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    Brighton 2 Ajax 0: Seagulls seal first ever European win with thumping display against Dutch giants

    BRIGHTON have arrived in Europe, claiming a historic first ever win on this stage in some style.Roberto De Zerbi’s side played European greats Ajax off the park as Joao Pedro and fellow summer signing Ansu Fati put an end to their run of five without a win to spark their Europa League campaign into life.
    Joao Pedro opened the scoring for the home sideCredit: Getty
    Ansu Fati doubled Brighton’s lead early in the second halfCredit: Getty
    This is no great Ajax side, sitting 17th in the Eredivisie and without a manager, but the four time European Cup winners have quite the history – and Brighton dominated them throughout.
    After two frustrating opening games in the competition, when everyone knew this team was capable of far more, De Zerbi’s side found their feet here and moved off the bottom of Group B.
    These were the nights the Sussex faithful had been dreaming of, not just a special occasion because there was European football at The Amex, but a statement performance to go with it.
    Brighton can now look ahead to the three return fixtures and, on this form, look to blitz their way through the group.
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    The Seagulls had suffered from slow starts in their first two European outings, unable to recover against AEK Athens and having to come from two down to claim a point in Marseille.
    But despite their increasing injury issues they looked far more like their brilliant selves from last season, dominating the ball from the off and slowly building pressure.
    Pedro and James Milner both had early attempts, the former Watford man firing wide before the veteran fired a low effort straight at Diant Ramaj in the Ajax goal.
    Kaoru Mitoma was a constant threat down the left, having to offer even more following the season-ending injury to Solly March.
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    Joao Pedro’s heat map against Ajax
    The man tasked with replacing March on the other flank, Simon Adingra, fizzed a volley just over the bar.
    Brighton were passing and probing, conducted by a raving De Zerbi on the sideline.
    Despite the chances coming and going, the Seagulls never wavered from the plan and claimed their reward through a familiar face in this competition.
    Pedro had bagged three goals in his first two Europa League games before tonight, all three from the spot.
    This time he showed his sharp side in the box to race in and turn Mitoma’s parried strike home on 43 minutes.
    Brighton more than deserved their lead and could have easily been further ahead at the break.
    Ajax were showing little response to the sacking of their manager, Maurice Steijn, on Monday.
    Ex-Tottenham man Steven Bergwijn was kept under lock and key by Joel Veltman, who spent 19 years at Ajax before joining Brighton, while bulky Brian Brobbey cut a frustrated figure up top.
    The Dutch giants were sitting deep, playing physical and were castigated by their own travelling fans for passing backwards under pressure from De Zerbi’s side.
    They are a long way from the Ajax of four years ago and that Champions League semi-final against Tottenham and in a different galaxy to the great era of Johan Cruyff.
    It took until after the break for them to muster a first effort on target, with Jason Steele saving sharply from Steven Berghuis.
    But that was about as good as it got from the fallen greats of Europe.

    Ansu Fati’s pass map against Ajax
    Brighton doubled their lead minutes later with the kind of glorious goal you would have expected from an Ajax side in their pomp.
    Billy Gilmour slipped a smart pass into the feet of Adingra, who turned before chopping inside his man with a back heel and clipping the ball forward for Fati.
    The on-loan Barcelona wonderkid took one touch before finishing through the legs of Josip Sutalo, making it two in two after his goal at The Etihad on Saturday.
    He could have had a second moments later too, flashing a powerful finish wide of the far post.
    Berghuis was the only one in an Ajax shirt causing problems and struck the post shortly after the second goal.
    But Brighton were never in danger – making Ajax chase them around for the final 15 minutes, a sight no fan would ever have expected to see.
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    The Seagulls finally looked worthy of the bright lights in Europe and played like they knew it.
    Here is how the action unfolded… More

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    Liverpool 5 Toulouse 1: Rampant Reds charge make French side look silly with thumping Europa League victory

    JURGEN KLOPP may not have enjoyed this continental soiree as much as the score line or his trademark grin at the end suggested.True enough, a third successive group win means he can effectively start planning for the knock–out stages.
    Liverpool ran out comfortable winners against ToulouseCredit: AP
    Darwin Nunez scored the important third goal to move Liverpool clearCredit: PA

