Tottenham Hotspur kept their perfect record in the Europa League intact with a hard-fought 2-1 victory away at Ferencvaros on Thursday. The young Spurs side, featuring a number of academy graduates, were led to victory by Pape Sarr who scored his second goal in as many Europa League games. Sarr reacted quickest to a loose ball in the box in the first half, slotting it home with a well-taken right-footed shot.
Brennan Johnson, a substitute in the second half, added a second goal four minutes from time, striking a left-footed shot past the Ferencvaros goalkeeper. It was the Welsh international’s fifth goal in five games across all competitions. The Hungarian side pulled a goal back in the final minute through Parnabas Varga but it was too little too late for the home side.
Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou made seven changes to the team that had comfortably beaten Manchester United 3-0 at Old Trafford just days earlier. Notably, four teenagers were included in the starting lineup with 19-year-old Will Lankshear making his senior debut and 17-year-old Mikey Moore making his first start.
Meanwhile, Lazio also continued their winning start to the group stage with a dominant 4-1 victory over Nice at home. The Italian side were in complete control, with Taty Castellano scoring twice in the match. His first goal came in the first half when he expertly lobbed the ball over Nice goalkeeper Marcin Bulka in a one-on-one situation. He later added a second goal with a powerful shot into the roof of the net. Lazio captain Mattia Zaccagni completed the scoring from the penalty spot.
In other Europa League action, Anderlecht came from behind to beat Real Sociedad 2-1 away, with Theo Leoni scoring the winning goal in the first half. Olympiacos, the reigning Conference League champions, continued their strong form, cruising to a 3-0 victory over Braga. Ayoub El Kaabi scored twice and Santiago Hezze added a third for the Greek side. Hoffenheim, who are struggling in the Bundesliga, recorded a 2-0 win over Dynamo Kyiv.
The Europa League continues to produce exciting matches, with several teams making strong starts to the group stage. As the competition progresses, fans can expect to see more thrilling matches and exciting performances from some of the continent’s top clubs.
