Roman Pavlyuchenko gave Harry Redknapp a timely reminder of his talents by firing in a brilliant 20-yard free-kick to hand Tottenham an important Europa League 1-0 group stage win over Rubin Kazan at White Hart Lane.
Pavlyuchenko blasted home an early contender for goal of the season with a powerful strike that flew in off the bar, just 24 hours after Redknapp admitted he would consider selling the striker in the January transfer window.
Surprise starter Heurelho Gomes did well to deny Gokdeniz Karadeniz in the first half, and Tottenham were second best for most of the second half, but they held on to register the win which deposed Rubin at the top of Group A.
Cameron Jerome was controversially sent off as Stoke strolled to a comfortable 3-0 win over Maccabi Tel Aviv at the Britannia Stadium to consolidate their position at the top of Europa League Group E.
It seemed little could go wrong for the Potters after first-half headers from Kenwyne Jones and Jerome and a finish from Ryan Shotton had put them firmly in the driving seat.
They were reduced to 10 men in the 43rd minute as Jerome collected a second yellow card having been - somewhat harshly - adjudged to have elbowed Yoav Ziv, but the Maccabi player was then shown red in a bizarre incident early in the second half and the hosts had little trouble seeing out the victory from there.
Chris Wood scored a stunning winner in the 10th minute of stoppage time to secure Birmingham a thrilling Europa League Group H 2-1 win at Club Brugge.
The npower Championship side had trailed to Joseph Akpala's third-minute opener but roared on by more than 5,400 travelling fans they equalised through David Murphy's slick finish in the 26th minute.
Then, following more than six minutes of treatment for defender Pablo Ibanez after he was knocked unconscious in worrying fashion, Wood stole in at the near post to score a dramatic winner.
Joe Ledley's second-half header gave Celtic a deserved 1-1 Europa League draw against Rennes at the Route de Lorient, but once again the Hoops were left to count the cost of defensive woes.
On the half-hour mark, with the game evenly-matched, a long punt by home goalkeeper Benoit Costil was making its way harmlessly through to Fraser Forster, but Cha Du-ri helped it on then watched in horror as the ball slipped past the Hoops 'keeper and trundled into the net.
But Celtic fought back and in the 70th minute Ledley flicked a Charlie Mulgrew free-kick over Costil to give the visitors a draw, although they still remain bottom of Group I on goal difference.
Moussa Dembele's red card capped a disappointing night for Fulham as they lost 1-0 at Wisla Krakow.
The Cottagers spent the majority of the first period on the back foot after Ivica Iliev avoided an early red card for a high challenge on Brede Hangeland.
Fulham's feeling of injustice was strengthened just before the half-hour mark when Dembele was harshly sent off for a push on Gervasio Nunez.
The White Star continued to press and got their reward when David Biton fired the home side in front, before Osman Chavez was sent off late on in the clash.
Source: DSG
Source: DSG