    As near-certain table-toppers there will be a breather, for the manager who constantly complains about fixture overload for other than a major collapse Liverpool will directly advance to the last 16 sharper end of the Europa League.
    Next up is the same opposition on the other side of the English Channel and the gulf that was so wide at times in this victory is hardly liable to narrow in 13 days’ time.
    Diogo Jota, Wataru Endo with his first goal for the club he joined from Stuttgart for £16.2million and Darwin Nunez put their side on easy street by half-time.
    There was also an encouraging full debut for 19-year-old left-back Luke Chambers.
    So why wouldn’t the German be delighted following this win over the French Cup holders that only suggested that his side are correctly rated as favourites to emerge trophy holders?
    Well, the showboating would be a start.
    He made eight changes from the line-up that saw off Everton 2-0 in Saturday’s Merseyside derby but if he was looking for an edge from those he brought in there were occasions were it was all a bit too relaxes-vous.
    Having taken the lead thanks to Jota’s runaway ninth-minute opener after he dashed half the field to convert, his side were soon pegged back.
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    Trent Alexander-Arnold got complacent and played the opposition on-side in a break, allowing Aron Donnum to turn cleverly and send the ball forward for Thijs Dallinga.
    The Dutchman whose six goals did so much to provide Toulouse with a first-ever major domestic trophy last season, didn’t mess around either.
    He dashed forward to beat No2 goalkeeper Caiomhin Kelleher with a fine strike.
    Early in the second half the Irishman then got himself in a complete mess when he should have been in command in his box.
    Gabriel Suazo was gifted with a priceless opportunity to cut the deficit to one but with the goal at his mercy somehow managed to shoot straight as the night’s Reds captain Alexander-Arnold on the line.
    Even Liverpool’s fourth goal indicated that Klopp’s replacement players were not taking seriously enough the job of progressing last season’s dismal flops back towards new silver wear.
    Nunez was allowed to run free and clear after a midfield blunder but with only 18-year-old goalkeeper Guillaume Restes to beat and all the time in the world the enigmatic Uruguayan still slammed his shot against a post.
    Ryan Gravenberch will hardly have believed his eyes that he got the chance to smack home his side’s 65th-minute fourth.

    Thijs Dallinga drilled in at Anfield to level it upCredit: PA
    Wataru Endo scored a header to restore Liverpool’s leadCredit: AFP
    Ryan Gravenberch pounced with a rebound after Nunez’s horror missCredit: Rex
    Gabriel Suazo missed an absolute sitter for Toulouse
    Nunez had his only embarrassing moment in front of goalCredit: Rex
    None of those moments will have allowed Klopp to feel that, truly, he can truly count on his back-up boys when the let frites are down later in the season.
    Still, there was much to be pleased about for him.
    Jota finished his ninth–minute chance in killer style while Endo didn’t mess about as he met a cross from Alexander-Arnold to head home with a half–hour gone.
    Nunez got his fifth goal of the season four minutes later thanks to a shot from Curtis Jones that was charged down.
    Unlike later, he fairly smashed his left footer high into the net after Gravenberch’s driving run had driven the French into reverse gear.
    So job done against the minnows now being guided by former Anfield sporting director Damien Comoli.
    Even Mo Salah made a late cameo appearance and added an injury-time fifth in what ultimately became a training exercise.
    But one that will still have raised a few questions in the head of the Anfield boss.
    Here’s how the action unfolded at Anfield… More

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    AZ Alkmaar 1 Aston Villa 4: Unai Emery’s side run riot in Netherlands as Villans continue impressive start to season

    ASTON VILLA returned to the Netherlands for the first time since their famous European Cup win in Rotterdam in 1982.And they pulled off a performance Peter Withe, Nigel Spink and Co would have been proud of.
    Aston Villa’s goal machine went into overdrive againCredit: EPA
    Leon Bailey started the party against AZ Alkmaar with his low drive on 13 minutesCredit: Getty

