Spartak. Ayrton defender makes like Senna, mixed with a little Beckenbauer, as he strides at speed down the middle of the park from a deep position, all the way into the Leicester box! His low cross is deflected out for a corner, from which nothing occurs, but what a run that was.
Leicester 0-0 Spartak. The Foxes aren’t doing much. Iheanacho tries to dribble through a thicket of players but can’t make it through.
Updated
GOAL! Spurs 3-2 Vitesse (Bero 39)
Moura gives the ball away. It’s slipped to Bero, just inside the Spurs box on the left. Bero opens his body and sidefoots a delicious shot across Lloris and into the bottom right. A cute little stab upon spotting a chink of light. That’s a wonderful finish. A reminder why Spurs needed to call on Conte in the first place.
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Ferencvaros 1-2 Celtic. The Hoops are well on top in Budapest right now. Some lovely triangles on the edge of the box. Suddenly the ball falls towards Furuhashi, eight yards out. You’d expect him to spin and shoot, and almost certainly score, but he inexplicably loses his bearings.
GOAL! Spurs 3-1 Vitesse (Rasmussen 31)
Nothing’s ever perfect, though, and Rasmussen almost immediately makes up for his faux pas by meeting a corner from the left and hammering a glorious header into the bottom right. Unstoppable!
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GOAL! Spurs 3-0 Vitesse (Rasmussen og 28)
Davies drives in from the left and shoots low and hard. Or at least tries to. His bobbly effort shanks towards Kane, just to his right. Kane prepares to bundle home from six yards, but Rasmussen slides in and takes it over the line himself. He hooks the ball back off his keeper’s head, and it then twangs off the crossbar, adding an extra element of slapstick to the goal. But the ball had already crossed the line.
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GOAL! Ferencvaros 1-2 Celtic (Jota 23)
Ćivić nearly does his duty by sending a low diagonal drive into the bottom right, but Hart smothers. Then Celtic go straight up the other end and retake the lead! Jota romps in from the left and creams a rising shot towards the top left. The ball beats Bogdan’s outstretched arm, cannons off the left-hand upright, and in!
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Spurs 2-0 Vitesse. Son bursts clear of the ragged Vitesse defence, rounds Schubert with ease, and rolls the ball into the empty net. But the lino’s flag goes up for offside. What a party pooper.
GOAL! Spurs 2-0 Vitesse (Moura 22)
Son dances down the inside-left channel and crashes a stunning shot off the left-hand post. Vitesse clear, but seconds later it’s two anyway, as Kane slips Moura clean through down the middle. Moura has Son to his left, but slides the ball under Schubert and into the bottom right. What a start to the Conte Era!
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Leicester 0-0 Spartak. Still no goal at the King Power, but Soumaré comes ever so close. Barrelling down the inside-right channel, he sends a swerving, rising thunderbolt towards the top left. Keeper Selikhov is rooted to the spot, but the ball caroms off the junction of post and bar, and away. That would have been a marvellous goal.
GOAL! Ferencvaros 1-1 Celtic (Zubkov 11)
A huge stroke of luck for the hosts, as Zubkov shoots from a tight angle on the right. His low shot spoons up off Juranović, over Hart, and into the left-hand portion of the net. That might end up as an own goal, but let’s accentuate the positive until we know otherwise.
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GOAL! Spurs 1-0 Vitesse (Son 14)
Wittek cuts in from the left and flashes a shot into the side netting. So close to scoring the First Goal of the Conte Era ... yet so far! Spurs go straight down the other end, Moura driving straight at Schubert, who dips, then parries. Kane tries to force home the rebound, but the ball breaks right to Son, who drives home emphatically. The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium erupts!
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Spurs 0-0 Vitesse. The first goal of the Conte Era (yeah, yeah) is nearly scored by Vitesse. Gboho latches onto a loose pass as the hosts faff about at the back. He forces the ball through to Frederiksen, who cuts in from the right, enters the box, and slams a low shot wide right from ten yards. He should have worked Lloris at the very least.
