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Europa League Round 3: Roma Secures First Victory, Ajax Takes Temporary Lead

Roma's Triumph in Kyiv

Roma, the Italian football powerhouse, finally secured its first victory in the new edition of the UEFA Europa League, defeating Dynamo Kyiv 1-0 on Thursday in the third round. The victory was attributed to the new Ukrainian striker, Artem Dovbyk, who joined from Girona, scoring the match-winning goal in the 23rd minute from a penalty kick. This occurred after Taras Mykhailichenko committed a foul on Tommaso Baldanzi inside the penalty area. Dovbyk became the first Ukrainian player to score against a team from his own country in the Europa League, according to Opta statistics.

Roma's previous two matches were a disappointment, with a 1-1 draw against Athletic Bilbao and a 0-1 loss to Elfsborg. The team faces challenging circumstances this season after the club management replaced its iconic figure, Daniele De Rossi, with Croatian coach Ivan Juric. As a result, Roma currently sits in 10th place in the domestic league standings.

Ajax Climbs to the Top

Ajax, the Dutch giant, ascended to the top of the table, albeit temporarily, with 7 points following a convincing 3-0 victory over Qarabag in Azerbaijan. Ajax capitalized on Qarabag's numerical disadvantage after the expulsion of their Brazilian midfielder, Julio Romão, just 15 minutes into the match. Ajax's goals came from Kenneth Taylor in the 36th minute, followed by a penalty conversion from Wout Weghorst in the 74th minute, and lastly, Chuba Akpom sealed the victory in the 77th minute. The match saw another red card, this time for Elvin Cavargولييف in the 79th minute, leaving Qarabag with just nine players on the field.

Other Notable Results

Galatasaray remains in contention, with 7 points like Ajax, but sits behind due to goal difference. They defeated Elfsborg 4-3 on Wednesday in Istanbul. Eintracht Frankfurt and Midtjylland, who secured victories against RFS and Sint-Truiden respectively, joined Ajax, Galatasaray, and Bodo/Glimt, who defeated Braga 2-1, in the top positions.

Real Sociedad celebrated their first victory in the competition, overcoming Maccabi Tel Aviv 2-1. Similarly, Ferencváros secured a 1-0 win over Nice. PAOK managed a dramatic 2-2 draw against Viktoria Plzeň, despite trailing by two goals, taking advantage of the expulsion of Liberian defender Sampson Doi Junior in the 70th minute.