New Delhi, October 22, 2021: Jose Mourinho’s Roma was routed 6-1 by Norwegian team Bodo/Glimt in the Europa Conference League on Thursday, the first time the Portuguese manager has seen one of his team’s concede six goals in a game.
Roma is one of the big favorites to win UEFA’s new third-tier competition but trailed 2-0 after 20 minutes and conceded four more goals after the break. It was the Italian team’s first loss after winning its first two group games.
Tottenham, one of the other favorites, also had a setback as it lost 1-0 to Vitesse in the Netherlands.
In the Europa League, West Ham and 10-man Lyon both earned a third straight victory to remain the last two teams in Europe’s second-tier competition with a perfect record.
Lyon came from two goals down to beat Sparta Prague 4-3 away while West Ham cruised to a 3-0 home win against Genk.
EUROPEAN CONFERENCE LEAGUE
Erik Botheim and Ola Solbakken scored two goals apiece for Bodo/Glimt, while Patrick Berg and Amahl Pellegrino added one each for the Norwegian champion. Roma Forward Carles Perez had made it 2-1 in the first half.
Mourinho attributed the result to his decision to heavily rotate his squad and rest most of his first-choice players for the game, which was played on an artificial pitch.
“They had more quality than us. Their first team is a much better team than our second team,” Mourinho said. “In the end, they are better players than my players. … The only thing I can say is that I tried to do it with a good intention of resting my best players for the next game, but we were punished by that.”
After three games, Bodo/Glimt tops the table in Group C with seven points, leading Roma by one.
Mourinho hopes to become the first manager to win all three current major UEFA club trophies, having won the Champions League twice (with Porto and Inter Milan) and the UEFA Cup/Europa League twice (with Porto and Manchester United).
Tottenham rotated its entire starting 11 from the team that won at Newcastle 3-2 in the Premier League on Sunday, and left star striker Harry Kane at home.
The London team badly missed Kane’s scoring touch and creativity in Arnhem.
Bryan Gil had Spurs’ best chance but hit the bar. Maximilian Wittek volleyed home the winner in the 78th minute for the hosts.
Rennes used the chance to move atop Group G with seven points after a 2-1 win at Slovenia’s Mura.
Also, 10-man Copenhagen lost 2-1 to PAOK after goalkeeper Kamil Grabara was given a straight red card nine minutes into the game for handball outside the area.
Brazilian Defender Sidcley and forward Andrija Zivkovic had a goal apiece in the first half to send the Greek side to the top of Group F with seven points, one more than Copenhagen.
In Rotterdam, Feyenoord beat Union Berlin 3-1 after forward Alireza Jahanbakhsh opened the scoring from close range with his fourth goal since his transfer from Brighton. Bryan Linssen doubled the lead before Union Berlin’s forward Taiwo Awoniyi reduced it to one with his 10th goal of the season in all competitions. Luis Sinisterra netted the host’s third goal in the second half.
Police in Rotterdam arrested some 60 Union Berlin fans in the early evening, saying they were seeking to confront Feyenoord supporters.
A day earlier, a group of Union officials, including president Dirk Zingler, were attacked at a bar in Rotterdam.
The win earned the hosts the top place in Group E with seven points. Berlin is bottom with three.
EUROPA LEAGUE
Sparta led 2-0 in Prague after Lukas Haraslin scored twice in the opening 19 minutes, the first goals Lyon had conceded in the competition.
But Karl Toko Ekambi pulled one back after collecting a throughball in first-half injury time and Houssem Aouar equalized eight minutes into the second half. Substitute Lucas Paqueta put the French side ahead with a left-footed shot into the roof of the net in the 67th before Lyon defender Malo Gusto was sent off with his second yellow card.
Toko Ekambi still extended the lead after he was left unmarked in the area before substitute Ladislav Krejci netted a consolation goal for Sparta in stoppage time.
Lyon tops Group A five points ahead of Sparta, while Scottish club Rangers is third on three points after beating Danish club Brondby 2-0.
