Football: Spurs, Fulham, Stoke draw as Celtic outclassed

British teams make slow start in the Europa League.

PARIS: A young Tottenham side held PAOK Salonika to a goalless draw as fellow British sides struggled to make a significant impact on the first night of Europa League group action.

While Fulham drew 1-1 with Dutch side FC Twente and Stoke came seconds away from pulling off the shock of the night in a 1-1 draw away to Dynamo Kiev, Scottish side Celtic fell to a 2-0 defeat at Atletico Madrid.

Spurs, who play Liverpool tomorrow in the Premier League, made 10 changes to their side and that decision looked questionable as the Greeks piled on the pressure in a lively second half. PAOK could have gone 1-0 up just after the half hour mark after Carlo Cudicini tripped Stefanos Athanasiadis inside the Spurs box.

But after Lino converted the spot-kick, the Brazilian defender was forced to retake the spot-kick. Luckily for Spurs, Lino dragged his second attempt wide.

Meanwhile, Fulham have been unbeaten in 20 European home games, stretching back to their European debut - a 0-0 UEFA Intertoto Cup draw against FC Haka in 2002.

They took a 19th-minute lead at Craven Cottage thanks to Andrew Johnson, however in a lively encounter the Premier League side were pegged back by a 41st-minute equaliser courtesy of striker Luuk De Jong.

“In the first half we should have been two or three up,” said Fulham manager Martin Jol. “Of course they’re a good team but when you put them under that sort of pressure you should be winning.”

Birmingham went down 3-1 at home to last season’s runners-up Braga while little Irish side Shamrock Rovers slumped 3-0 at the hands of Russia’s Rubin Kazan.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 17^th,  2011.