    Forty-one years on from their greatest glory night, Unai Emery’s men finally got their act together in Europe this season.
    The Premier League high-flyers produced a display which will have convinced their 950 travelling fans this could be their year again.
    It may be Europe’s third-tier competition, but Villa were a class above the Eredivisie’s second-top team who remain unbeaten domestically.
    They gave Alkmaar a lesson in finishing – scoring four goals from their first five shots at goal.
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    Yet this tie got off to an extraordinary start as Villa goalie Emi Martinez played cat and mouse with Alkmaar’s forwards.
    The Argentine World Cup winner stood defiantly, ball at his feet, yards outside his box, daring dangerman Vangelis Pavlidis, Ibrahim Sadiq and Myron van Brederode to come and get it.
    They refused and the Mexican stand-off continued for fully 90 seconds to the fury of home fans, before Pavlidis eventually crept forward and Martinez easily played around him. 
    That patient approach would have delighted boss Emery who had even more to smile about when Villa seized an early lead after 13 minutes.
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    Leon Bailey initially cursed himself for squandering a good opening after Boubacar Kamara picked him out at the edge of the box.
    On that occasion, a poor first touch allowed Riechedly Bazoer to recover and dispossess him.
    But the Jamaican forward swiftly made amends as he fired Villa in front seconds later.
    Kamara swept the ball forward and despite it bouncing awkwardly, Bailey tamed it and lashed it beyond Mat Ryan from just inside the box.
    It was the forward’s sixth goal of the season, his third in Europe and it gave Villa the confidence to seize this game by the scruff of the neck.
    Alkmaar had pinned their hopes on their Greek international striker Pavlidis who had scored 13 goals in nine games, including a hat-trick at the weekend.
    However, the 24-year-old squandered his first big opening when he beat Lucas Digne and Diego Carlos, only to shoot straight at Martinez.
    Emiliano Martinez teased the home side with his tacticsCredit: Getty
    Youri Tielemans buried his first goal since joining from LeicesterCredit: Getty
    Ollie Watkins could not miss his tap-inCredit: Rex
    Villa kindly showed him how it should be done as they doubled their lead midway through the half.
    Captain John McGinn pounced on a loose pass from Sven Mijnans and delivered a sublime pass to Youri Tielemans.
    The Belgian calmly drilled the ball between Ryan’s legs to celebrate his first goal for Villa since his summer move from Leicester City.
    It was all so easy but Villa briefly decided to live dangerously when Kamara was robbed at the edge of the box but again Pavlidis squandered the chance as he fired over.
    The Greek did have the ball in the net after 32 minutes but he was flagged offside after straying just too far forward to get on the end of Van Brederode’s cross.
    Villa moved through the gears after the break, adding a third when Bailey’s shot was palmed out by Ryan, leaving in-form Ollie Watkins with a simple tap-in for his sixth goal in six games for club and country.
    Then McGinn capped a brilliant performance, bursting into the Alkmaar six-yard box to stab Bailey’s low cross beyond Ryan.
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    That deadly finish clocked up Villa’s 16th goal in five games.
    The only disappointment for perfectionist Emery came when Alkmaar grabbed a consolation goal when Sadiq beat Martinez with a sensational strike from the edge of the box.

    Ollie Watkins took in the adulation of the travelling fansCredit: Getty
    John McGinn got in on the act with No4Credit: Getty
    A hardy 950 fans made the trip to the NetherlandsCredit: Getty More

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    Aston Villa make major kit change for Europa clash due to little-known rule as fans gush ‘can I buy it please?’

    ASTON VILLA fans lauded the sponsor on their kit for tonight’s Europa Conference League clash.Unai Emery’s men take on AZ Alkmaar in the Netherlands this evening.
    Aston Villa had their foundation as the sponsor against AZ AlkmaarCredit: Instagram / @avfcofficial
    The Villans travelled to the Netherlands for their Europa Conference League clashCredit: Getty
    And as well as wearing their blue geometric third kit, the Villans went for a change of shirt sponsor for the trip.
    Instead of the usual controversial BK8, the strip was completed with the Aston Villa Foundation logo and its light symbol.
    The foundation, first launched in 1990, became a registered charity in 2013.
    It now employs 80 people to deliver 40 projects and support thousands of people across Birmingham.
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    And the change went down a storm on social media when the club posted a photo from the changing room at the AFAS Stadium.
    Supporters flooded the replies with waves of adoration.
    One said: “Love that.”
    Another wrote: “Please put this on sale.”
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    A third added: “Keep this sponsor for the rest of the season.”
    A fourth typed: “Sell a limited edition batch of these to raise money for the foundation.”
    A fifth commented: “I was all against playing in the third strip, but that sponsor is a fantastic touch.”
    Another asked: “Can I buy it with this sponsor please?!”
    And a final user replied: “That’s the sort of sponsor we should be having on our kit instead of these betting companies that you promote!”
    However, SunSport understands the real reason for the temporary change in shirt sponsorship is due to betting regulations in Europe – and will return to normal for Sunday’s Premier League game with Luton.
    Villa wore their unpopular ‘wet-look’ home kit in their opening Group E match against Legia Warsaw in September with a blank front.
    Villa’s new three-year deal with online casino BK8 was slammed by supporters in the summer.
    Norwich City cancelled a partnership with the Asian betting firm after just three days in 2021 amid complaints of sexualised marketing involving young women.
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    The Aston Villa Supporters’ Trust hit out at the “cynical attempt” of financial gain and accused the club of failing to listen to fans’ concerns.
    Front-of-shirt gambling sponsors will be outlawed by the Premier League at the end of the 2025-26 season.
    The third kit usually has the BK8 sponsorshipCredit: Instagram / @avfcofficial
    Villa went without a sponsor against Legia WarsawCredit: Reuters More

