Swiss sides enjoy swift starts

FC MIKA 1-3 BSC Young Boys
Young Boys got their campign off to a flying start with a convincing win in Yerevan. Mario Raimondi helped them on their way with a 22nd-minute free-kick, which fell to Marcos Dos Santos who tucked in the rebound off goalkeeper Feliks Hakobyan. The visitors doubled their lead four minutes into the second half through Raimondi and substitute Gürkan Sermeter added a third four minutes from time. Armen Shahgeldyan wasted two golden opportunities alone for MIKA, Pavel Yushkov hit the crossbar and Alex missed from ten metres when well placed. The Armenian side did, however, manage an added-time goal through David Grigoryan.

FC Basel 1893 3-1 FC Tobol Kostanay
Last season's Swiss runners-up lived up to their billing as favourites in front of a crowd of 11,643, running out deserved winners against their Kazakh opponents. Mladen Petrić gave the hosts the lead after 20 minutes only for Tobol to equalise through Nurbol Zhumaskaliyev five minutes into the second period. Basel reacted well to the setback, though, and restored the lead through Petrić on 67 minutes. Two minutes later Eduardo made matters more comfortable for the home supporters.

Újpest FC 0-4 FC Vaduz
Two goals apiece from Pape Omar and Juan Sara condemned Újpest to a heavy home defeat and prompted the resignation of coach Bertalan Bicskei after his one and only game in charge. Pape Omar set the tone on 13 minutes, taking full advantage of a stray pass by finishing from the edge of the area. The Hungarian side won numerous corners and free-kicks but struggled to make an impact from open play and the visitors were always ready to pounce on the counterattack, doubling their advantage on the half-hour through Argentinian Sara. Faye was on target again on 63 minutes when he met a left-wing cross from 13 metres out and, after Újpest saw Norbert Tóth's penalty repelled by Gabriel Wüthrich two minutes from time, Sara compounded the hosts' misery by rolling in the fourth in added time.

FC BATE Borisov 2-0 FC Nistru Otaci
A goal and an assist by defender Dmitri Molosh gave BATE an important first-leg lead against Nistru. The Belarussian team created chances in the first half for Vitali Radzionov, Aleksandr Kobets and Dmitri Likhtarovich but it was not until ten minutes into the second half that the left-back's efforts were finally rewarded. Molosh advanced into the area before placing a perfect pass into the path of the unmarked Igor Stasevich to put the home side ahead. With 15 minutes to go BATE were two goals up after Habib Mekang fouled Sergei Kryvets in the penalty area, and Molosh fired his spot-kick low into the bottom corner.

FC Artmedia 2-0 WIT Georgia Tbilisi

FC Ameri Tbilisi 0-1 FC Banants
Ameri were unable to record a victory in their maiden UEFA Cup match after Vahe Tadevosyan's tenth-minute strike ensured victory for the visitors. The midfielder broke into the area and beat Zurab Kvakhakhia with a well-placed shot and Banants appeared content to settle for the narrow advantage thereafter. Ameri poured forward in numbers but could find no way past a well-organised Banants defence. Andrei Burdian was sent off for Banants in the 52nd minute and Suliko Davitashvili, Grigol Dolidze and Rati Tsinadzgvrishvili all then missed good chances to score before Ameri's Gizo Dzheladze saw red four minutes from time.

FK Karvan Evlakh 1-0 FC Spartak Trnava
Karvan made a victorious start in their first ever UEFA Cup match, as a late surge brought dividends. Karvan fielded ten non-Azeris in their starting lineup, but it was a local player, a product of their academy, who secured their victory. In the first half, Karvan dominated proceedings with Suleyman Camara, Yuri Muzika and Marcos Ferreira all going close, while Spartak relied on counterattacks which caused occasional problems for goalkeeper Elkhan Hasanov. The home side kept going forward though and, on 82 minutes, finally broke through when substitute Khalid Muradov took advantage of a blunder in Spartak's defence.

CSF Zimbru Chisinau 1-1 FK Karabakh

FC Fehérvár 1-0 Kairat Almaty
Hungarian Cup winners Fehérvár wasted no time in taking the lead against Kairat Almaty. In the eighth minute Csaba Csizmadia raced down the right flank and swung in a cross which for midfielder Zsolt Dvéri who rifled a powerful shot into the top-right corner of the net from 18 metres. Both sides carved out numerous further goalscoring chances in what proved to be an open game but neither managed to add to the scoresheet.

Zaglebie Lubin 1-1 FC Dinamo Minsk
Dinamo Minsk will take an away goal into their second leg encounter with Zaglebie Lubin in two weeks' time after equalising in the second half of this close encounter. The home side took the lead midway through the second half thanks to a Wojciech Łobodziński strike but were not ahead for long, Leonid Kovel levelling for Minsk in the 75th minute.