Juventus opened their Europa League campaign in style. A 5-0 win was secured against NEC Nijmegen in Turin. Bournemouth also made history with a 2-1 victory at Real Sociedad.
Crystal Palace added another win. A 4-0 result was recorded against Lech Poznan. But Celtic’s night ended in frustration. A 3-1 home defeat was suffered against Ferencvaros.
Juventus Run Riot
Juventus were in control from the start. Nico Gonzalez opened the scoring. Kerim Alajbegovic then made it 2-0.
Nick Woltemade added a third before the break. It was his first goal since joining on loan from Newcastle. Zeki Celik struck after half-time. Randal Kolo Muani completed the rout.
The result offered Juventus a bright start in Europe. The club had expected to be in the Champions League this season.
Failure to qualify, however, has created another target. A first European trophy in 30 years is now being pursued.
Bournemouth Make History
Bournemouth enjoyed a memorable European debut. A 2-1 win was earned in San Sebastian. Justin Kluivert opened the scoring early.
Rayan then headed in at the back post. The second goal came inside the opening 20 minutes.
Real Sociedad were allowed back into the match. Sergio Gomez’s cross found the far corner. This time, Bournemouth held on. The result was welcomed by manager Marco Rose. His side had struggled to protect leads in the Premier League.
“It’s a brilliant win in our first European game,” Rose said.
“It’s brilliant for the club and the 2,000 fans from Bournemouth.”
Palace Continue Their Run
Crystal Palace also made a strong start. A 4-0 win was recorded at Selhurst Park. The result extended the perfect run by English clubs in European competition.
Yeremy Pino opened the scoring. A poor throw-in was punished. Chris Richards then added a second. Jørgen Strand Larsen converted a penalty for the third.
Eddie Nketiah completed the scoring. Palace entered the competition as last season’s Conference League winners. Their latest performance showed why confidence remains high.
Celtic Face More Pain
Celtic’s European troubles continued. A 3-1 defeat was suffered at home to Ferencvaros. The result came soon after a painful Champions League qualifying exit.
Celtic had led LASK by four goals at one stage. Yet the advantage was lost. A 3-0 defeat by Rangers had also been suffered the previous weekend.
Martin O’Neill’s side had promised a response. Instead, more defensive problems were exposed.
“It’s a huge frustration,” O’Neill said.
“Tonight was, I think, a European lesson for us in many aspects.”
Liam Scales scored an own goal. Kristoffer Zachariassen then doubled the visitors’ lead. Daniel Arzani added a stunning third on his return to Celtic Park.
Besiktas Defeat Marseille
Besiktas added to Marseille’s difficult run. A 4-1 victory was secured in Istanbul. Ilhan Fakili had put the Turkish side ahead. Keyliane Abdallah restored parity for Marseille.
The hosts then took control after the break. Vaclav Cerny scored before Micahel Amir Murillo added another. Ernest Poku completed the win. Marseille have now suffered four straight defeats.
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