Real Betis and Nottingham Forest drew 2-2 in Seville, as former Manchester United winger Antony scored a late equaliser five minutes from time. It was Forest’s return to European football after nearly 30 years.
Betis had taken an early lead through Cédric Bakambu, but Forest responded quickly with two first-half goals from Igor Jesus, who scored in the 18th and 23rd minutes. Just as Forest looked set for their first win under new manager Ange Postecoglou, Antony found the net to earn Betis a point.
Elsewhere, Maccabi Tel Aviv held PAOK to a goalless draw in Thessaloniki amid protests over the war in Gaza. Fans waved Palestinian flags and displayed anti-Israel banners, with a strong police presence in and around the stadium. Maccabi had a goal ruled out for offside, and both sides missed good chances.
Midtjylland beat Sturm Graz 2-0, with the first goal coming from an own goal by the goalkeeper, and Ousane Diao heading in the second near the end.
In France, Roma beat Nice 2-1 thanks to quick second-half goals from Evan N’Dicka and Gianluca Mancini. Terem Moffi pulled one back for Nice, but they couldn’t find an equaliser. Roma fans were involved in crowd trouble the night before the match, but heavy police presence kept both fan groups apart.
Freiburg earned a 2-1 win over Basel, while Dinamo Zagreb beat Fenerbahce 3-1 in their first European match since José Mourinho’s departure. Braga also claimed a 1-0 win over Feyenoord, and Ludogorets surprised Malmö with a 2-1 victory in Sweden.
More matches, including Aston Villa v Bologna, will be played today from the first round of the Europa League.
This season uses the new 36-team league format, with each club playing eight different opponents.
