By Olukayode Olumuyiwa.
Matchday 5 of the UEFA Europa League league phase delivered a mix of stunning results, dramatic goals, and major upsets, with several teams consolidating their positions for the knockout rounds.
In a crucial showdown at the Stadio Olimpico, AS Roma ended FC Midtjylland’s perfect record with a 2-1 home victory. The Danish club, who had won all four of their previous matches, fell behind in the seventh minute when Neil El Aynaoui swept home a crisp volley from a Zeki Celik cross, scoring his first goal for the club. Roma appeared to have secured the win late on when Stephan El Shaarawy finished a move, assisted by Leon Bailey, to double the lead in the 83rd minute. However, the visitors pulled one back three minutes later through Paulinho to set up a nervy finish, but Roma held on for a much-needed three points.
In the day’s most emphatic result, Olympique Lyonnais crushed Maccabi Tel-Aviv 6-0. Corentin Tolisso was the star of the night, netting a hat-trick. The other goals came from Abner (the Brazilian full-back who opened the scoring), Moussa Niakhaté (via a penalty), and Adam Karabec. This dominant victory propelled the French team to a joint-lead in the standings on points.
Elsewhere, the resurgence of Nottingham Forest continued as they secured their third consecutive win in the competition with a comfortable 3-0 victory over Malmö. Captain Ryan Yates opened the scoring in the 28th minute. Arnaud Kalimuendo scored his first goal for Forest just before halftime, tapping in the rebound after the Malmö goalkeeper saved Yates’s second effort. Nikola Milenkovic added the third goal in the second half, pouncing on a rebound from a corner. Aston Villa also claimed a vital three points at Villa Park, defeating Young Boys 2-1 thanks to a first-half brace from Donyell Malen. The Swiss side scored a late consolation goal in the 90th minute through Joël Monteiro.
Other confirmed results saw VfB Stuttgart beat Go Ahead Eagles 4-0 away in the Netherlands, with two goals from Jamie Leweling and additional goals from Bilal El Khannouss and Brahim Bouanani. Rangers secured their first point in the UEL with a 1-1 home draw against Braga, with James Tavernier’s penalty being canceled out by Gabri Martinez. In another exciting fixture, Porto commanded a 3-0 win over Nice, with two goals from Gabriel Veiga and a penalty from Samu Aghehowa.
The Europa League tables will see significant shifts following these results as teams prepare for the final matchday to secure their places in the Round of 16.
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