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EUROPA LEAGUE: Top five talking points - Mané loss hits Saints hard as impressive Genk and Schalke lay down marker

1) Saints badly miss the cut and thrust of Mané

Southampton fought valiantly at the San Siro in an effort to get something out of their Group K game, however could not find a way past the 10 men of Inter Milan late on.

They were the better side in the first half and should have scored. Sadly for boss Claude Puel, the best chances fell to profligate James Ward-Prowse and Cuco Martina.

Even Charlie Austin’s introduction just after the interval could not break the deadlock, which highlighted how much they miss the departed Sadio Mané this season.

The now Liverpool forward seemed to pop up at times like this last season to poach crucial goals with the south coast side lacking a fast, direct threat similar to him.

If Puel can promote someone successfully from the gilded Saints academy, then their Europa chances could receive a boost otherwise their lack of cutting edge could cost them dear.

2) Villarreal will not have Group L all their own way

I’m guessing there were a few jaws on the ground during half-time when people were looking at their Europa League accumulators this evening.

Villarreal were tipped to get through their trip to Osmanlıspor with comparative ease, nevertheless found themselves 2-0 down in Ankara thanks to Raul Rusescu’s brace.

The Romanian has been a regular scorer for the Süper Lig side since his 2015 switch and the Spanish defence obviously hadn’t done their homework on him.

Fifth in the Turkish top flight last season, Osmanlıspor won their opener against Steaua Bucharest before going down to FC Zürich last time out.

With all four clubs looking bang up for a fight to the last, Fran Escribá’s La Liga outfit will need more than Alexandre Pato’s face-saving heroics to ensure progress.

3) Schalke are making easy work of a tough group

The Bundesliga is a difficult league to navigate these days, particularly with the likes of big spending RB Leipzig gatecrashing the top half of the table.

Schalke managed to claw their way to fifth place last season to guarantee their Europa place, after missing out to Borussia Mönchengladbach in the Champions League race.

Shorn of Manchester City new boy Leroy Sane, who weighed in with important goals, they could have struggled straight out the gate in European competition.

Head coach Markus Weinzierl, though, has already masterminded a 1-0 win in Nice, comfortable 3-1 home victory over Red Bull Salzburg and now a smash-and-grab 1-0 raid into Russia and the fearsome Krasnodar Stadium.

They have done it with four different scorers as well, the team no longer as reliant on Dutch international Klaas-Jan Huntelaar as in the past. Others beware.

4) Genk are turning Cristal Arena into a European fortress

Genk might not get anywhere near the attention their fellow Belgian top-flight sides do, but that might change soon if they continue on their current path.

Peter Maes’ team finished fourth in the Pro League last season after the play-offs behind champions Club Brugge, Anderlecht and Gent, giving as good as they got.

They spread the goals around and worked hard for each other across the pitch, their home form at the Cristal Arena very impressive especially towards the end.

This season only Anderlecht have got the better of them in home domestic ties, while they saw off Sassuolo last time out 3-1 to show they could be a force in Group B.

The 2-0 victory over Athletic Bilbao tonight merely reinforces the view that if they can progress through the group, they could prove stubborn in the knockout phase.

5) Pogba finally starts earning his wages Old Trafford way

Paul Pogba was ludicrously overpriced this summer. Anyone with half a brain could see that based on the fact that he had no serious track record in England and he wasn’t a game changing player in the mould of a prolific striker.

That wasn’t his fault, though. The Frenchman bullied opposition midfields and defences with his all-action displays in Serie A. Sadly, it’s not the league it once was.

After an extremely low-key start to his second coming as a Manchester United player, the way he put his stamp on Fenerbahce this evening highlighted the potential he possesses.

Naturally he will need more than the odd all-action performance and world-class strike to earn his place in Old Trafford folklore but it is a welcome start.

It could help reinvigorate Jose Mourinho’s side back in the Premier League too, while their Europa progress seems all but assured after the way they dismantled the sorry Turks tonight.

Join me on 3rd November for the next round of reflection.

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