Paris (AFP) – Gianluca Scamacca scored his first West Ham goal on Thursday to help secure a 3-1 win over Danish minnows Viborg in the Europa Conference League play-offs.
West Ham, who made the Europa League semi-finals last season, went into the game after back-to-back losses in the Premier League to Manchester City and Nottingham Forest.
But Italian international Scamacca, signed for £30 million from Sassuolo, eased the nerves by finding the target in the 23rd minute after being teed up by another new signing, Maxwel Cornet.
Jarrod Bowen added a second in the 64th minute before Viborg pulled one back through Jakob Bonde five minutes later.
Twelve minutes from time, substitute Michail Antonio scored a third for West Ham to put the Londoners on course for a place in the group stage.
Villarreal, who were Europa League champions in 2021, overcame an early shock to defeat Hajduk Split 4-2.
Stipe Biuk gave Hajduk a second-minute lead but the Spanish side quickly recovered and were 4-1 ahead by the break.
Jose Luis Morales, with a brace, a Marko Livaja own goal and a Gerard Moreno strike in first-half stoppage time put Villarreal in charge.
A Marco Fossati penalty five minutes from time, however, gave Hajduk a glimmer of hope of overturning the deficit in next week’s second leg.
Anderlecht, 32-time Belgian champions, came away from Young Boys in Switzerland with a 1-0 win secured by a Hannes Delcroix goal just before the hour mark.
Former Arsenal star Mesut Ozil was left on the bench as his Turkish side Basaksehir were held 1-1 by Antwerp in Istanbul.
Cologne, third in the Bundesliga after two games, lost 2-1 at home to Fehervar of Hungary.
Florian Dietz put the German side ahead after 15 minutes but they were reduced to 10 men five minutes later when Julian Chabot was red-carded.
Fehervar pounced with Budu Zivzivadze and Palko Dardai giving them the lead before the break.
In the Europa League, Hearts gave up a 1-0 lead to lose 2-1 at Zurich but will start the second leg as favourites next week in their first European tie in six years.
The Scots went ahead through a Lawrence Shankland penalty after a foul on Australian international Nathaniel Atkinson.
However, the Swiss champions hit back with goals inside the space of two minutes.
Adrian Guerrero levelled with a 32nd-minute volley before Blerim Dzemaili added a second after being left unmarked.
“I thought we were outstanding tonight,” Hearts coach Robbie Neilson told BBC Scotland.
“We’ve come to the Swiss champions, who had a magnificent season last season with international players.”
Ferencvaros of Hungary were the biggest winners in the Europa League as Adama Traore scored twice in a 4-0 defeat of Ireland’s Shamrock Rovers.
Former Bournemouth and Watford striker Josh King scored an eighth-minute goal to help Fenerbahce to a 2-0 win at Austria Vienna.