Spurs 0-0 Vitesse. Moura should send Kane scampering clear on goal, but overhits his pass down the left channel. Spurs already look a totally different team compared to the uninterested rabble that skulked about the place against Manchester United. A fair chance Conte has issued some beneficial advice in the trenchant style.
GOAL! Ferencvaros 0-1 Celtic (Furuhashi 3)
Furuhashi gives Celtic a flying start in Budapest! Abada bursts into space down the right. It’s two on one! He slips the ball inside for Furuhashi, who takes a touch, drops a shoulder to see off his man, and slots into the bottom left! That’s a delightful finish.
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Leicester 0-0 Spartak. Iheanacho has a dig from the edge of the box, attempting to thread a curler into the bottom left. Selikhov smothers.
Spurs 0-0 Vitesse. And now Spurs nearly concede their first penalty of the Conte Era, Davies hanging out a leg and possibly clipping Frederiksen on the edge of the box. The referee’s not interested, though.
Spurs 0-0 Vitesse. The home side come flying out of the blocks. Son very nearly scores the first goal of the Conte Era (yes I am going to keep doing this) within the first 90 seconds of the Conte Era (see?) but having entered the box down the inside-right channel, his low drive is blocked.
Off we go, then. Harry Kane kicks off, and the first game of the Conte Era at Tottenham begins. We’re also underway in Leicester and Budapest.
The teams are heading out at the Leicester City Stadium, the Ferencváros Stadion, and the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Imagination and lyricism a thing of the past. A huge ovation for Antonio Conte as the does the usual introductory thing of spinning through 360 degrees while applauding everyone. We’ll be off in a minute!
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... and so we segue seamlessly from Our Baz to another legend of the modern world, Antonio Conte. He’s been talking ahead of his first game in charge of Spurs, coming out with all the sort of thing you’d expect. “I’m thrilled and delighted. It is not easy for me to prepare the game but we are ready and it is good. I have seen the commitment and the will to work. And now we have to do.” They’ll also try, having presumably clocked the club motto, to dare. Here are the teams for that one.
Tottenham Hotspur: Lloris, Dier, Romero, Davies, Emerson, Skipp, Hojbjerg, Reguilon, Lucas Moura, Kane, Son.
Subs: Doherty, Sanchez, Winks, Rodon, Lo Celso, Alli, Gollini, Bergwijn, Tanganga, Ndombele, Austin, Scarlett.
Vitesse: Schubert, Doekhi, Rasmussen, Wittek, Dasa, Bero, Bazoer, Tronstad, Buitink, Gboho, Frederiksen.
Subs: Openda, Darfalou, Oroz, Hajek, Von Moos, Domgjoni, Houwen, Yapi, Vroegh, Cornelisse, Huisman, van haveren.
Scott Murray is ready to take you through the rest of the evening’s Europa League action. He’ll be keeping an eye on Spurs in their first game under Antonio Conte too, no doubt ... because Scottie loves a bit of Europa Conference League action.
Europa League early results ...
Group A
- Brondby 1-1 Rangers
- Lyon 3-0 Sparta Prague
Group B
- Monaco 0-0 PSV Eindhoven
- Real Sociedad 1-1 Sturm Graz
Group C
- Legia Warsaw 1-4 Napoli
- Leicester City v Spartak Moscow (8pm)
Group D
- Olympiacos 1-2 Eintracht Frankfurt
- Royal Antwerp v Fenerbahce (8pm)
Group E
- Galatasaray 1-1 Lokomotiv Moscow
- Marseille v Lazio (8pm)
Group F
- Red Star Belgrade v FC Midtjylland (8pm)
- Braga v Ludogorets (8pm)
Group G
- Bayer Leverkusen v Real Betis (8pm)
- Ferencvaros v Celtic (8pm)
Group H
- Genk 2-2 West Ham
- Dinamo Zagreb v Rapid Vienna (8pm)
- View the Europa League group tables
Full-time: Genk 2-2 West Ham
The final whistle is blown in Belgkium and a terrific game of football ends all square. West Ham top Group H with 10 points and their passage to the knockout stages will be confirmed if either Rapid Vienna or Dinamo Zagreb win the other game in the group tonight.
