European clockwatch: West Ham and Rangers win, Spurs shocked by Vitesse

Jacob Steinberg was at the London Stadium tonight. His report has landed. You know what to do. Get clicking! Thanks for reading this Clocko marathon. Nighty night!

Group A: Rangers 2-0 Brondby; Sparta Prague 3-4 Lyon
Group B: PSV Eindhoven 1-2 Monaco; Sturm Graz 0-1 Real Sociedad
Group C: Napoli 3-0 Legia Warsaw
Group D: Eintracht Frankfurt 3-1 Olympiakos
Group E: Lokomotiv Moscow 0-1 Galatasaray
Group H: West Ham 3-0 Genk

GOAL! Sparta Prague 3-4 Lyon (Krejci 90). A very, very, very late consolation for Sparta. There’s not enough time for it to make a difference.

GOAL! Napoli 3-0 Legia Warsaw (Politano 90). Matteo Politano makes it look a little easier than it actually was for the Italians.

A comfortable victory for Rangers in the end, and they’re right back in contention in Group A!

The Hammers eased home after that quickfire double at the start of the second half. They have nine points out of nine in Group H, and end the day six clear of Dinamo Zagreb, Rapid Vienna and Genk. David Moyes’ side are within touching distance of the knockout stage already!

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GOAL! Sparta Prague 2-4 Lyon (Ekambi 88). Lyon may be down to ten men, but Karl Toko Ekambi has sealed the deal nonetheless. Lyon consolidate top spot in Group A with nine points, five clear of second-placed Sparta. Great news for Rangers, who despite their slow start in the group, are now involved in a three-way tussle with Sparta and Brondby for second spot.

GOAL! PSV 1-2 Monaco (Diop 89). Sofiane Diop puts third-placed PSV on the back foot in Group B, sending Monaco top.

Scott Wright is very fortunate not to be walking at Ibrox. Chasing Andreas Maxsø, he scrapes his boot down the back of his leg; the Brondby captain is fortunate not to suffer any injury. The officials, who have made a series of slightly odd decisions this evening, show no interest. Lucky Wright.

GOAL! Napoli 2-0 Legia Warsaw (Osimhen 80)
GOAL! Lokomotiv Moscow 0-1 Galatasaray (Akturkoglu 82)
Kerem Akturkoglu’s late strike for the 2000 Uefa Cup champs ensures a goal in every 8pm kick-off.

Scott Wright dances down the right wing at Ibrox and cuts back for his namesake Arfield, who clips a first-time shot off the crossbar. Then Fashion Sakala is sent clear down the middle, but he can’t slot his shot past the octopus arm of Thomas Mikkelsen. Rangers will wonder how they’re not three or four in front now. Then again, Mikael Uhre must be wondering how he missed those chances at the start of both halves, so it’s swings and roundabouts.

GOAL! Napoli 1-0 Legia Warsaw (Insigne 76). Lorenzo Insigne gives the 1989 Uefa Cup champions the lead. Should the Italians hold on, they’ll draw level on points with Leicester City in Group C.

It might not be done and dusted in Prague yet. Lyon defender Malo Gusto has been sent off for a second bookable offence.

GOAL! Sturm Graz 0-1 Real Sociedad (Isak 68). The leaders of La Liga edge ahead in Austria, the extremely promising young Swede Alexander Isak breaking the deadlock.

GOAL! Sparta Prague 2-3 Lyon (Paqueta 67). Lyon complete the comeback in Prague, Lucas Paqueta with the French side’s latest. This is all good news for Rangers, who as things stand will be just a couple of points behind second-placed Sparta; Lyon are running away with the group, closing in on a haul of nine points from nine.

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Alfredo Morelos is looking for his 100th goal in light blue. He finds a pocket of space, 25 yards out, but sends a disappointing bobbler straight down Thomas Mikkelsen’s throat. Rangers remain two up.

GOAL! Eintracht Frankfurt 3-1 Olympiacos (Kamada 59). Japan midfielder Daichi Kamada stretches Eintracht’s lead.

GOAL! PSV 1-1 Monaco (Gakpo 59). The young Dutch international winger Cody Gakpo puts Eindhoven back on terms.

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GOAL! Sparta Prague 2-2 Lyon (Aouar 53). The Group A favourites have hauled themselves level from two goals down, Houssem Aouar with the equaliser.

