Europa League: Besiktas and Crystal Palace secure opening victories
The opening round of the Europa League main stage saw dominant wins for Besiktas and Crystal Palace, while Torrense edged past Lillestrom.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Author: Sakhalinio
On September 17, the opening round of the Europa League main stage featured several key encounters. In a standout fixture, Besiktas secured a convincing 4-1 home victory against Marseille.
The hosts took the lead in the 15th minute through Ilhan Fakili, although Marseille responded shortly after with a goal from Kylian Abdallah. The second half belonged entirely to the Turkish side, as Vaclav Cerny, Michael Murillo, and Ernest Poku found the net to seal a comprehensive start to their campaign.
Elsewhere, Crystal Palace, managed by Pierre Sage, dominated their match against Lech, winning 4-0. The goals were scored by Yeremy Pino, Chris Richards, Jorgen Larsen from the penalty spot, and Eddie Nketiah. The visitors' task became harder late in the game when Radoslaw Murawski was sent off after receiving a second yellow card.
In the final match of the day, Portuguese side Torrense claimed a 2-1 away win against Norway's Lillestrom. Alejandro Alfaro and Manuel Pozo gave the visitors a two-goal cushion early in the second half. Despite a late strike from Thomas Olsen, the hosts could not force a comeback, ending the match with ten men after Momo Djatta's late dismissal.