Chelsea became the first English club to enter the new season of European cup competitions with a 2-0 win over Servette Geneva. The Frenchman Nkunku converted a penalty kick, which he took himself after changing sides, and in the end, substitute Madueke secured the lead. The 18-year-old Spaniard Guiu, a new signing from Barcelona, could have been among the scorers, but he did not punish the huge mistake of the badly running goalkeeper Frick.
Fiorentina’s Spanish goalkeeper De Gea will not like to remember his debut in his new place after his transfer from Manchester United. He went to the net twice in the opening twelve minutes after Nagy’s penalty and Fino Soisal’s shot. Even before the break, Sottil reduced and Argentina’s Martínez Quarta and substitute Kean scored in the second half, but Poland’s Golla secured a draw for the visitors in the last minute.
In Warsaw, Drita had to do without the suspended Ghanaian midfielder Gomda from the 30th minute, and the Slovenian striker Kramer took advantage of the numerical advantage after the change of sides with a precise header. In the end, he was replaced by Pekhart, who scored two goals in the previous four cup matches. This time he did not improve the balance, but another substitute Spaniard Gual ensured Legia a two-goal lead in the rematch.
The second Polish club Wisla Kraków fared much worse, losing to Cercle Brugge 1:6, which is its biggest home loss in its more than a hundred-year history. Omonia Nicosia put themselves in the best position for a rematch as they crushed Zira of Azerbaijan 6-0 at home. And the Cape Verdean Semedo didn’t convert the penalty, thus setting himself up for a hat trick. The Cypriot club also won its fifth game in the Conference League.
The New Saints are close to becoming Wales’ first representative in the group stage of the European Cups. The club, which three years ago defeated Viktoria Plzeň 4:2 at home and then was eliminated on penalties, took home a promising 3:0 win over Panevezys from Lithuania today. The Gibraltar club Lincoln can still dream of a similar entry in history in their asylum in Faro, Portugal, after a 2:1 win over Northern Ireland’s Larne.
The defeater of Baník Ostrava, FC Copenhagen, defeated Kilmarnock 2:0 at home. Thirteen minutes before the end, Dutchman Dicks converted a penalty and Falk added a second goal in the sixth minute of regulation. It was the Scottish club’s first defeat in the competition.
Ukrainian Kryvbas played against Betis Sevilla in the same way as against Pilsen in Košice and lost again, this time 0:2. The Argentinian Avila needed only thirteen minutes to score the first goal, the second was scored by the namesake of the Spanish star Rodri.
