Romanians deliver Hammer blow to Bilic's youngsters

 West Ham manager Slaven Bilic's decision to put out a young, largely inexperienced side for the second leg of their Europa League third qualifying round tie away to Astra Giurgiu backfired when the Romanians ran out 2-1 winners on Thursday.

The Hammers, who had let slip a two-goal lead and conceded a last-gasp equaliser in the first leg last week, went out 4-3 on aggregate.

But it had all started so well as a goal from debutant Manuel Lanzini inside three minutes put them ahead, but two quick goals in three minutes from Constantin Budescu, after 33 and 36 minutes, put the Romanians in the driving seat.

Southampton were already 3-0 up in their tie with Vitesse Arnhem from the first leg and cruised through 5-0 on aggregate after Graziano Pelle's low shot after four minutes killed the tie off as a contest and Senegalese striker Sadio Mane added the final flourish a minute from the end.

The result was slightly tainted by news that Dutch police made 53 arrests in Arnhem before the game.

But for once it was not just English supporters who were rounded up, as reports suggested that 50 of those detained in the city's bar district, where opposing fans had apparently been drinking together peacefully, were Dutch and only three of them English.
Athletic Bilbao did just enough to reach the play-offs by holding Inter Baku of Azerbaijan 0-0.

Having done the hard part in the home leg last week, they moved into Friday's draw 2-0 on aggregate.

Rubin Kazan of Russia came into their second leg against seasoned European campaigners Sturm Graz 3-2 up from the away leg and survived a brief scare when Josip Tadic put the Austrians ahead on the night.

But it was left to captain Oleg Kuzmin to steady the ship five minutes from the end with an equaliser which left it 1-1 to send Kazan through 4-3 on aggregate.

It was an unhappy night for Cyprus' two teams hopeful of advancing.

With Larnaca needing a miracle later on at home to Bordeaux to overturn a 3-0 deficit, both Omonia Nicosia and Apollon Limassol might have fancied their chances of a place in the next round.

But in the event, Apollon's 1-1 home draw with FC Qabala did not prove enough in Azerbaijan as the home side grabbed the all-important winner 10 minutes from time when Javid Huseynov fired home from the penalty spot.
Omonia must have thought they had done enough in Denmark when they held Brondby to a goalless draw last week, but they went out with their heads held high after a 2-2 draw in the Cypriot capital.

Two penalties from Cillian Sheridan, in the 16th and 45th minutes, twice drew them level after Teemu Pukki had put Brondy in front in the second minute and again after 39, but that was how it remained and the Danes went through on away goals.

The relative big guns involved at this early stage of the competition were mostly in action later, with Borussia Dortmund, beaten Champions League finalists only two years ago, defending a 1-0 lead at home to Wolfsberg of Austria.

But Italian side Sampodria were facing a mission impossible away in Serbia where Vojvodina held a remarkable 4-0 lead from last week's first leg in Genoa.
Source: AFP