Off to a winning start in new-look Europa League
The visitors had a glorious chance to level on 18 minutes, Bayramov clean through on goal but, under pressure in the end from Udogie, mis-kicked in front of goal and Guglielmo Vicario gathered the ball. And 10 minutes later it was our turn again, Johnson knocking the ball past the onrushing Kochalski with a clever header on the right angle of the area but then sliding a shot just past the post.
Despite the numerical disadvantage we had an element of control in the game although were always susceptible to the counter-attack and five minutes before the break, Qarabag hit us with one such break, Elvin Jafarguliyev sending in a cross from the left but Juninho side-footed wide unmarked eight yards out. On the stroke of half-time, Vicario made an unbelievable sprawling tackle 30 yards from his goal to prevent Juninho from latching onto a wayward Ben Davies pass back, ensuring we went in ahead at the interval.
Having scored early in the first half, we broke through again even earlier in the second, just seven minutes gone when substitute Dejan Kulusevski’s corner was flicked away to Sarr near the corner of the six-yard box and he volleyed home via a deflection off Patrick Andrade on the goal-line.
Three minutes later though, Jafarguliyev was tripped by Yves Bissouma in the area with the referee awarding a penalty, only for Bayramov to blast his spot-kick over, while Vicario kept out Juninho’s effort moments later. We then went up the other end, Heung-Min Son playing in Solanke but he was denied by Kochalski from close range.
Vicario then kept out efforts from Bayramov and Abdellah Zoubir before Juninho struck the post with a fierce drive as the visitors stepped up the pressure but we continued to make them pay for their profligacy, adding a third goal in the 68th minute. This time Son hit a curling right-foot effort through a crowd of players which Kochalski could only parry and, quick as a flash, Solanke was there to slot home the loose ball. Back came Qarabag, looking for that one goal that might have given them a way back into the contest and when Jafarguliyev hit an effort from 25 yards, it was heading for the top corner until Vicario produced a stunning one-handed save to tip it over the bar. In the end though, it was a solid performance by our 10 men and gives us the perfect start to our Europa League campaign.
Team news saw Ange Postecoglou make six changes to the starting XI from Saturday's clash with Brentford. Archie Gray, Bergvall, Dragusin, Davies, Sarr and Bissouma all came in, while young forward Will Lankshear was named in a first team matchday squad for the first time as he took his place on the bench.