Rangers really should have been awarded a penalty kick at Ibrox. Joe Oribo dropped a shoulder and glided in from the right. Sigurd Rosted hung out a leg and clipped Oribo’s boot, but for some reason neither referee nor VAR was interested.

Jarrod Bowen drives down the inside-right channel and has a dig from 25 yards. His low drive should be parried by Maarten Vandevoordt, but the keeper lets the ball bounce up off him and into the right-hand side of the net. All of a sudden, it’s game over!

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An Aaron Cresswell free kick from the left. Issa Diop wins the aerial battle and crashes a header off the underside of the bar and in. And then ...

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Tottenham went down 1-0 at Vitesse Arnhem in the Europa Conference League earlier this evening. Nuno Espirito Santo changed his entire starting XI, leaving all his big names back in Blighty, and now Spurs are third in Group G, two points behind Vitesse and three behind leaders Rennes. No matter, he says!

You have to discuss the options, the decision was made. We took a little moment to decide and we decided to bring the players that started, with the Under-23s to give us support.
It was a tough match, tough match like we expected. Always away from home in Europe in the Conference League is tough. I think we compete well, in terms of attack I think we should finish the actions better. Some combinations were missing.
There was a period in the second half when we lost a little bit of control but in terms of lack of focus in the moment of the goal, details that we should improve like we always do.
The Conference League is always a chance to have minutes on the players, players who work hard and deserve. This is what it’s all about so let’s progress.
In terms of the group I think we have two games at home against Vitesse and Rennes and then we have to play Mura. We can solve the situation of the group.

Genk midfielder Kristian Thorstvedt - son of Erik, who won the 1991 FA Cup in goal for Spurs - sees a long-range shot deflected at the London Stadium. It nearly wrong-foots Alphonse Areola in the West Ham goal, but the keeper reacts well to claim. The opportunity to shoot was set up well by Junya Ito, who has been lively on the Genk right.

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It’s all Brondby in the early exchanges of the second half at Ibrox. The Danes have clearly decided to go for it, and go for it hard. A couple of half-chances open up, Rangers just about shutting the door in time. But the hosts can’t get out of their final third.

Brondby should have halved Rangers’ lead. Mikael Uhre missed a golden chance after 15 seconds of the first half, and he’s passes up another, just 17 seconds into the second! He latches onto Borna Barišić’s dreadfully underhit backpass, and is clear on goal! He draws Allan McGregor, only to slam his shot wide right. What a miss! What a let-off for Rangers and Barišić!

The second halves are under way. A good evening for West Ham and Rangers so far.

GOAL! Eintracht Frankfurt 2-1 Olympiacos (Toure 45). Almamy Toure puts the 1960 European Cup finalists back into the lead, rendering our half-time scores round-up semi-redundant. Anyway, the whistle’s now gone in Germany, so this one’s for the completists ...

• Group A: Rangers 2-0 Brondby; Sparta Prague 2-1 Lyon
• Group B: PSV Eindhoven 0-1 Monaco; Sturm Graz 0-0 Real Sociedad
• Group C: Napoli 0-0 Legia Warsaw
• Group D: Eintracht Frankfurt 2-1 Olympiakos
• Group E: Lokomotiv Moscow 0-0 Galatasaray
• Group H: West Ham 1-0 Genk

• Group A: Rangers 2-0 Brondby; Sparta Prague 2-1 Lyon
• Group B: PSV Eindhoven 0-1 Monaco; Sturm Graz 0-0 Real Sociedad
• Group C: Napoli 0-0 Legia Warsaw
• Group D: Eintracht Frankfurt 1-1 Olympiakos (L)
• Group E: Lokomotiv Moscow 0-0 Galatasaray
• Group H: West Ham 1-0 Genk

The Hammers break the deadlock just before the break! Craig Dawson meets Aaron Cresswell’s left-wing corner, looping a header into the top left!

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GOAL! Sparta Prague 2-1 Lyon (Ekambi 42). Karl Toko Ekambi reduces Lyon’s arrears in Prague just before the break. Meanwhile in the other Group A game, Alfredo Morelos, on the right-hand edge of the D, takes a first-time swipe and crashes the ball off the base of the left-hand post! So close to sealing the deal for Rangers before half-time.

A huge let-off for West Ham keeper Alphonse Areola. He comes out flapping at Gerardo Arteaga’s left-wing cross, missing it entirely. Paul Onuachu heads towards the empty net ... but his looping effort floats wide left. So close to the opener for Genk. Areola breathes again.

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