Mourinho demands Europa reaction after derby defeat

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Paris (AFP) – Fresh from giving his players a rollicking Jose Mourinho’s focus turns from Manchester United’s derby defeat to European action with a tricky Europa League opener at in-form Feyenoord on Thursday.

It will be the Portuguese manager’s first game in the second-tier European competition since winning its predecessor the UEFA Cup with Porto in 2003 and he says he is taking it seriously.

Mourinho’s unbeaten start as United manager came to a stuttering stop Saturday as long-time nemesis Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City left Old Trafford with a 2-1 victory.

United can expect a tough Group A opener at Feyenoord, who are top of the Dutch league having won all five of their matches this season and have pedigree in the competition.

United’s Spanish attacking midfielder Juan Mata warned that after the disappointment of derby day there was “no time for mourning”.

“On Thursday we’re going to play the first game in the Europa League, away against Feyenoord, a classic in European football,” Mata said on his weekly blog.

“It’s going to be a very demanding debut in this competition,” he added of the road to the final in Stockholm next May.

Mourinho says that young attacking sensation Marcus Rashford will play after his impressive second-half cameo along with midfielder Ander Herrera on Saturday.

“He (Rashford) is going to play is the only thing I can say. I trust him completely and I know his future will be absolutely brilliant,” said the Portuguese, who was scathing of some of his players after the City defeat, particularly defender Eric Bailly.

English-Dutch clashes are always feisty affairs but United have beaten Feyenoord in both their previous meetings.

This time it will be more subdued — at least in the stands — with the capacity of the De Kuip stadium in Rotterdam halved to 26,000 following UEFA sanctions for crowd trouble against Roma earlier this year.

United fans, whose ticket allocation has been slashed to 1,400, have been advised by the club not to wear United colours and avoid areas of potential conflict.

Feyenoord manager Giovanni Van Bronckhorst said: “I’m confident that -– in spite of the measures the club has to take –- an atmosphere will be created again at De Kuip to ensure we, as a team, are able to perform at our very best in our home matches.”

Former United and Feyenoord striker Robin van Persie is set to play both clubs as his Fenerbahce side are also in Group A with the Turkish side taking on Zorya Luhansk of Ukraine in their opener.

Van Persie won the competition with boyhood club Feyenoord in 2002.

– Spanish domination –

Spanish clubs have won six of the last 10 Europa League titles with Sevilla, the reigning three-time champions, now playing in the elite Champions League.

Of the finalists in the Europa League over the last decade eight are from Spain, who this season will be represented by Athletic Bilbao, Celta Vigo and Villarreal. 

Celta, struggling from five successive La Liga losses, travel to Standard Liege in Group G, which also includes Dutch giants Ajax and Greek club Panathinaikos.

Athletic Bilbao travel to Italian side Sassuolo in Group F, which includes Rapid Vienna of Austria and Belgium side KRC Genk. Villarreal host FC Zurich in Group L.

England’s second representative, Southampton, host Czech club Sparta Prague in Group K looking for their first win under new boss Claude Puel, with Inter Milan, three times winners, hosting Israeli club Hapoel Be’er Sheva.

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West Ham at home already, Europa woe for Eder

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London (AFP) – Cheikhou Kouyate scored twice as West Ham United beat Slovenians NK Domzale 3-0 to reach the Europa League play-off round in their first game at their new ground.

Trailing 2-1 from the first leg, Slaven Bilic’s side won 4-2 on aggregate at London Stadium courtesy of Senegalese midfielder Kouyate’s first-half double and Algerian winger Sofiane Feghouli’s late strike.

Elsewhere, Portugal’s Euro 2016 final hero Eder was brought down to earth with a bump as his side Lille were eliminated by Qabala of Azerbaijan.

Formerly known as the Olympic Stadium, West Ham’s new 60,000-seater ground hosted the athletics events at the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

It has been converted to a football stadium at a cost of 272 million pounds ($ 362.7 million, 325.8 million euros), partly funded by the British taxpayer.

Thursday’s game was West Ham’s first as hosts since leaving Upton Park — their home for 112 years — at the end of last season.

They are due to officially open the stadium in a glamour friendly against Italian champions Juventus on Sunday.

With the stadium due to continue being used as an athletics venue, a retractable bottom tier of seating will be moved into place for West Ham’s matches and green fabric placed over the running track.

West Ham, missing the rested Dimitri Payet, took an eighth-minute lead when Kouyate flicked home left-back Sam Byram’s low cross from close range.

It made the Senegal international the first scorer at the ground and he added another in the 25th minute, toeing the ball in from Andy Carroll’s knock-down to register his first career brace in his 321st match.

– Spartak stunned –

Feghouli, a close-season signing from Valencia, made it 3-0 in the 81st minute by beating Domzale goalkeeper Axel Maraval at his near post.

West Ham open their Premier League campaign away to Chelsea a week on Monday.

In Baku, capital of Azerbaijan, Eder’s efforts to repeat his Euro 2016 heroics fell flat as Lille lost 1-0 to Qabala for a 2-1 aggregate defeat.

Lille had been held to a 1-1 draw at home in last week’s first leg with Eder watching on from the stands.

On Thursday he was handed a start by coach Frederic Antonetti, just 25 days after coming off the bench to score Portugal’s dramatic extra-time winner against hosts France in the European Championship final.

He played the full 90 minutes, but could not make his presence count as the Croatian Filip Ozobic got the only goal in the 34th minute for Qabala, who finished third in the Azerbaijan Premier League last season.

Eder, 28, spent the second half of last season on loan at Lille from Swansea City before making the move permanent in May.

An 89th-minute goal by Ivan Trickovski earned Cypriots AEK Larnaca a shock 2-1 aggregate win over Russian giants Spartak Moscow, who had been poised to go through on away goals.

Finland international Teemu Pukki scored a hat-trick as Danish side Brondby overturned a 1-0 first-leg deficit with a 3-1 home win over German representatives Hertha Berlin.

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