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Defeat sees Zulte miss out

Zulte-Waregem missed out on qualification for the Europa League knockout stage after a 2-0 defeat by Group D leaders Rubin Kazan.The Belgian Pro League side only needed a point to make sure of their qualification and finish second in the group behind Rubin, who topped the pile with 14 points.However, Bebras Natcho's 79th-minute penalty and Jose Salomon Rondon's late score ended that hope, as Maribor leapt into the last 32 from the bottom of their group thanks to a 2-1 win over Wigan.Yann M'Vila had a speculative effort for Rubin in the 12th minute when he fired wide from 25 yards before Natcho went closer for the visitors when his 18-yard volley was caught by goalkeeper Sammy Bossut.Thorgan Hazard's corner just before the half-hour mark gave Frederic Duplus a chance for Zulte but the defender shot wide, before Hazard hit the wall from a 20-yard free-kick.The midfielder blasted the ball over the bar early in the second half as Ivan Marcano sent a long-range effort wide at the other end just before the hour mark.Chris Mavinga also fired wide for the visitors as neither side seemed to have the capacity to break the deadlock in a largely frustrating game.But that all changed as the match entered the final quarter when Duplus fouled Sergey Kisliak to give away a penalty, which Natcho converted.Salomon Rondon made sure of a perfect finish to the group stages for his side with an 86th-minute strike from the middle of the box to leave Zulte tumbling out of the tournament despite a flurry of late shots from the home side.

PA Sport

Zulte-Waregem

SOCCER

Latics suffer European setback

#INSERT type:image caption:Leon Barnett enjoys the moment after opening the scoring for Wigan. END# Wigan's hopes of progressing to the knockout stages of the Europa League were dealt a major blow by a 2-1 home defeat to Zulte Waregem.Junior Malanda's 88th-minute winner means qualification from Group D is now out of the Latics' hands.After Rubin Kazan and Maribor had drawn earlier in the evening, Wigan knew victory at the DW Stadium would guarantee their passage to the last 32.But they now need to beat Maribor in Slovenia in their final group game next month and hope Zulte lose to Rubin.The main sense of frustration for Owen Coyle and his players will be that the damage was largely self-inflicted.Leon Barnett opened the scoring in the seventh minute, and the hosts had no shortage of opportunities to extend their lead.But they could not take them, and in the 37th minute they shot themselves in the foot by allowing Zulte to equalise.Loose play from Wigan set the visitors away on a break, and Lee Nicholls compounded the error by dropping Thorgan Hazard's shot into his own net.Hazard, the brother of Chelsea star Eden, is on loan from Jose Mourinho's side. His shot should have been kept out by Nicholls, who had not had a save to make up to that point.Latics will now turn their attention back to the Championship and Sunday's visit of Derby, where Will Keane will provide Coyle with another option up front after signing on loan from Manchester United on Thursday.Wigan came flying out of the blocks, and it took them only seven minutes to make it count.Callum McManaman tricked his way into the box on the right-hand side and pulled the ball back for Jordi Gomez.The Spaniard sliced his shot badly but the ball fell perfectly for Barnett, who produced a striker's finish by guiding his volley into the corner.It was the centre-back's fourth of the season but his first in European competition.The directness of McManaman and James McClean on the wings was causing Zulte all sorts of problems and a second goal looked well within their grasp.In the 13th minute, McManaman skipped past two defenders in the centre of the box and his shot was well saved by Sammy Bossut.The goalkeeper was a busy man and, soon afterwards, was called on to push behind a shot from McClean, who might have done better to pick out Gomez as the Latics failed to make the most of a three-on-one break.Nick Powell has been Wigan's main man in Europe, scoring three times, and was the next to be denied by a block from Bossut.Zulte had been on the back foot for the majority of the half but they shocked their hosts by pulling level eight minutes before half-time.There did not look to be any threat as Barnett forced a corner at the other end, but Zulte cleared and a mix-up resulted in James McArthur sending the Belgians off on the counter-attack before the ball was played out to Hazard on the right of the area.Nicholls opted to try to catch the Chelsea man's firmly-struck shot but it was a decision he regretted as the ball slipped through his hands and into the net.Wigan only had themselves to blame, but were nearly ahead again before half-time, Thomas Rogne glancing Gomez's corner across goal and wide when he really should have found the net.The hosts were committing a lot of men forward and were almost caught out in the early stages of the second half, but Stephen Crainey did well to block Ibrahima Conte's shot.The Belgians had settled into the game, and their small but noisy band of fans had high hopes when Hazard let fly again, although this time his shot did not trouble Nicholls.Powell's first real chance arrived in the 61st minute as Steve Colpaert made a hash of clearing a cross from Crainey.The on-loan Manchester United man struck his shot well from the edge of the box -- but it was too close to Bossut, who again produced a good save.Gomez is often given a rough ride by the Wigan fans and there were loud cheers as he was replaced by Marc-Antoine Fortune with 26 minutes left.Both sides continued to push for a winner, and McArthur was only a whisker away in the 79th minute when he shot just wide. Wigan looked the more likely, but they were hit with a sucker punch in the 88th minute as Malanda took aim from the edge of the box and found the top corner.