Full-time: Brondby 1-1 Rangers
Peep! Peep! Peeeeeeep! It’s all over in Denmark and the point means Rangers’ destiny remains in their own hands. Elsewhere in Group A, Sparta Prague have lost 3-0 to Lyon.
Genk 2-2 West Ham: Brilliant play from West Ham ... until Coufal overhits a volleyed cross from the far post giving Benrahma no chance of poking the ball home from close range.
Brondby 1-1 Rangers: They’re into added time in Denmark, where Rangers are eagerly trying to find a late winner.
GOAL! Genk 2-2 West Ham (Soucek 87og)
Oh dear. Thomas Soucek stretches every sinew to block a cross from the right but inadvertently heads the ball into his own net. It’s all square again.
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Genk 1-2 West Ham: Alex Kral replaces Manuel Lanzini in the West Ham ranks moments before a Genk free-kick from which Paul Onuachu heads a couple of feet wide of the upright.
GOAL! Genk 1-2 West Ham (Benrahma 82)
West Ham get their noses in front! It’s a sublime goal from Said Benrahma, who sends the ball one way around Sodick on the edge of the penalty area while he darts the other, then advances on goal and nutmegs Maarten Vandevoordt in the Genk goal from a tight angle.
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Genk 1-1 West Ham: Inside the final 10 minutes, West Ham continue to pile the hurt on Genk but are unable to get their noses in front. From the byline, Rice tries to stand the ball up for Jarrod Bowen, who is on as a sub. It’s a mite too high.
GOAL! Brondby 1-1 Rangers (Hagi 77)
On as substitutes, Iannis Hagi runs in behind and on to a reverse pass from Ryan Kent and sends a first-time low diagonal shot into the bottom corner.
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Genk 1-1 West Ham: Correction: a replay shows that Coufal shot was actually saved by Vandevoordt in the Genk goal. It was the second part of a quick-fire double-stop after he’d kept a Cresswell effort from the other side out with a strong hand. Excellent goalkeeping.
Genk 1-1 West Ham: Having been utterly dominant for the second half, West Ham are forced to defend a free-kick a little way outside their own penalty area. Bryan Heynan spanks the ball straight into the defensive wall. West Ham break upfield and Vladimir Coufal sidefoots a low diagonal effort wide.
Ferencvaros v Celtic line-ups
Ferencvaros: Bogdan, Somalia, Blazic, Samy Mmaee, Civic, Laidouni, Vecsei, Nguen, Zachariassen, Zubkov, Uzuni.
Subs: Ryan Mmaee, Kovacevic, Mak, Botka, Cabraja, Wingo, Loncar, Csontos, Mergl, Szantho.
Celtic: Hart, Ralston, Carter-Vickers, Welsh, Juranovic, Turnbull, Bitton, McGregor, Abada, Furuhashi, Jota.
Subs: Scales, Giakoumakis, Soro, McCarthy, Johnston, Urhoghide, Bain, Shaw, Murray, Forrest, Montgomery, Oluwayemi.
Referee: Fabio Verissimo (Portugal)
Genk 1-1 West Ham: Manuel Lanzini has a near post shot saved by Genk goalkeeper Maarten Vandevoordt, who keeps the ball out with a strong left hand.
GOAL! Genk 1-1 West Ham (Benrahma 59)
West Ham equalise. Said Benrahaa sweeps the ball home from a Vladimir Coufal pull-back after Declan Rice had played an excellent weighted pass inside the full-back from deep. There’s a VAR check for a potential offside by Coufal in the build-up ... and the goal stands!
Updated
Leicester City v Spartak Moscow line-ups
Leicester: Schmeichel, Amartey, Evans, Soyuncu, Castagne, Soumare, Perez, Tielemans, Bertrand, Daka, Iheanacho.
Subs: Vardy, Ward, Choudhury, Dewsbury-Hall, Ndidi, Thomas, Benkovic, Jakupovic, Lookman, Daley-Campbell, Nelson, Marcal-Madivadua.
