ParsaKgvr/socce_report_analysis · Datasets at Hugging Face

1,700

Ademola Lookman's first-half double ensured Everton ended their Europa League campaign on a high note with a 3-0 victory at Apollon Limassol

In the absence of manager Sam Allardyce, Craig Shakespeare oversaw an experimental Everton side claim their first win in Group E to leapfrog the Cypriot side into third

Lookman ended his run of 20 games without a goal when heading Everton in front (21), and he added a second seven minutes later when firing in from distance

Nikola Vlasic scored a late third (87) for Everton, who avoided becoming the first English club to endure a winless Champions League or Europa League group-stage campaign

The visitors looked lively from the off, with Lookman shooting straight at Tasos Kissas before the Apollon 'keeper made a superb save to deny Harry Charsley a debut goal

Everton were rewarded for their bright start midway through the half when Vlasic played a tidy one-two with Kevin Mirallas before crossing in for Lookman, who powered in a header at the back post

Seven minutes later, Lookman had his second after rounding off a 26-pass move with a powerful strike from outside the area

Joel then made three decent saves to keep Apollon at bay, before Vlasic was denied by the feet of Kissas

After half-time, Lookman only had eyes for his hat-trick after seeing his attempt from a narrow angle saved when he perhaps should have rolled it over for Vlasic to tap in

But Vlasic did get the goal his performance deserved in the 87th minute, as he rounded defender Andrei Pitian before sliding it past Kissas

With Everton's fringe players looking to impress Allardyce, albeit with the manager absent due to a medical appointment, it was Lookman who stole the show in the opening 45 minutes

The 20-year-old ended his goal drought in style, netting twice in the space of seven minutes, while his overall link-up play with Vlasic and Mirallas - two more standout performers - was excellent, given the nature of this make-shift side

Everton turn their attention to Sunday's Merseyside derby against Liverpool at Anfield

Coverage starts on from 1pm, which kick-off at 2

15pm

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Schembri

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Joel

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Baningime

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Feeney

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Besic

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Charsley

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Klaassen

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Schneiderlin

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1,701

Wilshere, who is pushing for more regular playing time in the Premier League and hoping to catch Gareth Southgate's eye ahead of next summer's World Cup, delighted the Emirates Stadium crowd with a man-of-the-match performance in the No 10 role

His powerful finish shortly before half-time came after Mathieu Debuchy and Theo Walcott had given Arsenal a commanding lead, and the Gunners, who had already clinched their place in the last-32 as Group H winners, continued in the same vein after the break

BATE defender Denis Polyakov turned a Walcott cross into his own net for the fourth, with Olivier Giroud scoring from the penalty spot before Mohamed Elneny rounded off the scoring with a fine curler

Arsenal, who fielded a totally changed team from Saturday's 3-1 defeat to Manchester United, were the dominant side from the start, with Debuchy opening the scoring with a sweetly-struck drive which was still rising as it flew into the net in the 11th minute

Walcott was denied from close-range by BATE goalkeeper Denis Scherbitsky as Arsenal continued to pour forward, but he didn't have to wait long for his goal, slotting home a calm finish after Danny Welbeck overran the ball in the BATE box

Walcott had another effort cleared off the line from Wilshere's cut-back shortly afterwards, and the pair combined again for Arsenal's third goal two minutes before the break

This time, their roles were reversed, with Wilshere drilling a diagonal shot past Scherbitsky from Walcott's pass

It was no less than Wilshere's performance deserved, and he was back at the heart of things in the second half, sliding a fine through ball to Walcott, whose low cross was powered past his own goalkeeper by BATE's Polyakov

The over-worked Scherbitsky made a fine save from Welbeck shortly after that, but Arsenal got their fifth when Walcott was hauled down for a penalty

Giroud was made to re-take his initial effort but he made no mistake the second time

Arsene Wenger threw on young trio Reiss Nelson, Eddie Nketiah and Joe Willock in the closing stages, but it was Elneny who capped an entertaining night for the home crowd, sending a stunning effort into the net from Wilshere's pass

There were plenty of impressive performances from Arsenal but none more so than Wilshere's

The 25-year-old has shown signs of slowly recapturing his best form this season but this was surely his best offering yet

The goal, his first since he scored in a 4-1 thrashing of West Brom in May 2015, was the standout moment but he was excellent throughout

His driving runs drew warm applause from the Emirates crowd and so too did his passing

Wenger might have little choice but to start him in the Premier League soon, where he might yet hope to catch the eye of England boss Southgate

"Jack is moving forward

You could see tonight that he is ready now to play

He is sharp

He is quick

He is incisive with his dribble

Technically he was very good tonight

I would say for 70 minutes of the game he was dominant in midfield on the creative side and that's very good news for us

