Young Boys' Degen shoots down Getafe

BSC Young Boys opened their Group H account at the second time of asking with a 2-0 victory over Spanish visitors Getafe CF at the Stade de Suisse.

Vladimir Petković's side, thwarted by Tottenham Hotspur FC in the UEFA Champions League play-offs and beaten by VfB Stuttgart on Matchday 1, kick-started their UEFA Europa League campaign thanks to two David Degen goals in Berne.

Getafe, coached by former Spain midfielder Míchel, had a three-point advantage on their hosts after defeating Odense BK a fortnight ago, but were accomplices to a lacklustre opening to this encounter. And, just as Young Boys playmaker Moreno Costanzo failed to realise the time and space Scott Sutter's early cross afforded him, so Getafe would be guilty of underestimating YB's right-sided threat.

They were caught unawares when right-back Sutter teased through a pass for Degen to fire the ball under Getafe goalkeeper Oscar Ustari after 11 minutes. Right midfielder Degen then gift-wrapped the win after 64 minutes, assisted again by new Swiss international Sutter. The latter pulled the ball back from the byline for Degen to take a touch before steering a shot beyond Ustari's despairing dive.

Not that YB's night was carefree. Defender François Affolter cleared off the line from Getafe striker Adrián Colunga. The visiting players were also queuing up to equalise after 28 minutes but Mosquera guided the ball wide from Albín's left-wing cross. Close to half-time Miku laboured to control Colunga's centre with only Marco Wölfli to beat; after the interval both Miku and Albín went one-on-one with the goalkeeper to no avail.

The Liga club displayed defensive mettle themselves when a sliding tackle in the wet conditions from Iván Marcano prevented Senad Lulić thumping in from close range. Ustari threatened to take the goalkeeping honours by palming away a Thierry Doubai blast, but that was before Wölfli's late double save from Adrián Corpa and Miku. For Getafe, it was that sort of evening.