UEFA Europa League 2011, Matchday 3: Stoke City Go Top; Sporting, PSV Eindoven Get Key Wins

Sporting Lisbon were the big winners of today’s late Europa League action, their 2-0 triumph over FC Vaslui with Lazio failing to beat Zurich in Switzerland combining to open up a seven point gap between themselves and second place. With three games to go, a single win is now enough to ensure the Primeira Liga side tops their group. Elsewhere, Stoke City went top of Group E thanks to a 3-0 home win over Maccabi Tel-Aviv, punctuated by one of the strangest red cards ever.

In Group A, Shamrock Rangers came close to getting their first points of the campaign but were ultimately undone by a second half goal by PAK Salonika’s Vieirinha, with the Greek side moving to into second place behind Tottenham Hotspur, who beat Rubin Kazan at home. Group B remains too close to call, and two draws there today doesn’t clarify the situation at all, while PSV Eidhoven are on the verge of qualification after maintaining their perfect record with a 1-0 away win over Hapoel Tel Aviv.

Slovan Bratislava 0-0 Paris Saint-Germain

Dynamo Kiev 1-0 Besiktas

Sporting Lisbon 2-0 FC Vaslui

Rapid Bucharest 0-1 Legia Warsaw

Hapoel Tel-Aviv 0-1 PSV Eindhoven

Standard Liege 0-0 Vorskla

Hannover 96 2-2 FC Copenhagen

Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 FC Rubin Kazan

PAOK Salonika 2-1 Shamrock Rovers