"The Gunners return to Premier League action against Southampton at St Mary's Stadium on Sunday

They then travel to West Ham for a London derby on Wednesday

Some of Arsenal's fringe players will hope they have put themselves in contention to start

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1,702

Arsenal suffered their first Europa League defeat of the season as Cologne kept their qualification hopes alive with a 1-0 victory on Thursday

The Gunners, who had already qualified for the knockout phase, needed just a point in Germany to secure their passage into the next round as group winners

But Sehrou Guirassy won and then converted a contentious penalty on 62 minutes to deny Arsene Wenger's second-string, as Cologne boosted their hopes of following the Gunners into the next round

However, there was a positive end to a disappointing night for Arsenal, as Red Star Belgrade's draw with BATE Borisov ensured they would finish top of Group H

Ainsley Maitland-Niles called Timo Horn into action inside two minutes at the RheinEnergieStadion, but his opposite number, the returning David Ospina, was soon busy as he tipped Jhon Cordoba's drive behind

Francis Coquelin then flashed a fierce drive inches wide of the target before rattling the frame of the Cologne goal with another sweetly-struck effort on the half hour

Danny Welbeck's return lasted 45 minutes as Alex Iwobi, tasked with igniting a stale contest, entered the fray at the interval

But Wenger's hopes of strolling into the round of 32 as group winners suffered a blow as Mathieu Debuchy was penalised for a foul on Guirassy, and the 21-year-old dusted himself down to coolly convert from 12 yards

Gunners captain Per Mertesacker came close to levelling the contest immediately but Horn was on hand to claw his header off the line, and the Cologne stopper was in similarly impenetrable form to deny Jack Wilshere's fizzing drive

Substitutes Reiss Nelson and Eddie Nketiah both had late chances before Wilshere was denied by Horn again as Arsenal were left to turn their attention to their final group game against BATE in two weeks

With Cologne's long-awaited return to European football on the cusp of petering out, Guirassy was the man who made the difference

The 21-year-old won and converted the decisive penalty which kept Cologne's Europa League campaign alive heading into the final group match, and finally gave the passionate home faithful something to cheer about after a season of torment

Arsenal resume their Premier League campaign with a trip to Burnley at 2pm on Sunday

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Osako

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1,703

Everton's disastrous Europa League campaign reached a new low as Atalanta secured a thumping 5-1 win at Goodison Park

Bryan Cristante broke the deadlock (12) before Joel Robles saved a penalty from Alejandro Gomez, but Cristante headed the Italians further in front (63) at the near post

Sandro Ramirez reduced the deficit with a fierce low drive into the corner (71) but Everton fell apart in the closing stages as substitute Robin Gosens volleyed in Atalanta's third (86)

Former Cardiff City striker Andreas Cornelius helped himself to a double (88 and 94) as the Blues conceded three in the final seven minutes

David Unsworth opted to make nine changes to the side that drew 2-2 at Crystal Palace, but he was left with the same sinking feeling in the opening quarter of an hour as Timothy Castagne got in behind Cuco Martina to cross for Cristante to tap into the empty net

Everton recovered to carve out two very good chances before the interval as Etrit Berisha saved Kevin Mirallas' shot, only for Sandro to fire the rebound horribly over the crossbar

Tom Davies came a lot closer to restoring parity as his shot was superbly cleared off the line by Rafael Toloi after good work down the left by Martina

But Atalanta regained control upon the start of the second half and they were presented with the chance to double their lead from the penalty spot after Ashley Williams was adjudged to have fouled Andrea Petagna

Gomez stepped up to take the spot-kick but Robles produced an excellent save low down to his right before recovering quick to keep out the rebound from the Argentine

The hosts made the most of their reprieve as Sandro halved the deficit with 18 minutes remaining, sweeping in Mirallas' cross - but any hope of a turnaround was ended by Gosen's superb volley

Gomez's corner was cleared to the edge of the box by Williams, and the substitute opened his body and launched a thunderous left-foot shot which flew in off Robles' far post

With the game over as a contest, Atalanta turned the screw in the closing stages, and had a fourth goal just 68 seconds later as fellow substitute Cornelius cut inside Warren Feeney to fire under the body of Robles

There was still time for the Denmark striker to rise above the hapless Williams to head home a fifth with virtually the last kick of the game on another chastening night for Everton

"The goals we're conceding are really poor defensive goals

It's a team effort, we've said that from the start

Tonight was not acceptable

""Those players who've been moaning or asking for opportunities were given that tonight

I stressed beforehand we must compete for the paying fans and the way we capitulated at the end was not acceptable

