Europa League: Highlights
2009-10-02 - Added by
ExtraFootie
ExtraFootie's Raj Mannick delves deep into the UEFA Europa League and plucks out the best bits from game-week two, with wins for Everton and Fulham making it a night to cherish for the English.
Game of the Night - Toulouse's 2-2 draw at home to Club Brugge. The French outfit equalised less than a minute after Brugge took the lead, and thought they had won it late on when Gignac struck. But the Belgians levelled with the last kick of the game leaving the age old clash of France vs. Belgium thoroughly unfinished.
Performance of the Night - Lazio's royal spanking of Levski Sofia. The Italians travelled to the potential pitfall tie in Bulgaria, only to turn up the heat and produce a sumptuous display right from the referees whistle. Their slick performance led to a 4-0 away win, a scoreline that frankly flatters the Bulgarians.
Upset of the Night - Villarreal's 2-0 loss away to SV Red Bull Salzburg. The Spanish outfit are vastly more experienced in Europe then their Austrian counterparts, but perhaps the Red Bull effect stunned The Yellow Submarine. It gives you wings don't you know.
Player of the Night - Gervinho's late double for Lille gave them a flattering 5-1 scoreline over Slavia Prague, nonetheless the Ivory Coast international takes the plaudits on an otherwise unspectacular night for individual scene-stealers in Europe.
Donkey of the Night - Andreas Dober's woeful, dare I say donkey-like back-pass went straight to Scott McDonald for the Aussie to level the game for Celtic. Andreas my lad, football's not about back-passes, it's about passion, pride, skill, technique, hunger. Back-passes belong in one place and one place only, in the stable where they keep the donkeys!
Goal of the Night - Fernando Llorente's late consolation for Athletic Bilbao at Werder Bremen. The striker controlled, turned, and shot in one poetic move, the pin-point prowess of the strike bending it around the keeper and into the corner. Top effort!
Talking Point of the Night - On a pretty uneventful, borderline dull European night, the owner of football's biggest waffro, Marouane Fellaini, got on the score sheet for the first time in 14 games. Fans of the giant Belgian, and his luscious locks, will be delighted. They'll be talking about his goal down at the coiffeur that's for sure!
Team of the Night (4-3-3) - Schwarzer (Fulham), Siviglia (Lazio), Kelly (Fulham) Ze Roberto (Hamburg) Santos (Fenerbache), Fellaini (Everton), Cahill (Everton), Murphy (Fulham), Villa (Valencia), Gervinho (Lille), Rocchi (Lazio)