Review of Thursday's Europa League action

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A review of Thursday's Europa League action, with Real Sociedad putting six past Vardar and Arsenal winning in Belgrade.

Olivier Giroud struck a late winner against Red Star Belgrade to preserve Arsenal's unblemished start to their Europa League Group H campaign with a 1-0 victory.

Giroud pounced with an overhead kick in the 87th minute after Jack Wilshere and Theo Walcott combined to set-up the chance in Belgrade after the hosts had Milan Rodic sent off.

Arsenal now sit five points clear at the top of the group after Aleksei Rios' clinical strike gave BATE Borisov a 1-0 win over Cologne.

Ronald Koeman is under ever increasing pressure after his Everton side slumped to another defeat, losing 2-1 at home to Lyon in an occasionally ill-tempered affair.

Mason Holgate conceded the first-half penalty from which Nabil Fekir fired the visitors in front.

Ashley Williams headed Everton level - moments after he was lucky to avoid red for starting a skirmish which spilled over into the stands - but Bertrand Traore flicked in a winner for Lyon.

That puts Everton all but out, with Atalanta in control of Group E following a 3-1 victory over Apollon.

Mario Balotelli gave Nice an early lead but it was not enough to prevent Lazio from emerging convincing 3-1 winners at the Stade de Nice.

Felipe Caicedo quickly equalised before Sergej Milinkovic-Savic was on target twice to clinch victory and keep Lazio at the summit of the table.

Zulte Waregem and Vitesse drew 1-1 in Group K's other game.

AC Milan's six-match winning run in Europe was ended with a 0-0 draw against AEK Athens but they still remain top of Group D.

AEK are applying pressure in second place, while two goals from Mario Gavranovic helped Rijeka to a 3-1 victory over Austria Vienna to keep alive the tussle for the runners-up spot.

Real Sociedad inflicted a record home defeat on Macedonia's Vardar with Willian Jose notching four successive goals in a 6-0 thrashing.

Zenit St Petersburg remain top of Group L, however, after Emiliano Rigoni scored a hat-trick in a 3-1 victory over Rosenborg.

Lucas Ocampos and Maxime Lopez were on target as Marseille got their Group I campaign back on track with a 2-1 victory at home to Vitoria,

RB Salzburg's 2-0 win against Konyaspor in Konya keeps them top of the pool and stretched their unbeaten Europa League run to seven games.

Steaua Bucharest continue to control Group G after dispatching Hapoel Be'er Sheva 2-1 through two goals from substitute Harlem Gnohere, with Lugano staying in second place after edging Viktoria Plzen 3-2.

Group A leaders Villarreal and Slavia Prague fought out a 2-2 draw at the Estadio de la Ceramica, with all four goals being scored in the first half, while Astana thrashed Maccabi Tel-Aviv 4-0.

Two goals from Roger Assale enabled Young Boys to secure a 2-2 draw at Dynamo Kiev, who remain top of Group B. Skenderbeu and Partizan Belgrade played out a goalless draw.

Ludogorets tightened their grip on Group C by prevailing 2-0 at Braga, while Hoffenheim got off the mark with a 3-1 win against Istanbul Basaksehir.

The landscape of Group F remains unchanged as Zlin against Copenhagen and Sheriff versus Lokomotic Moscow both ended 1-1.

Inaki Williams stepped off the bench to secure Athletic Bilbao a 2-2 draw with Group J leaders Ostersund while Zorya Luhansk overcame Hertha Berlin 2-1 in Lviv.