Europa League

CELTIC are OUT of the Europa League and into the Europa Conference League last-32 after a sore defeat in Leverkusen.The Parkhead side went behind early doors before taking the lead with half an hour to go.
Celtic celebrate going ahead
Leverkusen come back late on to win the group
But two goals for the home side in the last 10 minutes send Celtic out of the competition.
Former Celt Jeremie Frimpong looked dangerous early on but the first chance came through Robert Andrich.
He rose highest when a Florian Wirtz corner was whipped in but headed over from eight yards.
But Celtic didn’t learn their lesson and were made to pay shortly after. Wirtz again the provider from the set-piece and Andrich had the run on Welsh to flick a header into the far corner.
It took 18 minutes for the Hoops to threaten when kyogo threatened to break through before James Forrest’s cutback from intercepted by the goalscorer.
Kyogo then got in behind before dragging his shot across goal with Jota sliding in and it just escaping him – before the flag went up.

Then the pivotal moment for the visitors before the break. Jota sent a teasing ball in from the left which Turnbull and Kyogo attacked inside the area.
Turnbull just missed the ball at the front post but a flick took it away from Kyogo, with Hradecky catching the Japanese star with a flying punch on the side of the head.
The referee shouted for treatment and luckily there was no lasting damage. Then the referee was sent to the pitchside monitor and a penalty was given.
Juranovic – in a crucial moment in the game – opted for a Panenka penalty which clipped the bottom of the crossbar and dropped in.
Unbelievable nerve to consider it – sensational execution.
But he was close to a hero-to-zero moment when gifting the ball away on the edge of his own box.
Paulinho picked out Diaby who crashed a thunderous effort off the post before it fell to Ralston, who couldn’t sort his feet out and Wirtz had an empty net and hit the other post.

Then another let-off for Celtic after the break, though this time it was outrageously good goalkeeping from Joe Hart.
Diaby was played clean through by Wirtz but his shot was saved by hart’s legs. The ball fell to Adli who just had to roll the ball home from eight yards, but Hart got back across and somehow denied the striker and kept the ball out when it seemed impossible to do so.
Two minutes later and Celts went ahead. Hart again crucial to a goal that sums up Angeball.
The keeper comes out and collects a cross from a free kick before pinging the ball instantly 50 yards to the feet of Forrest.

His flick is exquisite to find Turnbull and back to Forrest before a delightful one-touch pass finds Bitton racing through.
His pass into the area for Kyogo is cut out by a slipping Frimpong and Kyogo reacts quickest to lay it out to Jota on the left who has plenty of time but buries a left-footed finish across Hradecky.
Joe Hart was again crucial with two more saves from distance before Adli was sent clean through.
The striker only had Hart to beat and while the keeper stayed on his feet, it struck his right foot and flew just over the bar.
Welcome to The Late Late Leverkusen Show ✨The Bundesliga side show their quality as they come from 2-1 down to overcome Celtic.Beautiful goal! 🔴#UEL pic.twitter.com/lnA0ZNAq7a— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) November 25, 2021

But he was beaten again with just under ten minutes to play. A rushed clearance from Ralston found Wirtz out wide.
His deep ball into the box was knocked back into the middle and Andrich was there again to smash a low strike from 10 yards past Hart at his near post.
And the turnover was complete moments later with only a couple of minutes on the clock.
Abada soft in possession and gave the ball away inside his own half.
The ball was played up to Wirtz who makes space inside the box before a delightful clipped ball towards the edge of the box, where Diaby waits and smashes a low right-footed strike flying beyond Hart.

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SPARTAK MOSCOW manager Rui Vitoria was snubbed by Napoli boss Luciano Spalletti when he tried to shake his hand at the end of their Europa League clash.The Russian side beat the Serie A side 2-1 in the group game clash as two first half goals from Aleksandr Sobolev were enough to hand them the victory.
Spalletti refused Vitoria’s handshake after the match
Vitoria reacted to the snub by nodding his head and hilariously staring at him walking away
But the major talking point came after the game when Vitoria went over to shake Spalletti’s hand.
The Italian coach went straight down the tunnel after signalling he was not interested in embracing the Spartak manager.
And Vitoria’s reaction was priceless as he smugly shrugged and nodded his head at Spalletti.
However, the Napoli boss went on to explain why he chose not to shake hands.
Speaking to Sky Sports Italia after the match, Spalletti said: “He didn’t salute me before the game.
“That is when you shake hands with the other coach, not at the end just because you won.

