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Valencia, PSV shocked in Europa
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Valencia and PSV Eindhoven slumped to humiliating home losses as the Europa League threw up some early surprises in the opening round of group-stage matches on Thursday.
Languishing near the bottom of the Spanish league, Valencia’s woes deepened by losing 0-3 to Swansea City in Group A, sparking a brief walkout by a section of angry fans midway through the match.
Swansea secured its greatest ever result by capitalizing on the 10th-minute sending-off of Valencia center back Adil Rami to score through Wilfried Bony, Michu and Jonathan de Guzman at the Mestalla.
“I am so pleased for everybody because now they know they can play against the biggest clubs in the biggest stadiums without any problem,” said Swansea manager Michael Laudrup, who fielded six Spanish players in his lineup — more than Valencia.
Bulgarian minnow Ludogorets Razgrad provided a second upset by scoring twice in the final half-hour to win 2-0 at PSV, which was European champion in 1988.
Tottenham Hotspur, among the favorites this season having embarked on a summer spending spree, restored some normality by cruising past Tromso 3-0 thanks to two first-half goals by Jermain Defoe, while Fiorentina beat Pacos Ferreira 3-0, Lazio defeated Legia Warsaw 1-0, two-time former champion Sevilla won 2-1 at Estoril, and Real Betis drew 0-0 with Lyon.
Valencia went down to its biggest home loss in Europe since a 1-5 defeat to Inter Milan in 2004, adding another chapter to Swansea’s remarkable rise from a financially troubled fourth-tier club in the English league 10 years ago to a first major trophy (last season’s League Cup) and then this big European win.
The writing was on the wall as soon as Rami was given a straight red for pulling back Bony when the striker was through on goal. Swansea toyed with the hosts at times and Bony finished off a flowing move in the 14th minute to put the Welsh team ahead.
A group of Valencia supporters emptied the stand in the bottom tier behind one of the goals for 10 minutes at the start of the second half in protest, returning just in time to see Michu — one of Swansea’s Spanish contingent — add a second in the 58th from compatriot Ajejandro Pozuelo’s through-ball. De Guzman completed the scoring with a superb free kick in the 62nd.
Valencia has lost three of its first four matches in La Liga to lie 16th.
It was a good night for English Premier League clubs, with Tottenham able to rest a number of its leading players but still easily overcome Tromso at White Hart Lane in Group K.
Defoe started ahead of Roberto Soldado, who left Valencia over the summer, and made the most of a rare opportunity by chipping the goalkeeper for the first goal in the 21st then sliding another into the corner in the 29th. Substitute Christian Eriksen curled a 20-yarder for a late third but the win was tarnished by injuries to Mousa Dembele and Danny Rose.
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