Skip to main content

Ranieri's Roma snatch draw at 10-man Fulham

  • Story Highlights
  • Roma score late equalizer in 1-1 draw away to Fulham in the Europa League
  • Swiss side Basel went top of Group E with a 2-0 victory away to CSKA Sofia
  • Sporting Lisbon maintain perfect record in Group D, beating Ventspils 2-1
  • Hamburg go top of Group C with 1-0 win away to Scottish strugglers Celtic
Decrease font Decrease font
Enlarge font Enlarge font

(CNN) -- Marco Andreolli snatched a late, late equalizer as Roma drew 1-1 away to 10-man Fulham as coach Claudio Ranieri avoided his first defeat against the English club in a controversial clash on Thursday night.

Fulham center-back Brede Hangeland rises highest to head home against Italian club Roma.

Fulham center-back Brede Hangeland rises highest to head home against Italian club Roma.

Ranieri was unbeaten in seven encounters with the London outfit while in charge of their local rivals Chelsea, and this time frustrated his old adversary Roy Hodgson, formerly manager of Inter Milan.

Hodgson's team, who had led Group E before the match, went ahead thanks to a 24th-minute header from defender Brede Hangeland, who outjumped Marco Andreolli to nod home a corner by Bjorn Helge Riise.

Midfielder Riise lined up against his brother, Roma defender John Arne, as the visitors struggled to make any impact without injured captain Francesco Totti.

Daniel de Rossi had an effort ruled out for offside in the 53rd minute, then Fulham had to battle after defender Stephen Kelly was sent off for a professional foul with 14 minutes after bringing down Riise -- but not before referee Paul Allaerts incorrectly handed a red card to Hangeland.

The furious Fulham players protested and Kelly was eventually dismissed, then goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer saved the resulting penalty from Jeremy Menez.

But it proved to be a brief respite as Andreolli leveled in the fourth minute of time added on with the last kick of the game as he stole in unmarked at the far post to strike from close range.

The result left Roma in third place on four points, while Swiss side Basel went top on six following a 2-0 victory away to CSKA Sofia.

Striker Alexander Frei netted in the 20th and 63rd minutes in Bulgaria to put his team a point above Fulham.

In Group A, Ajax Amsterdam went top on goal difference after beating Dinamo Zagreb 2-1, with Luis Suarez scoring a third-minute penalty and winger Dennis Rommedahl doubling the lead on 81 before Ivan Tomecak's late consolation.

They joined Anderlecht on five points after the Belgian side were held 0-0 in Romania by FC Timisoara.

In Group B, French side Lille moved two points clear at the top with a 3-0 crushing of Italy's Genoa, with Ludovic Obraniak scoring seven minutes before halftime and Robert Vittek and Eden Hazard adding goals after the break.

Valencia are second on five points after being held 1-1 by bottom club Slavia Prague as both teams had a player sent off.

Riste Naumov opened the scoring for the visiting Czechs in the 27th minute, but David Navarro leveled on 63.

Slavia's Hocine Ragued received a second yellow card before Spain striker David Villa hit the woodwork was then sent off for violent conduct in the 85th minute.

In Group C, German high-fliers Hamburg went top on goal difference with a 1-0 victory away to struggling Scottish side Celtic, with Swedish summer signing Marcus Berg drilling home the winner from outside the penalty area in the 63rd minute.

Previous leaders Rapid Vienna were hammered 4-1 away to Hapoel Tel Aviv, as Italy Shechter scored in each half for the Israeli side while Zurab Menteshashvili and Gil Vermouth also netted in the second spell.

In Group D, Sporting Lisbon maintained their perfect record, with the Portuguese side winning 2-1 away to Latvia's Ventspils thanks to a stunning strike from Joao Moutinho with five minutes left.

Miguel Veloso scored direct from a corner in the sixth minute, but Juris Laizans converted a 65th-minute penalty to level before Moutinho crashed a shot into the top corner from a wide position 25 yards out.

Dutch club Heerenveen are second on four points after a 1-0 victory at German strugglers Hertha Berlin, with both teams reduced to 10 men.

Hernan Losada scored the decisive goal in the 36th minute before his team had substitute Darryl Janmaat red-carded on 76 minutes, then Patrick Ebert received his second yellow three minutes into second-half injury-time.

In Group F, Galatasaray stayed on top on seven points with a 4-1 victory at home to Dinamo Bucuresti.

Australia forward Harry Kewell opened the scoring in the 32nd minute, then Congo striker Shabani Nonda netted three minutes before halftime and then two minutes after, both times set up by Abdulkader Keita.

Brazil midfielder Elano made it 4-0 from the penalty spot just before an hour's play, then Ousmane N'Doye netted a consolation on 63.

Greek side Panathinaikos are second on six points after beating Austria's Sturm Graz 1-0 thanks to a 60th-minute penalty from Dimitris Salpingidis, who was fouled by Mario Sonnleitner.

All About Fulham FCAS RomaHamburg SVAFC Ajax AmsterdamEuropean Football

  • E-mail
  • Save
  • Print