Tottenham Triumphs in Europa League Despite Son’s Injury Scare

Tottenham kicked off their Europa League campaign with a commanding 3-0 victory over Qarabag, despite playing most of the match with ten men. However, the win came at a cost as Son Heung-min left the field with an injury on September 26.

Radu Dragusin’s early red card posed a challenge for Ange Postecoglou’s side, but they quickly recovered at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Brennan Johnson opened the scoring in the 12th minute, netting his third goal in as many games after Qarabag lost possession deep in their own half. Dominic Solanke set him up for a composed finish from 10 yards out. Johnson’s recent form has been impressive, especially after facing criticism from fans earlier in the season.

Tottenham extended their lead in the 52nd minute when Pape Sarr volleyed home from six yards after Qarabag goalkeeper Mateusz Kochalski failed to handle a corner. The visitors had a chance to narrow the deficit when Yves Bissouma fouled Elvin Cafarguliyev, conceding a penalty. However, Toral Bayramov wasted the opportunity, blasting his shot over the crossbar. Dominic Solanke sealed the victory for Tottenham in the 68th minute, scoring his second goal since joining the club from Bournemouth.

Despite the impressive performance, Postecoglou has cause for concern after Son was forced off in the 70th minute. Losing their talisman for an extended period would be a significant blow to Tottenham’s hopes of progressing in the competition. With a fully fit squad, Postecoglou aims to end Tottenham’s trophy drought, which dates back to 2008.

Meanwhile, in other Europa League action, Roma were held to a 1-1 draw by Athletic Bilbao at the Stadio Olimpico after conceding a late equalizer. Artem Dovbyk gave Roma the lead in the 32nd minute with a powerful header from Angelino’s cross, marking his third goal in as many games. However, Aitor Paredes leveled the score in the 85th minute after Unai Nunez nodded the ball across goal.

Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce also got off to a winning start, defeating Union Saint-Gilloise 2-1. Caglar Soyuncu put Fenerbahce ahead in the 26th minute, and an own goal by Christian Burgess in the 82nd minute doubled their lead. Although Ross Sykes scored a stoppage-time goal for Union, it wasn’t enough to prevent Fenerbahce from securing all three points.

Elsewhere, Ajax thrashed Besiktas 4-0 with a brace from Mika Godts and goals from Kian Fitz-Jim and Kenneth Taylor. Olympiakos, the reigning UEFA Conference League champions, fell 2-0 at Lyon, who scored through Rayan Cherki and Said Benrahma in the second half. Eintracht Frankfurt let a two-goal lead slip as Viktoria Plzen’s Vaclav Jemelka netted a stoppage-time equalizer, while Rangers secured a 2-0 win at Malmo, with Nedim Bajrami and Ross McCausland both finding the net.