Europa League: Conte Wins Crazy First Game, Leicester And West Ham Held

Antonio Conte was dished up the good and the bad in his first match in charge of Tottenham who beat Vitesse Arnhem 3-2 in the Europa Conference League on Thursday in a game which also featured three red cards.

Conte took his place in the dug out at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium after his work permit arrived in time two days after his appointment.

And after watching his side race to a three goal lead, before being pegged back then lose a man as Vitesse ended with nine men Conte told BT: “It was a crazy game.

“Usually I don’t like this type of game – a crazy game means anything can happen. But at the same time I think we should win and we won.

“We were winning 3-0 then conceded two goals we can avoid. After a red card we were in trouble. To win while suffering is good for this team, these players.”

Spurs had not mustered a single shot on target in the weekend defeat to Manchester United, which spelled the end for Nuno Espirito Santo after just four months in charge.

Against Vitesse they’d conjured up two within the first 90 seconds, encouraging the fans, some draped in Italian flags to make Conte feel at home.

The Italian former Inter Milan, Chelsea and Juventus boss only had to wait 14 minutes for his new side’s first goal, with Son Heung-min driving in a low angled shot from the right.

While Conte was left with plenty of food for thought in north London ahead of his Premier League return against Everton, former Spurs boss Jose Mourinho watched his Roma side earn a come-from-behind 2-2 draw against Bodo/Glimt.

The Norwegians had embarrassed Mourinho’s Serie A charges 6-1 at home in the first match between the two sides last month.

The stalemate left Roma one point adrift of Bodo/Glimt in Group C.

West Ham edged towards the Europa League knockout stage despite Tomas Soucek’s own goal costing them victory in a 2-2 draw at Genk on Thursday as Rangers were also held 1-1 by Brondby.

The Hammers are on the brink of guaranteeing top spot in Group H which will book their place in the last 16, but needed Said Benrahma to score twice in Belgium to preserve their unbeaten record in Europe.

In the 1,000th game of his managerial career, David Moyes took the opportunity to rest a number of his key players ahead of Liverpool’s visit to the London Stadium on Sunday and paid the price with a slow start as Joseph Paintsil opened the scoring for Genk after just four minutes.

Two of West Ham’s regulars Michail Antonio and Declan Rice came close to equalising before half-time.

But it was not until the introduction of Soucek, Pablo Fornals and Jarrod Bowen after the break that they turned the game around.

Benrahma rounded off a brilliant team move to equalise before using his individual skill to wriggle free of the Genk defence and fire powerfully in at the near post.

However, the visitors dropped points for the first time in the group when Soucek’s diving header flew into his own net three minutes from time.

West Ham’s place in the knockout stages will be confirmed later on Thursday if there is a winner in the clash between Dinamo Zagreb and Rapid Vienna.

Serie A leaders Napoli came from a goal down to thrash Legia Warsaw 4-1 in Poland to go top of a tightly contested Group C.

Leicester can join the Italians on seven points if they beat Spartak Moscow later at the King Power.

Monaco maintain a two-point lead over La Liga leaders Real Sociedad after both games in Group B ended in draws.

Sociedad could only manage a 1-1 draw at home to Sturm Graz to give PSV Eindhoven hope of qualifying as they drew 0-0 in the Principality.