""When we look at individuals and combinations of defenders, we just seem to be conceding really easy goals

Teams aren't having to work hard or score wonder goals

""The players are a little fragile at the moment so we have to be careful

I've learned a few things about a few players tonight

"Everton travel to face Southampton at St Mary's as part of this weekend while Atalanta return to Serie A action at home to Benevento, who are bottom of the league without a point from their 13 games

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Masiello

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Toloi

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Castagne

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Petagna

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Gomez

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Caldara

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1,704

Everton were dumped out of the Europa League with two games to spare after slipping to a 3-0 defeat against Lyon

Second half goals from former Chelsea striker Bertrand Traore (69), Houssem Aouar (76) and Memphis Depay (88) leaves the Toffees with just one point in Group E after four games and facing an impossible task to qualify

Everton are the first English side to not win any of their first four games of a Europa League campaign

Since taking over from Ronald Koeman, caretaker boss David Unsworth has failed to arrest their slide, losing all three of his games in charge, meaning Everton, who had Morgan Schneiderlin sent off late on, have won just once in their last 10 matches

The contrast in form coming into the game was stark with Lyon winning four on the bounce and Everton losing their last four

Confidence seemed high within the home ranks but they only managed to test Jordan Pickford with a Traore header on 34 minutes, which the goalkeeper palmed clear

Cuco Martina had to be carried off in a neck brace just before the break after landing awkwardly on his back

The defender was attended to for almost seven minutes before being taken off on a stretcher

Everton will have been delighted with their resolute first-half showing and came out buoyant after the break

Idrissa Gueye broke into the box on 47 minutes but his effort from 12 yards lacked conviction and was pushed clear by Anthony Lopes

That missed chance was as good as it got for Unsworth's men as they fell behind on 69 minutes

Schneiderlin's tackle in midfield saw the ball deflect fortuitously into the path of Traore, who moved past Pickford and rolled a cool finish into the net

Everton's fate was sealed six minutes later when substitute Aouar was picked out by Depay and he stroked home

Schneiderlin embodied Everton's frustration with nine minutes to go when he picked up a needless second booking for a wild hack on Maxwel Cornet

A dismal night for the travelling Toffees was compounded on 88 minutes when former Manchester United winger Depay headed home from a Jordan Ferri cross

Everton are back in action at Goodison Park on Sunday against Watford as they look to arrest their worrying Premier League form

Their next Europa League encounter sees Atalanta visit Merseyside on November 23

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1,705

Arsenal sealed their place in the Europa League round of 32 with an unconvincing goalless draw with Red Star Belgrade at the Emirates

The Gunners failed to replicate their victory over Red Star a fortnight ago, but a draw, coupled with Cologne's victory over BATE Borisov, secured their passage to the knockout phase

A much-changed Arsenal side controlled possession but conceded the best chances as Richmond Boakye spurned a gilt-edged opportunity in either half to claim a famous Red Star victory

Having been omitted from the latest England squad, Jack Wilshere nearly gave Gareth Southgate food for thought with the winner, but Damien Le Tallec's superb goalline clearance ensured the spoils were shared

Having acrobatically clinched victory in Belgrade two weeks prior, Olivier Giroud nearly continued from where he had left off inside 10 minutes, but, after being found in the area by Ainsley Maitland-Niles, his low drive was straight at Red Star goalkeeper Milan Borjan

As expected, Arsenal dominated the ball but as the half progressed the visitors grew into the game and drew two fine saves from Matt Macey, who turned Slavoljub Srnic's 35th-minute shot behind before tipping Vujadin Savic's header onto the crossbar a minute later

The Gunners were fortunate not go behind before the break as Boakye fired wide after being played through on goal

It took Arsenal until the 65th minute to register another attempt on the Red Star goal as Wilshere stormed into the area, took the ball of Ainsley Maitland-Niles and chipped towards goal, only for Le Tallec to hack the ball to safety

Arsene Wenger turned to 18-year-old Carabao Cup hero Eddie Nketiah for a breakthrough but the chances fell to Theo Walcott, who fluffed his lines on two occasions

With Arsenal pushing for a winner, Boakye spurned another glorious chance to win the game in the 80th minute, but his miss paved the way for Arsenal to stumble into the next round

Defenders ultimately won the day but the performance of Arsenal's young goalkeeper will have given fans something to cheer about on an otherwise subdued evening

Macey's two stunning first-half saves, especially the first to tip Savic's header onto the bar, proved crucial against a Red Star side who didn't look like conceding

Arsenal return to Premier League action on when they travel to pace-setters Manchester City, live on and

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1,706

A superb strike from Olivier Giroud snatched a late win for Arsenal as they edged past Red Star Belgrade 1-0 in the Europa League on Thursday