“I always go to salute the visiting coach before the game. It’s too easy to do it afterwards only when you’ve won.
“You must welcome someone to your stadium.”
Napoli’s loss was their second in a row following their 3-2 defeat to Inter Milan at the weekend.

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They now sit second in their Europa League group behind Spartak Moscow and just one point above Legia Warsaw.
Warsaw and bottom side Leicester have the opportunity to go above Napoli when they meet at the King Power Stadium on Thursday evening.
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TOMAS SOUCEK’S own goal howler ruined David Moyes’ big day – but West Ham still earned an early spot in the Europa League knockout stages.Said Benrahma’s second-half double looked to have earned Hammers boss Moyes a fourth consecutive Group H win in his 1,000th game as a manager.
Paintsil gave Genk an early lead in Belgium as West Ham were left stunnedCredit: Getty
Benrahma equalised for West Ham in the 59th minuteCredit: Getty
Moyes celebrated his 1000th game in management but could not come away with a winCredit: EPA
But Soucek was left holding his head in a heap after sending a bullet header into his own top corner four minutes from time.
Fortunately, Dinamo Zagreb win over Rapid Vienna in Thursday’s later kick-offs mean the point was enough to send the Hammers through, with two games to spare.
Moyes challenged his side to become the first English side to win their opening four Europa League group stage matches without conceding a goal.
But those hopes went up in smoke within four minutes as Genk opened the Hammers defence up to take the lead.
Junya Ito took out three players with a turn inside his own half before sliding a pass down the side of Issa Diop who laboured to intercept, allowing Joseph Paintsil in to fire home in off the far post.
Four minutes later keeper Alphonse Areola had to make two sharp saves within 30 seconds to prevent the Premier League club falling behind as the Belgians ran riot.
No team this season caused West Ham as many problems as Genk did in a torrid opening half hour where they simply overran the midfield.

The former Brentford man scored a delightful second towards the end of the gameCredit: AFP
Captain Mark Noble was born a year before Genk were even formed in 1988, and his lack of mobility and a shocking display from Arthur Masuaku left gaping holes every time the home side went forward.
But fortunately for Moyes and his side they avoided going two or three goals down purely due to the wasteful finishing of their hosts.
Striker Paul Onuachu headed straight at Areola from six yards before Ito dragged a shot wide with an empty net gaping in front of him.
Then when Areola had to fling himself full-stretch to his left to turn away another Paintsil effort from heading into the top corner, the Hammers looked a rabble and there for the taking.
But they dug deep to gradually gain control of possession, and Benrahma was denied an equaliser from close range by keeper Maarten Vandevoordt.
Then only a desperate goalline clearance from Patrik Hrosovsky prevented Declan Rice from touching home after Michail Antonio’s shot had squirmed past Vandevoordt.
Benrahma thought he had won it with his second of the gameCredit: AP
That control became dominance for the majority of the second half, and it was only a matter of time before West Ham levelled.
Benrahma started and finished the move as Manuel Lanzini released Vladimir Coufal to cross low where the Algerian fired low into the net.
Lanzini and Coufal then both went close to shooting the London club into the lead, before Benrahma stepped up to the plate.

