Tottenham Hotspur began their Europa League campaign with a commanding 3-0 victory over Qarabag, even after playing with 10 men for more than 80 minutes. The win was overshadowed by an injury scare for star forward Son Heung-min, who left the field in the 70th minute, raising concerns for manager Ange Postecoglou.
Radu Dragusin received an early red card for Qarabag, leaving his team in a difficult position just eight minutes into the match. Despite the setback, Tottenham quickly seized control, with Brennan Johnson scoring in the 12th minute after a defensive mistake from Qarabag. Johnson’s composed finish marked his third goal in as many games.
Pape Sarr extended the lead in the 52nd minute, capitalizing on a failed clearance from Qarabag goalkeeper Mateusz Kochalski following a corner. Although Qarabag had a chance to narrow the deficit with a penalty shortly after, Toral Bayramov missed the opportunity, sending his shot over the bar.
Dominic Solanke sealed the win for Spurs in the 68th minute, scoring his second goal since joining the club from Bournemouth. Postecoglou expressed his initial frustration with the team’s slow start but praised their reaction after the red card, emphasizing their aggressive pressing.
On the other side of the competition, troubled AS Roma were held to a 1-1 draw by Athletic Bilbao at the Stadio Olimpico. The match came amid unrest among fans following the sacking of beloved former player Daniele De Rossi just four games into the season. New manager Ivan Juric had previously secured a win against Udinese but was unable to replicate that success.
Artem Dovbyk opened the scoring for Roma in the 32nd minute, marking his third goal in three matches with a powerful header. However, Bilbao equalized late in the game when Aitor Paredes scored in the 85th minute, denying Roma a crucial victory.
Elsewhere, José Mourinho’s Fenerbahce defeated Union Saint-Gilloise 2-1, with Caglar Soyuncu and an own goal from Christian Burgess providing the goals. Ajax dominated Besiktas with a 4-0 victory, highlighted by a brace from Mika Godts, while Olympiakos fell 2-0 to Lyon and Rangers secured a 2-0 win over Malmo.
The evening’s matches showcased a mix of triumphs and setbacks as teams jostle for position in the early stages of the Europa League.
