The Europa League saw some exciting matches unfold on Thursday, with Manchester United securing their first win of the campaign and Galatasaray edging out Tottenham Hotspur in a thrilling encounter.
At Old Trafford, Manchester United’s interim coach Ruud van Nistelrooy oversaw a 2-0 victory over Greek side PAOK FC, with 22-year-old winger Amad Diallo scoring both goals. The Ivorian, who struggled for opportunities under former manager Erik ten Hag, was recalled to the team by Van Nistelrooy and made the most of his chance.
Diallo’s looping header in the 50th minute gave United the lead, and he sealed the win with a curling effort from the edge of the penalty area 13 minutes from time. His performance was a stark contrast to his limited involvement under Ten Hag and will surely have caught the eye of incoming manager Rúben Amorim, who is set to take over at Old Trafford next week.
“He is a great character and a hard worker,” Van Nistelrooy said of Diallo. “I was very pleased for him.”
Meanwhile, in Istanbul, Galatasaray delivered a memorable performance to edge out Tottenham Hotspur 3-2, marking Spurs’ first Europa League loss of the season. The Turkish league leaders took advantage of Tottenham’s shaky defence, with Victor Osimhen scoring twice in the first half to give Galatasaray a commanding lead.
Yunus Akgun opened the scoring with a superb volley in the sixth minute, and Will Lankshear equalized for Spurs in the 18th minute. However, Osimhen’s brace, assisted by Dries Mertens, put Galatasaray firmly in control before halftime.
Spurs’ fortunes worsened in the second half when Lankshear was sent off for a second yellow card, leaving the visitors to battle a relentless Galatasaray side with ten men. Substitute Dominic Solanke pulled one back for Spurs in the 69th minute, but it was not enough to salvage a point.
Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou might face criticism for his team selection, having left six regular starters on the bench. The tactical choices allowed some players to rest, but the resulting performance revealed vulnerabilities in Spurs’ defence.
“The first half wasn’t great. We just didn’t handle things well at all, particularly with the ball,” Postecoglou said after the match. “We were just really wasteful and gave it away way too many times, unnecessarily.”
Elsewhere, Ajax continued their impressive run with a 5-0 thrashing of Maccabi Tel Aviv at the Johan Cruyff ArenA. Francesco Farioli’s side broke the deadlock in the 15th minute through Bertrand Traoré, and they never looked back. Brian Brobbey, Kenneth Taylor, Mika Godts, and Kian Fitz-Jim all got on the scoresheet as Ajax climbed to second place in the Europa League table.
Eintracht Frankfurt also secured a win, defeating Slavia Praha 1-0 with a stunning free-kick from Omar Marmoush. The Egyptian international’s effort from 25 yards out left the Slavia goalkeeper flat-footed and sent the home fans into raptures. Marmoush’s performances have caught the attention of several big clubs, including Liverpool and Bayern Munich.
The Europa League continues to provide excitement and drama, with teams battling for qualification to the knockout stages. Manchester United will be hoping to build on their first win under Van Nistelrooy, while Galatasaray will be aiming to maintain their unbeaten record in the competition.
Tottenham, meanwhile, will need to address their defensive frailties if they are to progress further in the Europa League. With nine points from four games, they are still well-placed to advance, but Postecoglou will be aware of the need for improvement.