Spartak Moscow: Selikhov, Caufriez, Gigot, Dzhikija, Ayrton, Litvinov, Zobnin, Ignatov, Moses, Sobolev, Promes.
Subs: Melnikov, Bakaev, Larsson, Lomovitskiy, Umiarov, Kutepov, Rebrov, Eshchenko, Gaponov, Markov, Rasskazov, Maksimenko.
Referee: Halil Meler (Turkey)
Leicester team news: Patson Daka returns to the starting line-up for their Europa League showdown with Spartak Moscow. The striker scored all four in last month’s 4-3 win in Russia to keep his side’s Group C hopes alive. Ayoze Perez and Ryan Bertrand also start for the hosts with Ademola Lookman, Jamie Vardy, Wilfred Ndidi and Luke Thomas on the bench.
Brondby 1-0 Rangers: Unmarked at the far post as Brondby take a corner, Kevin Tshiembe has his shot blocked. It’s let-off for Rangers.
Genk 1-0 West Ham: West Ham are piling pressure on Genk in the early stages of the second half. One suspects if they could nab equaliser, Genk might fold like a deckchair. Benrahma beats three men on the edge of the penalty arera and unleashes a shot but it’s blocked.
Genk 1-0 West Ham: Aaron Cresswell gets forward down the left flank as play resumes in Belgium. Mark Noble attacks the ball at the far post but miskicks. It breaks towards Lanzini, who is unable to react quickly enough to poke home from six yards.
Europa League half-times
Group A
- Brondby 1-0 Rangers
- Lyon v Sparta Prague (5.45pm)
Group B
- Monaco 0-0 PSV Eindhoven
- Real Sociedad 0-1 Sturm Graz
Group C
- Legia Warsaw 1-0 Napoli
- Leicester City v Spartak Moscow (8pm)
Group D
- Olympiacos 1-1 Eintracht Frankfurt
- Royal Antwerp v Fenerbahce (8pm)
Group E
- Galatasaray 1-0 Lokomotiv Moscow
- Marseille v Lazio (8pm)
Group F
- Red Star Belgrade v FC Midtjylland (8pm)
- Braga v Ludogorets (8pm)
Group G
- Bayer Leverkusen v Real Betis (8pm)
- Ferencvaros v Celtic (8pm)
Group H
- Genk 1-0 West Ham
- dinamo Zagreb v Rapid Vienna (8pm)
- View the Europa League group tables
GOAL! Brondby 1-0 Rangers (Barisic 45og)
Oops! Brondby have a corner. The ball’s arrowed towards goal, flicked on at the near post and Borna Barisic sends a bullet header past his own goalkeeper, Allan McGregor, from point-blank range.
Genk 1-0 West Ham: Another chance goes a begging for West Ham as we enter added time at the end of the first half. Antonio has a shot smothered by Vandevoordt but the ball squirms under the goalkeepers body and looks to be heading over the line. Patrik Hrosovsky hacks it clear before Declan Rice can stab it home.
Updated
Genk 1-0 West Ham: End to end stuff in Belgium. John Paintsil cuts inside and brings a smart save out of Areola moments after Said Benrahma had missed an easy chance at the other. He got to Masuaku’s cross from the left under pressure from a defender but allowed Vandevoordt to smother. A bad miss.
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Brondby 0-0 Rangers: The ball breaks the way of Alfredo Morelos from a Rangers corner. His near post header across the face of goal is weak and easily saved by Maarten Vandevoordt.
Genk 1-0 West Ham: Michail Antonio has a shot from the edge of the Genk penalty area blocked by Jhon Lucumi. Yes, Jhon. As opposed to John. He’s a Colombian.
Genk 1-0 West Ham: There’s a break in play as Joseph Paintsil receives treatment after being fouled by Issa Diop. Paintsil made the most of it, rolling about 20 metres down the pitch in a most theatrical manner after being brought down.
