On Thursday night, Southampton fell to their first UEFA Europa League defeat of the season, losing 1-0 to Italian side Inter Milan at the San Siro.
Saints boss Claude Puel has said that Group K is “wide open” in an interview with the club’s official website.
It’s a good group, with good teams, and it’s open for all the teams. It will be important to take points in the next game and for the other games to build our qualification. But it is open.
Saints have played the first round of fixtures in the group stages, winning, drawing and losing one game, leaving us in joint second along with Israeli team Hapoel Be’er Sheva, but Southampton are sitting just above by one goal on goal difference.
Matchday One: Southampton 3-0 Sparta Prague
Charlie Austin netted a brace as Southampton started their Europa League Campaign at St Mary’s Stadium. Austin opened the scoring with Saints getting a lucky handball decision going their way. After a misunderstanding involving both Dusan Tadic & eventual penalty taker Charlie Austin over who was to take the penalty, the former QPR man smashed it into the bottom corner.
Austin had a header denied for offside in the first-half, however, just minutes later he broke free at the back post to smash a header past Sparta keeper Tomáš Koubek to make it 2-0.
In added time, Jay Rodriguez rounded off the victory by guiding Southampton’s third past Koubek first time from just inside the box.
All in all, it was a fantastic night for Southampton and Claude Puel’s men secured a first win of the season in all competitions.
Matchday Two: Hapoel Be’er Sheva 0-0 Southampton
Saints’ first European away game left Puel’s men with a valuable away point in Group K against Israeli side Hapoel Be’er Sheva.
After a poor first half, it slightly brightened up for both sides in the second, but wasn’t great viewing for the travelling Saints fans who made the 6,000 mile round trip to the Turner Stadium.
[statsfc-table key=”n3hIsXGmdJ6AnSMKzUo6i09cnqzZIPNpYYb7QNmF” competition=”UEL” group=”k” type=”full” highlight=”Southampton” date=”2016-9-30″]
The draw left both sides in joint top position on four points after Hapoel picked up all three points against Inter in their first tie of the competition.
Matchday 3: Inter Milan 1-0 Southampton
Despite Saints’ domination of the hosts, Inter spoiled the event with Antonio Candreva scoring a brilliant goal in the 66th minute. Despite losing the game, many Southampton fans remained positive, including legendary midfielder Matt Le Tissier, who took to Twitter to express his delight…
Twitter: Didn’t think I’d ever be tweeting this but we’re battering inter in the San siro
(@mattletiss7)
Tweet us your views on the performance of our boys at the halfway mark at @ReadSouthampton and also tell us which has been your favourite Europa League game so far!
