MX23RW : Friday, April 26 10:12:31| >> :60:1264:1264:

Europa League roundup: Napoli pay tribute to Diego Maradona ahead of Europa League clash

EL roundup: Napoli pay tribute to Diego Maradona ahead of Europa League clash
© Reuters
The former Argentina striker died aged 60 on Wednesday.

Napoli paid tribute to former club favourite Diego Maradona before their 2-0 win over HNK Rijeka in the Europa League.

Fans gathered outside the stadium to pay their respects to the Argentinian, who died on Wednesday aged 60, with a number also laying flowers and memorabilia.

Armando Anastasio scored an own goal before Hirving Lozano sealed victory in the 75th minute in a match which was heavily overshadowed by the death of the World Cup winner.

Napoli had taken to the field wearing 'Maradona 10' shirts before the game.

In Thursday's other games, Premier League rivals Leicester and Arsenal, along with Roma and Hoffenheim, became the first teams to secure their places in the last 32.

Jamie Vardy fired a stoppage-time equaliser to ensure Leicester's progress to the knockout stage in a thrilling 3-3 draw with Braga.

The Foxes came from behind three times, with goals from Harvey Barnes, Luke Thomas and Vardy.

Also in Group G, Zorya Luhansk beat AEK Athens 3-0.

Nicolas Pepe scored the opener to help Arsenal to a 3-0 win in Molde as they too secured qualification to the next phase. Teenage forward Folarin Balogun netted his first senior goal after Reiss Nelson had doubled the Gunners' lead.

Dundalk, meanwhile, remain without a point following a 3-1 home defeat to Rapid Vienna.

Carlos Vinicius scored his first two goals for Tottenham as they cruised to a 4-0 win over Ludogorets in Group J.

Harry Winks added a third after half-time from near the halfway line, before Lucas Moura wrapped up the scoring to keep Spurs in line for the knockout phase of the tournament, while Royal Antwerp beat LASK 2-0 in the group's other fixture.

Benfica came from behind to earn a 2-2 draw against Rangers at Ibrox to keep the sides level at the top of Group D.

Scott Arfield and Kemar Roofe had given Rangers a two-goal lead before late goals from Goncalo Ramos and Pizzi pulled Benfica level.

In Rangers' group, Standard Liege picked up their first three points of the campaign in a 2-1 home win over Lech Poznan, leaving both clubs five points adrift of the top two.

Celtic crashed out in a 4-1 loss at Sparta Prague.

The result leaves Neil Lennon's side with just one point from their four group games, while boasting just two wins from their last nine matches in all competitions.

Odsonne Edouard scored the opener for Celtic before Sparta hit back – David Hancko levelling before Lukas Julis struck twice, while substitute Srdan Plavsic added a fourth in added time.

Jonathan Bamba struck the equaliser for Lille as they came from behind to secure a 1-1 draw against AC Milan in the same group.

Elsewhere, Roma earned progress from Group A following a 2-0 victory at CFR Cluj, while Young Boys recorded a 1-0 win over CSKA Sofia.

Hoffenheim secured a 2-0 away victory at Slovan Liberec that means they have qualified as well, while Red Star Belgrade beat Gent by the same scoreline in Group L.

Bayer Leverkusen kept pace with Slavia Prague at the top of Group C after a decisive 4-1 home win over Hapoel Be'er Sheva, as Slavia Prague won 3-1 in Nice.

In Group E, Granada extended their unbeaten run in the competition with a 2-1 win over Omonia Nicosia, while PSV Eindhoven came from behind to beat PAOK 3-2.

In Group I, Sivasspor secured a 3-2 away win at Qarabag, while Maccabi Tel Aviv settled for a 1-1 draw against Villarreal.

Group K saw CSKA Moscow hold Feyenoord to a goalless draw as Dinamo Zagreb won 3-0 over Wolfsburg.

AZ Alkmaar and Real Sociedad played out a goalless draw in Group F to leave both sides two points behind Napoli.

ID:423945: cacheID:423945:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:9046:
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Dele Alli pictured in August 2020
Read Next:
Jose Mourinho pleased with "team player" Dele Alli
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Arsenal34245582265677
2Manchester CityMan City33237380324876
3Liverpool34228475344174
4Aston Villa34206871502166
5Tottenham HotspurSpurs32186865491660
6Manchester UnitedMan Utd33165125150153
7Newcastle UnitedNewcastle331551369541550
8West Ham UnitedWest Ham34139125463-948
9Chelsea32138116157447
10Bournemouth34129134960-1145
11Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton331111115254-244
12Wolverhampton WanderersWolves34127154654-843
13Fulham34126165054-442
14Crystal Palace34109154456-1239
15Brentford3498175259-735
16Everton34118153648-1233
17Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest3479184260-1826
18Luton TownLuton3467214775-2825
19Burnley3458213769-3223
20Sheffield UnitedSheff Utd3437243392-5916


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!