Genk 1-0 West Ham: Following a collision with West Ham goalkeeper Alphonse Areola, Genk’s Junya Ito is receiving treatment on an ankle injury for the second time. If he’s forced off, West Ham won’t be sorry to see the back of him; he’s been outstanding in the opening 30 minutes. He’s carrying on for now albeit in visible discomfort. Already on a yellow card, Declan Rice pushes his luck with a barge on Kristian Thorstvedt, the son of former Tottenham goalkeeper Erik.
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Genk 1-0 West Ham: Now Dawson gets his head on the end of a Cresswell inswinger from the corner flag. His effort is on target but there isn’t much power behind it and it doesn’t trouble Vandevoordt unduly.
Brondby 0-0 Rangers: Alfredo Morelos comes close to breaking the deadlock for Rangers but sends his low drive a foot or so the wrong side of the left upright.
Genk 1-0 West Ham: Craig Dawson gets on the end of an Aaron Cresswell free-kick, steers the ball goalwards with a thumping header and has his effort tipped over the bar by Genk goalkeeper Maarten Vandevoordt.
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Genk 1-0 West Ham: David Moyes’s boys are having their pants pulled down in Belgium, where Genk are killing them on the counter-attack. Bryan Heynen has fired over from the edge of the box for the hosts, Paul Onuachu has missed another presentable chance with his head and Junya Ito has just missed an absolute sitter.
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Brondby 0-0 Rangers: Reports from Denmark suggest there was a pre-match confrontation between riot police and travelling Rangers fans. According to the Daily Record, there were only two turnstiles open to cater for 1,400 visiting supporters ahead of kick-off.
“It’s an absolute shambles,” said one fan who did not wish to be named. “There are two turnstiles for all of the Rangers fans, the supporters are understandably frustrated and the police have been out of order.”
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Genk 1-0 West Ham: With 14 minutes gone and his team very lucky to be just one goal down, David Moyes is urging his players to press higher up the pitch. Declan Rice is booked for a cynical lunge in on Junya Ito, who was threatening to escape up the field with Genk forward in numbers.
Brondby 0-0 Rangers: Fashion Sakala, who scored a hat-trick for Rangers at Motherwell on Sunday, shoots low and wide after being played through on goal. He should have scored.
Genk 1-0 West Ham: Areola saves well from a Paul Onuachu header which the Nigerian striker should have buried. Moments latyer, Michail Antoniop curls a shot from the edge of the Genk penalty area high over the bar.
Brondby 0-0 Rangers: Alfredo Morelos wheels away in celebration and performs a kneeslide near the corner flag after nodding home from a corner, only to have his “goal” ruled out.
GOAL! Genk 1-0 West Ham (Paintsil 4)
Genk score with their first attack! Joe Paintsil runs in behind on to a weighted Junya Ito pass from deep and slots a low diagonal effort into the bottom left-hand corner. West Ham goalkeeper Alphonse Areola got a strong hand to the ball but couldn’t keep it out.
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Genk 0-0 West Ham: West Ham launch the ball forward extremely early doors, their strong line-up indicative of David Moyes’s eagerness to secure knockout European football for the club at the earliest possible opportunity.
Not long now: The teams are lining up in Brondby, Genk and elsewhere as the last of the pre-match niceties are under way the length and breadth of Europe ahead of this evening’s early kick-offs.
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Steven Gerrard speaks: “I think Niels Frederiksen is in a must-win situation so we expect the best version of Brøndby, the most aggressive version of Brøndby,” the Rangers boss said of his opposite number and his team. “And I think with their support and a full house ... and if [former Liverpool team-mate] Daniel Agger is telling me the truth and it’s one of the best atmospheres in the world, we have to be ready for a real fascinating challenge.”
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Rangers team news: There’s just one change to the side that came from behind to wallop Motherwell 6-1 at Fir Park last Sunday. Borna Barisic is in at left-back for Calvin Bassey.
Updated
Brondby v Rangers line-ups
Brondby: Hermansen, Tshiembe, Maxso, Rosted, Radosevic, Bruus, Cappis, Frendrup, Mensah, Uhre, Hedlund.
