West Ham got the better of dogged Serbian visitors, while Rangers earned a narrow win on the first night of the UEFA Europa League group stage.
West Ham 3 TSC Baaka Topola 1
West Ham faced tough opposition from TSC Baaka Topola but managed to secure a 3-1 victory. Petar Stanic scored for the Serbian side, taking the lead early in the second half. West Ham equalized when Nemanja Petrovic scored an own goal. James Ward-Prowse played a significant role in setting up goals for Mohammed Kudus and Tomas Soucek.
Glasgow Rangers 1 Real Betis 0
Rangers earned a narrow 1-0 victory against Real Betis. Abdallah Sima scored the winning goal for Rangers midway through the second half. This victory marked Rangers’ first win against Spanish opponents in 15 matches.
Brighton & Hove Albion 2 AEK Athens 3
Brighton & Hove Albion, making their European debut, narrowly lost 2-3 to AEK Athens. Joao Pedro scored twice for Brighton from penalty kicks, but Ezequiel Ponce’s late goal secured the win for AEK Athens. James Milner made history by becoming the first player to represent five English teams in European competition.
Ajax Amsterdam 3 Marseille 3
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored twice as Marseille came from behind to draw 3-3 with ten-man Ajax Amsterdam. Both teams displayed strong attacking play, resulting in a thrilling match.
Olympiacos 2 Freiburg 3
Freiburg secured a 3-2 victory over Olympiacos in Group A. Ayoub El Kaabi scored twice for Olympiacos, but Maximilian Philipp’s late goal sealed the win for Freiburg. Olympiacos had not beaten a German club on home soil in 12 years.