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    Jose Mourinho takes brutal ‘cough syrup’ dig at Papu Gomez over drug ban after banned star’s Europa League swipe

    ROMA boss Jose Mourinho hit out at Papu Gomez after he received a doping ban.The Monza midfielder tested positive for an prohibited substance and will not be able to play for two years.
    Jose Mourinho hit out at Monza and Papu GomezCredit: Getty
    Papu Gomez got a two-year ban for testing positive for a prohibited substanceCredit: Alamy
    Gomez claims the banned drugs found in his system are there “accidentally” after he had some of his son’s cough syrup when he felt sick.
    The 35-year-old World Cup winner with Argentina was on the bench for Sevilla last season as they beat Roma in the Europa League final.
    Gomez said: “Mourinho? I only have one memory of him and that is winning the Europa League against him.”
    It led to the Portuguese boss firing shots back, saying: “Gomez? He didn’t play in the Europa League final, I think he played against Juventus with a positive test.
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    “But I don’t want to take that syrup otherwise I’ll be in trouble too.
    “What happened to him isn’t my problem, dealing with the subject would put me in difficulty.”
    Roma beat Monza 1-0 yesterday thanks to a last-gasp winner by Stephan El Shaarawy.
    And Mourinho’s goal celebration saw him sent off with the red card described as “vintage Jose”.
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    The ex-Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham boss fell to his knees and punched the air before losing his cool.
    Mourinho turned to his opponent’s bench, mocking them by pretending to cry as he was pulled away by his own staff.
    And the 60-year-old continued to fire shots at Monza in his post-match press conference as he claimed their coaches were “putting on a show” and “trying to pressure the referee.”
    Mourinho’s red card means he will not be at Roma’s trip to his former club Inter Milan next Sunday.
    It will be the second time in a row he will be suspended for the fixture at the San Siro.
    Last year, he watched the match on the TV from the team bus and hilariously vlogged his unusual matchday experience on his Instagram page.
    Jose Mourinho was sent off for making a gesture to the Monza benchCredit: sky sports
    He could watch the next game on the team bus like last seasonCredit: Instagram More

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    Forgotten Champions League and World Cup winner linked with transfer to West Ham’s Europa League rivals

    JEROME BOATENG has been offered to West Ham’s Europa League opponents Olympiacos.Boateng has been a free agent ever since leaving Lyon in June and is currently training with Bayern Munich’s Under-23 side.
    Bayern Munich legend Jerome Boateng has been offered to OlympiacosCredit: Getty
    Champions League and World Cup winner Boateng was also offered to RomaCredit: Getty
    Bayern refused to offer the centre-back a new contract and Boateng is still without a club.
    According to Sport24, the ex-Germany international’s agent has contacted Olympiacos looking to see if a deal could take place.
    The Greek giants, who are owned by Nottingham Forest supremo Evangelos Marinakis, are expected to look for a new centre-back in the January transfer window.
    However, the Piraeus outfit are not actively searching right now as they are focused on the Greek Superleague and the Europa League, where they will face West Ham.
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    The Hammers will take on Marinakis’ club on October 26 in Greece before their return fixture on November 9 at the London Stadium.
    Olympiacos sporting director Antonio Cordon and manager Diego Martinez might opt for a different solution as they want a defender that can immediately hit the ground running.
    Boateng only played eight times for Lyon last term and hasn’t competed in a single competitive match this season.
    According to Calciomercato, the 35-year-old has also been offered to Roma but manager Jose Mourinho is not keen.
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    Mourinho is not eager to sign the Champions League and World Cup winner due to his advanced age, lack of fitness and contract demands.
    Boateng enjoyed tremendous success with Bayern where he registered a total of 10 goals and 25 assists in 363 appearances.
    The German also won nine Bundesliga titles and two Champions League trophies with the Bavarians as well as the 2014 World Cup with Germany. More

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    Fans say ‘you can’t hate Jose Mourinho’ as he drags shy young Roma star into interview to tell heartwarming story

