Porto and AS Roma on Thursday drew 1-1 in the first leg of their UEFA Europa League playoff, while Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce took a big step toward the last 16 with a 3-0 win over RSC Anderlecht.
Zeki Celic gave 2023 runners-up Roma the lead in first-half stoppage-time in Portugal, but Porto defender Francisco Moura’s deflected strike ensured the teams head to Italy next week with the tie finely poised.
Roma played the final 18 minutes a man down after Bryan Cristante was sent off for two yellow cards, with coach Claudio Ranieri fuming at the final whistle.
Photo: EPA-EFE
In Turkey, former English Premier League duo Dusan Tadic and Edin Dzeko scored in the first half for Fenerbahce, before Morocco international Youssef En-Nesyri headed in a third to give them full control.
Mourinho won the competition with Porto in 2002-2003 and again with Manchester United in 2016-2017, also reaching the final when he was in charge of Roma two years ago.
“We played very well, but I can’t say ‘a good result.’ We need to advance to the next round for this to be a good result,” Mourinho said. “Normally, of course, when you are leading 3-0, you are happy, but there is a second leg. Therefore, everything is still out there.”
Real Sociedad triumphed 2-1 away to Midtjylland after a penalty from Brais Mendez and terrific goal by Japanese winger Takefusa Kubo saw them past the Danish champions, who pulled one back through Adam Buksa.
The winners of the tie play Manchester United or Tottenham Hotspur in the last 16.
Ajax took charge of their playoff against Belgian outfit Royale Union Saint-Gilloise with a 2-0 victory in Brussels.
Christian Rasmussen steered the Dutch club ahead just before the hour, with 16-year-old Jorthy Mokio volleying in a second.
Israel’s Mohammad Abu Fani struck the only goal in Budapest as Ferencvaros won 1-0 against Viktoria Plzen.
Dutch side AZ battered Galatasaray 4-1, with Sven Mijnans, Troy Parrott, Jordy Clasie and David Moller Wolfe all on target for the hosts.
Roland Sallai had equalized for Galatasaray, who toiled for much of the second half with 10 men after Kaan Ayhan was dismissed.
Ricky van Wolfswinkel’s 95th-minute penalty earned Twente a 2-1 win at home to Bodo/Glimt, while Romania’s FCSB won by the same score against PAOK in Greece.
In the UEFA Conference League, Irish side Shamrock Rovers secured a 1-0 win away to Norway’s Molde.
Molde defender Valdemar Lund was sent off before halftime for a challenge on Michael Noonan, who netted the winner in the second half to become the competition’s youngest scorer at 16 years and 197 days old.
Antony scored for the second time in three games since joining Real Betis Balompie on loan from Manchester United as the Spanish team cruised to a 3-0 victory at KAA Gent.
Heidenheim won 2-1 away to Copenhagen, while Bosnia’s Borac Banja Luka snatched a 1-0 victory over Olimpija Ljubljana.
AC Omonia and Pafos drew 1-1 in an all-Cypriot encounter.
Iceland’s Vikingur beat Panathinaikos 2-1 as the Greeks grabbed a vital late goal from the penalty spot.
NK Celje of Slovenia drew 2-2 against APOEL, while Jagiellonia Bialystok captain Jesus Imaz scored twice in a 3-1 win away to Serbia’s TSC Backa Topola.
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