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Soucek’s unfortunate diving header flew beyond Areola to scupper West Ham’s hopes of a winCredit: Getty
The forward jinked his way past John Lucumi into the area cutting in from the left and prodded his effort low into the net on 82 minutes.
That should have been that and a place in the knockout stages sealed – but four minutes from time disaster struck.
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WEST HAM are proving to be head and shoulders above the rest as they moved to the brink of a place in the knockout stages of the Europa League.The happy Hammers are loving life on their overseas adventure as they made it three wins from three in Group H – needing just four points from the nine available to seal top spot.
West Ham centre-back Craig Dawson opened the scoring against Genk at the London StadiumCredit: AP
Dawson celebrates with Declan Rice after breaking the deadlock in first half stoppage timeCredit: AFP
Qualification can even be secured if the win the return match in Genk in fortnight if the other game between Dinamo Zagreb and Rapid Vienna is drawn.
This time they didn’t rely on their impressive attacking stars to seal the win, with the head of Issa Diop and shoulder of defensive partner Craig Dawson coming up trumps.
Dawson opened the scoring in slightly fortunate fashion in first half stoppage time, before Diop connected full on with  powerful header 12 minutes after the break to put them in control.
And when Jarrod Bowen struck the third within 60 seconds with a crisp strike off the toe of his left foot, all that was needed was someone to knee home a fourth and the London Stadium would have broken out into a nursery song.
Bonkers as it may have sounded at the start of the season, the Hammers have made such easy work of the Europa League so far they will be a team to fear for the rest when the competition gets serious after Christmas.
For barring a collapse of huge proportions, that is surely where David Moyes and his merry men will be heading in the New Year.
Issa Diop doubled West Ham’s lead after meeting Aaron Cresswell’s delivery shortly after the breakCredit: Reuters
Defender Diop looked delighted after scoring his first goal of the seasonCredit: Reuters
The limitations in the Hammers squad means Moyes does not have the luxury of resting an entire team for European endeavours, in the way Tottenham did.
So though there was already one eye on Sunday’s date with their big London rivals, the vital Declan Rice and Tomas Soucek were again needed to patrol the midfield.
No such chances can be taken with the fragile hamstrings of Michail Antonio, especially on a cold night, so he was missing completely from the matchday squad.
And though that was a relief to the home supporters keen to put one over Spurs this weekend, it did once again expose the biggest weakness in this emerging squad – a lack of a viable striking option beyond the Jamaican international.
So it played out in a first half where West Ham often found themselves in good positions but lacking the extra injection of pace needed to get in behind the Genk defence.
Jarrod Bowen is seen as the best back-up option, and though willing and lively, at present he lacks the killer instinct to make the most of the many good positions he finds himself in.
Three times he snatched at opportunities to open the scoring and three times he was found wanting – the worst coming with a wild air shot when Ben Johnson picked him out just six yards from goal.
The lack of penetration was increasingly frustrating given Genk, unlike Dinamo Zagreb and Rapid Vienna, had actually come out and posed problems in an attacking sense themselves.
Jarrow Bowed fired the hosts into a 3-0 lead just 60 seconds after Diop headed homeCredit: Getty
Bowen proved to be a lively figure for West Ham throughout the Group H clashCredit: Reuters
Right from the off there were early warnings, first as the Belgian’s had an eighth minute Theo Bongonda header ruled out because Jujnya Ito was just offside in the build-up.
And when keeper Alphonse Areola made a hash of claiming a cross, allowing giant striker Paul Onuachu to loop a header inches wide, the alarm bells were ringing.
But in the first minute of stoppage time before the break, the stuttering Hammers managed to find the breakthrough thanks to defender Dawson.
Aaron Cresswell’s corner from the left was met by the big centre-back on the run, and the ball looped off his shoulder to drop into the top corner.
West Ham were a different team in the opening 15 minutes of the second half as they stepped up a gear – and two goals within a minute just before the hour sealed the win.
Genk’s defence is packed full of giants, but even that was not enough to stop set-piece kings West Ham as Creswell’s free-kick from the left was buried into off the underside of the bar by French defender Diop.
David Moyes fielded a strong team ahead of Sunday’s home match against rivals TottenhamCredit: Reuters
With the Belgians on the rack, the Hammers went for the jugular and within a minute of the restart they were home and dry when Bowen finally found his shooting boots.
The visiting defence stood off as he burst forward cutting in from the right, driving a low shot through the body of keeper Maarten Vandevoordt into the net.
Job done – and Moyes was afford the luxury of hooking the commanding Rice immediately to save him for the battle ahead against Tottenham.
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