    FANS declared that you “can’t hate Jose Mourinho” after he showed his softer side last night.The Portuguese coach’s Roma side trounced Swiss outfit Servette 4-0 in the Europa League on Thursday.
    Francesco D’Alessio made his Roma debut in the win over ServetteCredit: Getty
    Boss Jose Mourinho then blew fans away with his post-match interview with the aceCredit: Twitter @OfficialASRoma
    The Italian giants are looking to go one better than last term when they suffered defeat in the final to Sevilla.
    Mourinho, who is still refusing to accept that his team lost, was fuming with the match officials afterwards.
    The legendary ex-Chelsea and Manchester United boss was hit with a four-match ban for directing abusive language at English referee Anthony Taylor during the game in Budapest.
    Then footage emerged of Mourinho launching a foul-mouthed tirade at the officiating team in the stadium car park as he called their performance a “disgrace”.
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    Taylor and his family were then harassed and abused by angry supporters at the airport the following day as they headed back to the UK following the Special One’s angry outbursts.
    However, he was back to his charming self on Thursday following Roma’s impressive win.
    Mourinho handed 19-year-old Francesco D’Alessio his senior debut off the bench during the match.
    And after the teen’s dream night, Mourinho invited D’Alessio to join him live on air in a touching post-game interview to reveal a truly heartwarming story.
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    “First of all, let me tell you a story,” said Mourinho as he then gestured for D’Alessio to come stand alongside him before putting his arm around the midfielder.
    He then continued: “In the summer, before the kids went back to school, we were training and there were loads of kids outside of Trigoria screaming because they wanted to come inside to watch training.
    “He was with us and he said: ‘when I was seven, eight, nine, I was out there screaming because I wanted to come in. No coach opened the gates to let me in’.
    “I was very happy for the kids because I opened the gates and let them in. Now he [D’Alessio] is playing for Roma in the Europa League at the Olimpico in front of 50 or 60,000 people.”
    D’Alessio then revealed that his parents and sister were at the game before the emotional Mourinho finished off with: “I don’t want to say anymore, he can talk!”
    After the clip went viral, fans quickly took to social media to heap praise on the much-maligned Mourinho.
    “Love him or hate him, there’s really no one like Jose,” wrote one.
    Another said: “Plenty don’t like Jose Mourinho. Lots of times he’s behaved in ways to leave you bewildered.
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    “But then there are moments, such as this, when he’s charismatic and charming and shows why those who know him well regard him so highly.”
    A fellow fan said “you can’t hate Jose” while another said: “Jose showing why he is really is the Special One.” More

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    Alexis Mac Allister and brother Kevin can’t stop smiling in wholesome interview after Liverpool vs Union Saint-Gilloise

    ALEXIS MAC ALLISTER and his brother Kevin could not stop smiling post-match after they played AGAINST each other last night.The family affair occurred at Anfield as Liverpool secured a 2-0 victory over Union Saint-Gilloise in the Europa League.
    Liverpool’s Alexis Mac Allister (left) faced brother Kevin at Anfield last nightCredit: PA
    The Argentine siblings were all smiles after the Europa League clashCredit: TNT Sports
    “My older brother is a footballer. My father was a footballer, as was my uncle!”Brothers Alexis and Kevin Mac Allister talk facing each other and it appears football runs in their blood… 👀🎙️ @DannyJamieson pic.twitter.com/cd81Hi3DbX— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) October 5, 2023

    It was Argentina World Cup winner Alexis, 24, who claimed the bragging rights over his 25-year-old defensive sibling Kevin thanks to goals from Ryan Gravenberch and Diogo Jota.
    The beautiful game certainly runs deep in the family blood.
    The pair’s older brother Francis, 27, is also a professional footballer back home in Argentina and plays in midfield for Rosario Central.
    Their father Carlos, an ex-defender for Argentina and Boca Juniors, and uncle Carlos Patricio, a former forward at Estudiantes de La Plata, both enjoyed impressive careers.
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    Meanwhile, their cousin Luciano Guaycochea, 31, is a striker for Malaysian outfit Perak.
    Despite the hard-fought contest out on the famous turf in front of the Kop yesterday, it was all-love afterwards as the brothers got together for a heartfelt post-match interview.
    Alexis, a £52m summer signing for Liverpool from Brighton, told TNT Sports: “It was really nice for the family, very emotional.
    “I’ve played against my older brother before but never against Kevin – it was special.
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    “My dad was here too, he knows what it means, he cried a little bit.”
    Kevin added: “He was the reason I suffer today, but it was a very special moment.
    “Of course, Liverpool, maybe in the last match, come to Belgium and we can get revenge maybe.”

    When they were quizzed on whether they were going to swap shirts, Alexis joked: “I don’t know if he wants a shirt from another player!”
    And supporters seemed to absolutely love it after tuning in to the interview.
    “Family is indeed everything,” wrote one viewer on X, formerly known as Twitter.
    Another said: “The way they look at each other and respect each other…. True brotherhood.”
    “Wholesome,” declared another as another social media post read: “This is so refreshing to watch.” More