Ecuadorians abroad. Nilson Angulo needed less than two minutes to make his mark in Poland on Thursday. The Sunderland winger set up the fastest goal of this season’s Europa League in a 1-1 draw at Lech Poznań, while Pervis Estupiñán’s difficult October went on in AC Milan’s 3-0 loss at Bournemouth.
Angulo: an assist and an 8.4
Sunderland pressed high from the kickoff, and Angulo pounced on a weak pass from Lech goalkeeper Mateusz Lis and crossed for Timur Tutierov to head in his first goal for the club, as Sky Sports and The Guardian reported. Sky Sports called it the fastest goal of this season’s Europa League. El Diario said it was Angulo’s first assist in the competition.
Sunderland dominated but could not add a second. Lis saved a low shot from Angulo, The Guardian wrote, and substitute Bengtsson equalized for Lech with 20 minutes left. Angulo was replaced in the 63rd minute. FotMob gave him an 8.4 rating. His Ecuador and Sunderland teammate Juan Riquelme Angulo was not in the matchday squad.
Estupiñán: booked, then hooked at half-time
Estupiñán started at left back in a game that went wrong early for Milan. Dutch winger Justin Kluivert scored a penalty in the 8th minute, and Mike Maignan was sent off around the half-hour for hitting Tyler Adams in the face. Marcus Tavernier scored the second penalty that followed, according to Eurosport’s account of the refereeing decisions. Estupiñán was booked in the 35th minute and Ruben Amorim replaced him with Davide Bartesaghi at half-time. Adli’s 84th-minute free kick, per ESPN, completed a 3-0 win for Bournemouth.
The Italian press was hard on him again. Calciomercato’s ratings, published by Goal, gave him a 5: “a mediocre performance in defence and in attack,” adding that the yellow card persuaded Amorim to leave him in the dressing room. Bartesaghi got a 5.5. FotMob rated Estupiñán 6.3 for his 45 minutes.
The debate started before kickoff. On Sunday Amorim defended him after he was whistled at San Siro, saying he had turned down offers for the Ecuadorian at the end of the transfer window and that it was “my responsibility.” Gazzetta dello Sport reported that Aston Villa came closest to signing him in the summer. Before kickoff on Thursday, SportItalia’s Francesco Letizia wrote that he was “not convinced” by Amorim’s faith in Estupiñán and that benching Bartesaghi was “a mistake.” Opinion pieces like these are not club decisions, but the pressure on the Ecuador full-back is now coming from fans and the press alike.
Rodríguez back on the pitch
Kevin Rodríguez came on in the 79th minute for Union Saint-Gilloise, who beat Hapoel Be’er Sheva 4-0 in Belgium. According to FotMob, it was his first appearance since September 20, after FotMob had listed him as injured. That matters for La Tri: El Hoy named him among the strikers in the frame for November’s friendlies against Costa Rica and Bolivia.
Who did not play
| Player | Club | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| John Mercado | Sparta Prague | Olympiacos 1-0 Sparta | Not in squad |
| Elías Legendre | Rennes | Juventus 2-2 Rennes | Not in squad |
| Denil Castillo | Midtjylland | Midtjylland 0-1 Sint-Truiden (Conference League) | Not in squad |
| Juan Riquelme Angulo | Sunderland | Lech Poznań 1-1 Sunderland | Not in squad |
Castillo went off with a hamstring problem at Viborg on Sunday. Squad lists are from ESPN’s official lineups; the clubs have not given reasons for the other absences. Still to come tonight: Gonzalo Plata and Anthony Valencia’s Flamengo host Estudiantes in the Copa Libertadores at 8:30 PM ET. All the numbers are on our Players Tracker.
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