[UEL] MD4 Review

Genoa threw away a 2-0 lead against Lille but snatched a dramatic late 3-2 win in the UEFA Europa League while Roma secured a comeback victory over nine-man Fulham. City rivals Lazio received a 4-1 thrashing at Villarreal.

Genoa 3-2 Lille
Giuseppe Sculli scored a winner in added time after Genoa had squandered a two-goal lead against Lille in the closing stages of a rainswept match in Group B. The hosts looked to be cruising after Argentinian strikers Rodrigo Palacio and Hernan Crespo scored in each half, only for Pierre-Alain Frau to pull one back in the 76th minute and fellow substitute Gervinho to level in the 84th, before the dramatic ending. The result leaves the section wide open with Lille still top on seven points, Valencia leading Genoa on head-to-head record with six points apiece and Slavia Prague on two points after their 2-2 home draw with the Spanish side. Gian Piero Gasperini's men travel to Prague on December 2.

Roma 2-1 Fulham
Roma, helped by an amazing goal from John Arne Riise that deflected off his brother Bjorn Helge, climbed two points above nine-man Fulham in Group E second place after coming back from a goal down. Fulham went ahead through Diomansy Kamara's 19th-minute penalty, but the sending off of Erik Nevland four minutes into the second half changed the game. Riise struck on 69 minutes before Stefano Okaka Chukka grabbed the winner, and the visitors finished the game with nine men after Paul Konchesky was dismissed in stoppage time. Claudio Ranieri's team host a crucial match against Basel on December 3.

Villarreal 4-1 Lazio
A remarkable night yielded five goals, three penalties, two red cards and eight bookings as Villarreal's 4-1 win against Lazio lifted them above the Roman side courtesy of their head-to-head record in Group G. Two strikes from Robert Pires - his second a penalty, one each from Cani and substitute Giuseppe Rosssi - also a penalty - plus a consolation from Mauro Zarate accounted for the scoring, but this was one of Europe's most scintillating and open matches this season, with sufficient clear-cut chances for the teams' combined totals to have reached double figures. Roberto Baronio was sent off in the first three minutes after the visitors fell behind, while Gonzalo was red carded for the hosts on the half-hour mark with the score 3-0, with Pasquale Foggia missing the resulting penalty. Davide Ballardini's men travel to Salzburg on December 2.

UEFA Europa League 2009-10
Group Stage, Matchday 4
Thursday 5 November
Anderlecht 3-1 Timisoara
Dinamo Zagreb 0-2 Ajax
Genoa 3-2 Lille
Slavia Prague 2-2 Valencia
Hamburg 0-0 Celtic
Rapid Vienna 0-3 Hapoel Tel-Aviv
Heerenveen 2-3 Hertha Berlin
Sporting Lisbon 1-1 Ventspils
Basel 3-1 CSKA Sofia
Roma 2-1 Fulham
Dinamo Bucharest 0-3 Galatasaray
Sturm Graz 0-1 Panathinaikos
Levski Sofia 0-1 Salzburg
Villarreal 4-1 Lazio
Fenerbahce 3-1 Steaua Bucharest
Twente 2-1 Sheriff
AEK Athens 2-2 BATE Borisov
Everton 0-2 Benfica
Partizan Belgrade 2-4 Club Brugge
Toulouse 0-2 Shakhtar Donetsk
Copenhagen 1-1 PSV Eindhoven
Cluj 2-3 Sparta Prague
Nacional 1-1 Athletic Bilbao
Werder Bremen 2-0 Austria Vienna

Source: UEFA