UEFA Europa League (UEL) favourites AC Milan were largely unconvincing as they needed an injury time goal from teenage striker Patrick Cutrone to secure a slim 3-2 home victory over stubborn Rijeka in their Group D clash.
New summer signing Andre Silva had earlier given the hosts a first half lead before another summer signing in Mateo Musacchio added a second goal after the interval. That prompted the fightback from Rijeka as Ghanaian footballer Boadu Acosty halved the deficit paving the way for a late leveller from Josip Elez before the last gasp goal showing from Cutrone.
In Group E, English side Everton continued their faltering start to the season after they were forced to a 2-2 draw by 10-man Apollon Limassol of Cyprus. Wayne Rooney and Nikola Vlasic scored for the hosts to overturn Spanish forward Adrian Sardinero’s 12th minute strike but Apollon battled back with a leveller two minutes from time courtesy another Spanish player Hector Yuste. Their equaliser came just two minutes after French defender Valentin Roberge saw red and he would be very pleased that his teammates more than coped in his absence.
French side Olympique Lyon played out a 1-1 draw with visitors Atalanta in the other game in Group E. Bertrand Traore gave the home side the lead on the stroke of halftime but Alejandro Gomez equalised for the Italian side in the second half.
Other Selected Results
Group A:
Maccabi Tel Aviv 0-0 Villareal
Group B:
Partizan Belgrade 2-3 Dynamo Kyiv
Skenderbeu 1-1 Young Boys
Group C:
Sporting Braga 2-1 Istanbul Basaksehir
Ludogorets Razgrad 2-1 TSG Hoffenheim
Group D:
AEK Athens 2-2 Austria Wien
Group F:
Locomotiv Moscow 3-0 Zlin
FC Sheriff 0-0 FC Copenhagen
