Jose Mourinho’s AS Roma were routed 6-1 by Norwegian team Bodo/ Glimt in the Europa Conference League, the first time the Portuguese manager has seen one of his team’s concede six goals in a game.
Roma are one of the big favourites 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 their first two group games.
Tottenham, one of the other favourites, also had a setback as they 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.
Raining goals
Erik Botheim and Ola Solbakken scored two goals apiece for Bodo/Glimt, while Patrick Berg and Amahl Pellegrino added one each for the Norwegian champions. 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 for that.”
After three games, Bodo/Glimt top 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).
Spurs struggle
Tottenham rotated their 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 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.
Sparta led 2-0 in Prague after Lukas Haraslin scored twice in the opening 19 minutes. But Karl Toko Ekambi pulled one back after collecting a through ball in first-half injury-time and Houssem Aouar equalised 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 Krejcí netted a consolation goal for Sparta in stoppage time.
West Ham win
Lorenzo Insigne and substitutes Victor Osimhen and Matteo Politano all scored to give Serie A leaders Napoli a 3-0 victory over Legia Warsaw for the Italian team’s first win in Group C.
West Ham took the lead when defender Craig Dawson rose high to head in a corner in first-half injury time. Centre-back Issa Diop doubled the advantage after another corner in the 57th and Jarrod Bowen added the third just two minutes later with a low shot.
West Ham have yet to concede a goal in Group H, with Genk, Rapid Vienna and Dinamo Zagreb all six points back.
After beating Italian champions Inter Milan 3-1 at the weekend, Lazio were held to a 0-0 draw against French side Marseille, who drew their third straight game in Group E.
