Win for Arsenal after crowd trouble
BERNE: Arsenal recovered from a goal down to beat FC Cologne 31 after crowd disturbances in London, while AC Milan’s new signing, Andre Silva, scored a hattrick in a rousing 51 win at Austria Vienna as the Europa League group stage got under way yesterday.
Arsenal’s group H match was delayed by an hour as about 20,000 Cologne supporters, many without tickets, descended on The Emirates before kick off as their team returned to European competition for the first time in 25 years.
There were also scuffles between fans and Uefa has since charged both clubs .
When the action finally started, Arsenal fell behind to a stunning longrange strike from Jhon Cordoba before secondhalf goals from Sead Kolasinac, Alexis Sanchez and Hector Bellerin rescued the win.
Silva, Milan’s Portugal forward, became the first player to score a European hattrick for the seventime European champion since Brazilian Kaka against Anderlecht in 2006.
Hakan Calhanoglu set Milan on its way with a fierce drive in the seventh minute and then set up Silva’s first two goals in the 10th and 20th minutes of the group D game.
Although Alexandar Borkovic pulled one back two minutes after the break, Silva completed his treble in the 56th minute after being sent clear by Franck Kessie’s through ball. Suso added the fifth just after the hour before Milan eased up.
Atalanta was also impressive, scoring three firsthalf goals to beat English opponent Everton in group E.
Andrea Masiello tapped the ball in from a corner after 27 minutes before Alejandro Gomez rifled home a shot from the edge of the area in the 41st and Bryan Cristante added the third three minutes later after Everton was caught in possession.
Olympique Lyonnais was held 11 at Apollon Limassol in the group’s other game after Adrian Sardinero Corpa got a lastgasp equaliser for the Cypriots to cancel out Memphis Depay’s 53rd minute penalty.
Braga pulled off a shock in group C by coming from behind to win 21 at Hoffenheim.
Sandro Wagner gave Hoffenheim the lead in the 24th minute but Joao Carlos Teixeira headed the equaliser on the stroke of halftime from a cross by Ricardo Esgaio who also set up the winner for Dyego Sousa five minutes after the break.
Lazio came from behind to win 32 at Vitesse Arnhem in group K to complete a perfect night for three Serie A teams. Ciro Immobile scored its second goal, taking his tally for the season to seven in five games in all competitions.
In the group’s other game, Nice thumped ZulteWaregem 51 in Belgium with Alassane Plea scoring the first two goals, followed by a third from Dante and one from Allan SaintMaximin before maverick striker Mario Balotelli wrapped up the win.
Guimaraes fielded four Brazilians, three Colombians, one Uruguayan, one Peruvian, one Ghanaian and one Ivorian against Salzburg which is in the Europa League again after a 10th successive failure to reach the Champions League.
Brazilian Pedrao put Guimaraes ahead in the group I game before Valon Berisha levelled for the Austrian champion.
Zenit St Petersburg enjoyed the biggest win of the night, 50 at Macedonian champion Vardar Skopje in group L. — Reuters