Hazard lights up tie

A first-half penalty from Thorgan Hazard earned Zulte Waregem a 1-0 win away to Slovenian side Maribor.The win moved the Belgian side up to third in Europa League Group D, a point behind Wigan.Hazard had the first chance but missed the target with a shot after five minutes and Raphael Caceres then had a shot blocked.The visitors forced a series of early corners and Maribor looked to goalkeeper Jasmin Handanovic who made saves to deny Bruno Godeaum and Bernard Malanda.Marcos Tavares had the first effort for Maribor after 13 minutes but his shot was blocked.Zulte's Steve Colpaert saw his shot blocked before Tavares was off target with the next effort and team-mate Ales Mertelj saw his shot kept out.Zulte took the lead just before the half hour when Hazard scored from the penalty spot.Mitja Viler was booked for a foul on Ibrahima Conte and Hazard made no mistake with the spot kick. Maribor finished the half strongly but failed to make the most of a succession of free-kicks and corners.Habib Habibou had a shot as the half drew to a close but the striker could not add to Zulte's lead.Maribor won a free-kick after 58 minutes when Davy De Fauw fouled Dejan Mezga but the home side saw the chance go to waste with a poor delivery from Viler.Maribor should have been level when Nusmir Fajic floated a ball in behind the Zulte defence but the unmarked Damjan Bohar, who had come on five minutes earlier, headed across goal but wide of the far post.Zeljko Filipovic then forced a fine save out of Zulte keeper Sammy Bossut with a well hit shot through a crowded area.Bohar brought a fine save out of Bossut who turned his shot from 25 yards round the post with 13 minutes to go as the home side's efforts to earn a point were frustrated.

Ten-man Maribor win in Belgium

Maribor survived playing more than half an hour with 10 men as they beat Zulte-Waregem 3-1 in Europa League Group D.The visitors came from behind to lead at half-time as Davy de Fauw's early goal was cancelled out by Matic Crnic and Ales Mertelj volleyed a superb second.Dejan Mezga extended the lead and though Martin Milec was sent off shortly afterwards, Zulte were unable to find a way back into the game.Maribor's Marcos Tavares had an early shot saved before his side fell behind in the 12th minute.Thorgan Hazard fired a left-wing free-kick straight at goal, keeper Jasmin Handanovic fumbled and Zulte captain De Fauw followed up to score.But the lead lasted just eight minutes as Steve Colpaert was caught in possession and Crnic sent a long-range shot swirling past the helpless Sammy Bossut.Mertelj shot wide while at the other end, Handanovic made a better job of fielding another Hazard shot.But Maribor took the lead when Mezga's corner was cleared but the ball dropped perfectly for Mertelj to send a looping 20-yard volley into the top corner.Jean-Philippe Mendy headed another Mezga corner wide while Mertelj and Zulte's Habib Habibou were off target in stoppage time.Zulte boss Francky Dury sent on Raphael Caceres and Idrissa Sylla for Frederic Duplus and, surprisingly, Hazard at half-time.But it was to no avail as Mezga put Maribor 3-1 up just four minutes after the restart, sidefooting home via a post after Tavares cut the ball back.The Belgians were unexpectedly handed a way back into the game, though, when Milec collected two bookings in the space of three minutes for fouls on Habibou and was dismissed.Handanovic saved from De Fauw and Sylla, though, and defender Karel D'Haene shot over from close range.Further chances went astray for Sylla and Habibou before Mendy had an opportunity to ease Maribor's nerves, only for Sammy Bossut to save.Caceres fired against the post in injury time but Zulte were kept at bay.