Subs: Gammelby, Heggheim, Greve, Pavlovic, Riveros, Mikkelsen, Fallenius, Divkovic, Ben Slimane, Hendriksen, Sidhu, Borkeeiet.
Rangers: McGregor, Tavernier, Goldson, Balogun, Barisic, Arfield, Davis, Kamara, Aribo, Morelos, Sakala.
Subs: Bassey, Lundstram, Hagi, Kent, Patterson, Bacuna, Wright, Roofe, Kelly, McCrorie, McLaughlin.
Referee: Nikola Dabanovic (Montenegro)
Genk v West Ham line-ups
Genk: Vandevoordt, Munoz, Sadick, Lucumi, Arteaga, Heynen, Thorstvedt, Paintsil, Hrosovsky, Ito, Onuachu.
Subs: McKenzie, Bongonda, Ndayishimiye, Toma, Eiting, Ugbo, Oyen, Chambaere, Leysen, Preciado.
West Ham: Areola, Coufal, Dawson, Diop, Cresswell, Noble, Rice, Lanzini, Benrahma, Antonio, Masuaku.
Subs: Fabianski, Zouma, Fornals, Bowen, Ogbonna, Fredericks, Soucek, Johnson, Kral, Randolph, Chesters, Baptiste.
Referee: Aleksandar Stavrev (FYR Macedonia)
West Ham team news: David Moyes make seven changes to West Ham’s line-up for his 1,000th match as a manager. Goalkeeper Alphonse Areola, defenders Arthur Masuaku, Vladimir Coufal, Craig Dawson and Issa Diop come into the side. Mark Noble gets a rare start in midfield, while Manuel Lanzini is also in. Aaron Cresswell, Declan Rice, Said Benrahma and Michail Antonio keep their places having helped West Ham beat Aston Villa at the weekend.
Tonight's Europa League matches
Group A
- Brondby v Rangers (5.45pm)
- Lyon v Sparta Prague (5.45pm)
Group B
- Monaco v PSV Eindhoven (5.45pm)
- Real Sociedad v Sturm Graz (5.45pm)
Group C
- Legia Warsaw v Napoli (5.45pm)
- Leicester City v Spartak Moscow (8pm)
Group D
- Olympiacos v Eintracht Frankfurt (5.45pm)
- Royal Antwerp v Fenerbahce (8pm)
Group E
- Galatasaray v Lokomotiv Moscow (5.45pm)
- Marseille v Lazio (8pm)
Group F
- Red Star Belgrade v FC Midtjylland (8pm)
- Braga v Ludogorets (8pm)
Group G
- Bayer Leverkusen v Real Betis (8pm)
- Ferencvaros v Celtic (8pm)
Group H
- Genk v West Ham (5.45pm)
- dinamo Zagreb v Rapid Vienna (8pm)
- View the Europa League group tables
Big interview: David Moyes.
Considered by some (this reporter included) to be a busted managerial flush following his less-than-successful spells in charge of Real Sociedad and Sunderland, David Moyes is currently flying high with West Ham as they fight on domestic and foreign fronts. Jacob Steinberg spoke to the Scot on the eve of his 1,000th game in management.
Europa League matchday four
It’s the fourth round of fixtures in this season’s Europa League group stages, which means there are just 157 matches left in the competition. One of only two sides, along with Lyon, to have won their opening three games, West Ham have yet to concede a goal and will book their spot in the knockout stages with two games to spare if they beat Genk in Belgium tonight.
Following back-to-back defeats in their opening two group games, Rangers beat Brondby to get off the mark and a another victory in Denmark will get their attempt to qualify for the knockout stages from Group A firmly back on track. Celtic are also back in contention for qualification after a bad start – a follow-up win against Ferencváros in Budapest will help their cause no end.
Meanwhile in the Europa Conference League, having received the work visa he requires “because Brexit”, Antonio will take his first match as Tottenham Hotspur manager this evening, when his new team hosat Vitesse Arnhem in the Europa Conference League. Kick-off at White Hart Lane is at 8pm.
