West Ham United’s Lucas Paqueta scored a late goal to secure a 1-0 home victory over Olympiakos Piraeus, allowing them to maintain their position at the top of Europa League Group A. Meanwhile, Olympique de Marseille won 2-0 against AEK Athens, ensuring they remain in first place in Group B.
Despite losing 2-1 to Olympiakos in their previous encounter, West Ham bounced back with a win at the London Stadium, bringing them level on points with second-placed Freiburg. Freiburg had a dominant performance, defeating bottom side Backa Topola 5-0. Olympiakos currently sits in third place with four points.
West Ham manager David Moyes expressed his disappointment with the team’s lack of chances and opportunities in the match. He acknowledged the need to analyze the reasons behind this and make improvements.
In the 73rd minute, Paqueta broke the deadlock with a skillful left-foot volley, capitalizing on a well-executed chip over the defense by James Ward-Prowse. This goal marked Paqueta’s third in European competition this season and was confirmed after a VAR review for offside.
Towards the end of the game, West Ham fans anxiously watched as Olympiakos came close to equalizing with a close-range header from Mady Camara that hit the post.
In Group B, Marseille secured their second victory with a 2-0 win against Athens. Chancel Mbemba opened the scoring with a header from a corner, and Ismaila Sarr sealed the victory with a goal in stoppage time.
Marseille currently leads the group with eight points, followed closely by Brighton & Hove Albion, who secured a 2-0 victory against Ajax Amsterdam.
In Group E, Liverpool suffered a surprising 3-2 loss to Toulouse. Despite the defeat, Liverpool remains at the top of the standings with nine points. VAR denied Liverpool an equalizer in the last minute of added time due to a handball earlier in the move.
Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp expressed frustration with the disallowed goal and emphasized the need to create more chances while avoiding conceding three goals.
During Klopp’s post-match interview, it was interrupted by enthusiastic cheers and screams from celebrating Toulouse supporters. Klopp jokingly commented on the chaotic atmosphere and questioned the decision to hold the press conference in that location.
Atalanta secured a 1-0 victory over Sturm Graz in Group D, with Berat Djimsiti scoring after a goalmouth scramble. Atalanta remains unbeaten in the group with 10 points, three ahead of Sporting, who defeated Rakow Czestochowa 2-1.
Sporting had the advantage of playing against 10-man Rakow Czestochowa after defender Bogdan Racovitan was dismissed. Pedro Goncalves scored a penalty in each half to secure the victory for Sporting.
Rangers claimed a 2-1 win over Sparta Prague with early goals from Danilo Pereira and Todd Cantwell. Real Betis dominated their match against Aris Limassol, winning 4-1. Betis currently leads Group C with nine points, followed by Rangers with seven.
In summary, West Ham United and Marseille secured important victories to maintain their positions at the top of their respective groups. Liverpool suffered a surprising loss but remains at the top of Group E. Atalanta and Betis continue to dominate their groups with unbeaten records.