Natcho inspires Rubin charge

Rubin Kazan scored four goals in the final half-hour for their second win in Europa League Group D against Zulte-Waregem at the Central Stadium, triumphing 4-0. • VIDEO: <a href="http://espnfc.com/video/espnfc/video/_/id/1571756">Match Highlights</a> (U.S. only) A goalless first half was followed by the Russian side running riot in the second half, with Israel international Bebras Natcho in inspired form, setting up two goals before finishing the rout with a glorious 25-yard free-kick.It was Natcho's corner that led to Frederic Duplus putting into his own net on the hour mark which broke the deadlock and the 25-year-old teed up Alexander Ryazantsev for Kazan's third after Roman Eremenko had doubled their lead.There were no clues of a thrilling final third to the match after a dour first half, where chances were in short supply with both sides limited to long-range efforts in a bid to break the deadlock.France midfielder Yann M'Vila missed the target from 25 yards in the opening minutes for the hosts, while Natcho saw his effort from a similar distance well saved by Zulte-Waregem goalkeeper Sammy Bossut.The Belgian side also attempted speculative strikes in an effort to take the lead, with Ibrahima Conte firing over the bar from just outside the area.M'Vila went closest to scoring the first goal as his drive from 20 yards forced Bossut to parry away to ensure the sides went in level at half-time.Kazan continued to pour forward and Gokdeniz Karadeniz should have done better after firing over from a decent position.Marcano then saw a close-range strike brilliantly saved by Bossut, while Alexander Ryazantsev fired over from six yards.The efforts of the home side were rewarded on the hour mark when Duplus unfortunately headed high into his own net after Marcano had flicked on Natcho's corner from the right.Kazan midfielder Ryazantsev again missed the target from inside the area shortly after the opener, but it was not to matter as Kurban Berdyev's side doubled their lead on the counter-attack in the 74th minute.They broke quickly after Idrissa Sylla's shot was blocked and a flowing move ended with Karadeniz running down the left wing and squaring for Eremenko to coolly slot home.Ryazantsev ensured there was no way back for the away side seven minutes later when he latched onto Natcho's pass and stroked past Bossut.Natcho then added the gloss a minute from time with a superb free-kick into the top corner from 25 yards.

Latics' Euro debut ends in draw

#INSERT type:image caption:Olafur Skulason and Chris McCann battle for possession at the Jan Breydel stadium. END# Wigan emerged from their first-ever European match with a point after battling out a stalemate with Zulte Waregem in Bruges.Roared on by around 2,500 fans who had made the trip from Wigan for the Europa League Group D game, the Latics made a bright start in driving rain and nearly had the lead in the third minute when James McArthur clipped the post with a curling shot.Zulte, who had on-loan Chelsea midfielder Thorgan Hazard - the younger brother of Blues star Eden Hazard - in their team, came into the contest more as the first half continued, though.And they were almost gifted a goal when James McClean headed against his own bar from a Hazard delivery in the 35th minute.There was another self-inflicted scare for Owen Coyle's side just before the interval, with Wigan being dispossessed and the ball coming to Hazard, who saw his shot blocked by a defender before Scott Carson did well to keep out the follow-up from Ibrahima Conte.Zulte continued to press after the break, although Ryan Shotton's strike then had goalkeeper Sammy Bossut diving with an outstretched glove to keep the score level.A last-ditch block from Chris McCann then denied Karel D'Haene in the last few minutes.Prior to the encounter, Coyle had warned of the threat posed by Zulte's forward play but also stressed his team would be looking to counter it with an attacking brand of their own.And it was the Latics who almost opened the scoring early on as Nick Powell's corner came to McArthur just outside the box via the head of skipper Emmerson Boyce.McArthur brought the ball down and then volleyed it goalwards, skimming the outside of the goalframe.At the other end, Conte skipped past the sliding challenge of Stephen Crainey and sent a low shot to Carson.McCann teed up Jordi Gomez in a useful-looking position, but the Spaniard could only scuff off-target, before Bernard Malanda headed a Hazard corner well over.Zulte gave the ball away in the 19th minute but Powell - the midfielder on loan from Manchester United, being deployed in this game as a striker - could not take advantage, showing little accuracy with his shot.McCann won a corner just before the half-hour mark, with his subsequent header from it being cleared, and Wigan then came close to scoring an own-goal as McClean's head inadvertently directed Hazard's cross against the woodwork.Zulte were looking more settled and in the 45th minute they almost punished sloppiness from McCann, who lost possession and watched on as Hazard was denied by a block and Conte by great reflexes from Carson.Shortly after the restart, Habib Habibou headed wide for Zulte and Wigan debutant Shotton then prodded the wrong side of the post from a corner.Zulte were pressing with increasing regularity and after Carson got a touch to Jens Naessens' delivery into the danger zone, with the ball evading Habibou, captain Davy De Fauw volleyed wide and Frederic Duplus missed with a header from a corner.Coyle brought on Marc-Antoine Fortune for Callum McManaman and Ben Watson for Gomez and soon after, a Shotton attempt from outside the area nearly caught out Bossut, who managed to get a hand in the way.McCann then made a crucial intervention in the 86th minute, throwing himself in front of D'Haene's close-range shot, before Conte curled narrowly over.