COVID CRISIS HIT ALKMAAR STUN NAPOLI
EUROPA LEAGUE ROUND-ROUND UP
NAPOLI started their Europa League campaign with a shock defeat at home to AZ Alkmaar last night
Alkmaar had travelled to Italy with 13 of their players sidelined because of coronavirus, but the Dutch runners- up were still able to spring a surprise against a side that reached the last 16 of the Champions League last season.
Dani De Wit scored the decisive goal at the Stadio San Paolo, finding space in the area before drilling beyond Napoli goalkeeper Alex Meret from close range after 57 minutes, as Alkmaar also prevailed 1- 0 in Group F, where Real Sociedad won at Croatian club Rijeka following Jon Bautista’s strike in time added- on.
BY Bayer NEIL Leverkusen MCLEMAN hammered Nice
@ Neilmcleman
6- 2 in Group C, where Hapoel Be’er Sheva overcame Slavia Prague 3- 1, while Granada defeated PSV Eindhoven 2- 1 in Group E as PAOK Salonika drew 1- 1 against Omonia Nicosia.
Roma came from a g goal down to claim a 2- 1 v victory at Young Boys while also in Group A CFR Cluj ran out 2- 0 winners at CSKA Sofia. In Group K there were draws between Dinamo Zagreb and Feyenoord and Wolfsberg and CSKA Moscow.
Paco Alcacer’s, inset, brace helped Villarreal defeat Sivasspor 5- 3 in a Group I thriller, while Yonatan Cohen’s early strike gave Maccabi Tel- Aviv a 1- 0 victory over Qarabag. In Group L,
Slovan Liberec and Hoffenheim each made winning starts after seeing off Gent and Red Star Belgrade respectively.
Lior Refaelov, below, scored the winner for Royal Antwerp, who saw off Ludogorets 2- 1 in Group J.