Summary
- Sunderland led Lech Poznań 1-0 at halftime after Timur Tutierov scored in the second minute.
- Juventus and Rennes were tied 1-1 at halftime, while Sturm Graz led Marseille 1-0.
- Nine later matches, including Bournemouth against Milan and Celtic against Celta, had not started when this article was prepared.
- Scores and standings remain subject to change because Matchday 3 is still in progress.
Early Europa League matches reach halftime
Sunderland carried a 1-0 lead over Lech Poznań into halftime Thursday as the first set of UEFA Europa League Matchday 3 fixtures got underway across Europe. Timur Tutierov scored after two minutes in Poznań, heading in a cross after Sunderland won possession high up the field. The result was not final when this article was prepared. [1] [2]
Juventus and Rennes were level at 1-1 at halftime. Zeki Çelik put Juventus ahead in the fifth minute before Musa Al-Taamari equalized for Rennes in the 15th. Sturm Graz led Marseille 1-0 through Oumar Diakité, while OFI Crete trailed Bayer Leverkusen and GNK Dinamo led N.E.C. Nijmegen in other early games. [2]
Sunderland makes the early breakthrough
Tutierov’s opener came 78 seconds into Sunderland’s visit to Lech Poznań and was his first goal for the English club, according to the Guardian’s live match report. Sunderland created further first-half chances, with David Datro Fofana hitting a post before Granit Xhaka’s follow-up was saved. [2]
The fixture is Sunderland’s third of the league phase. UEFA’s official results list shows the club beat Torreense 2-1 on Oct. 15, while Lech entered Thursday after a 4-0 defeat to Leverkusen. Those earlier results supplied the competitive backdrop, but Thursday’s match remained unsettled at halftime. [1]
Nine later fixtures still to come
UEFA scheduled 18 Europa League games for Oct. 22, split between two kickoff windows. The later group includes Bournemouth against Milan, Beşiktaş against Crystal Palace, Celtic against Celta, Lillestrøm against Real Sociedad, Omonia against Benfica and Hoffenheim against Lyon. [1] [3]
The Spanish teams in the later window entered under pressure. El País reported that Real Sociedad was seeking its first win after a defeat and a draw, while Celta had lost its opening two league-phase matches against Omonia and Juventus. [3]
What remains unknown
No halftime score is a final result, and the early matches were still in progress when this report was written. Final scores, disciplinary incidents and the updated league-phase table should be checked after every game has ended. Matchday 4 is scheduled for Nov. 5, according to UEFA. [1] [2]
Reporting sources
This article follows our editorial standards. To report an error, see our corrections policy.