The victory sees the Gunners maintain their perfect record in the competition as they top Group H with the maximum nine points, but had to wait for a moment of magic from Giroud to seal their third successive win

Five minutes after Red Star had Milan Rodic sent off for a second yellow card in the 80th minute, the French striker produced an acrobatic overhead kick to snatch the win for Arsenal

Thursday's hosts slip down to third in the group after BATE Borisov's 1-0 win against Cologne in the other fixture in Group H saw them leapfrog Red Star into second spot

Chances were mostly at a premium during the first half, and it took 15 minutes for Arsenal to catch the first sight of goal

Theo Walcott collected a poorly-defended free-kick from the hosts before shooting from 10 yards out, but Red Star goalkeeper Borjan did well to save with his legs

Red Star could have opened the scoring 11 minutes later when a corner was whipped in and club top scorer Richmond Boakye met it with a free header, but he could only direct his effort into the floor before it smashed onto the underside of the crossbar and went wide

Arsenal started well in the second half and had a few good chances in quick succession

Both Walcott and Giroud dragged efforts wide just after the restart before Reiss Nelson saw a fierce shot palmed away at the near post by Borjan

Petr Cech was also called into action at the other end as he saved a stinging effort from Nenad Krsticic

Red Star finished the game with 10 men when Rodic was sent off in the 80th minute

He picked up a second yellow card of the game after rising for the ball with Francis Coquelin and appearing to catch the Frenchman in the face

Coquelin went to ground as Rodic was given his marching orders

Arsenal were able to make their man advantage count when they finally found the breakthrough five minutes later thanks to a sublime goal from Giroud

After some great play between Jack Wilshere and Walcott, the latter headed the ball across goal for the French striker who produced an acrobatic overhead kick to seal a late victory for the Gunners

The trip to Serbia in an intimidating atmosphere could have been one that overwhelmed some young players, but Nelson did not look out of place and produced a solid performance despite being only 17 years-old

He looked good going forward for the Gunners and tested Red Star stopper Borjan or more than one occasion

He is one to keep your eye on as Arsenal progress in cup competitions this season

Arsenal are in action live on this weekend when they travel to fellow Europa League side Everton on Nissan Super Sunday

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1,707

Everton's struggles continued as they lost 2-1 to Lyon at Goodison Park in the Europa League on Thursday night

The home side fell behind early on when Nabil Fekir slotted home a penalty following a rash challenge by Mason Holgate

However, Ronald Koeman's side drew level after 69 minutes when Ashley Williams powered home a header, only for Bertrand Traore's deft backheel to hand Lyon the win six minutes later

As a result, Everton have now taken just one point from their opening three Group E games and sit bottom of the table

The hosts made the worst possible start to the game when just six minutes in, Holgate recklessly chopped down the marauding Fernando Marcal, with referee Bas Nijhuis having no choice but to point to the spot

Lyon captain Fekir stepped up and beat Jordan Pickford with a low shot into the bottom right-hand corner of the net, the France international's eighth goal of the season

The Ligue 1 team could have doubled their lead eight minutes before the break when Memphis Depay's 25-yard free-kick took a wicked deflection off Tom Davies, only to beat the wrong-footed Pickford, but not the bar

However, it took a melee involving Williams and a posse of players from both sides - and disappointingly some members of the home crowd too - to spark the hosts into life midway through the second period

Gylfi Sigurdsson, who had just been brought on, chipped a free kick into the danger area and there was the Everton captain to beat Anthony Lopes with a bullet header

Everton almost took the lead minutes later when another Sigurdsson free-kick beat everyone in the middle, only to strike the far post, before the visitors then went up the other end and won the game

Substitute Maxwell Cornet's brilliant run took him clear to the right-hand byline and his cross was then turned in at the near post by Traore, albeit with the help of a large deflection off Michael Keane

The Burkina Faso international was a real handful for the Everton back-line all night long, and the player got his just deserts after scoring the winner 15 minutes from time

And on this display, you can see why Chelsea bought the 22-year-old from Auxerre in the summer of 2010

Everton entertain Arsenal at Goodison Park in the Premier League on Sunday lunchtime, a match you can see live on Sky Sports Premier League

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1,708

Theo Walcott scored twice as Arsenal beat BATE Borisov 4-2 in an open encounter in their Europa League group-stage clash in Belarus

Walcott's early double put the visitors in control, Rob Holding's close-range finish made it 3-0, but Mirko Ivanic pulled one back before the break for BATE

Olivier Giroud regained the three-goal cushion with a penalty after half-time, but Mikhail Gordeichuk made it 4-2 with just over 20 minutes remaining from six yards

The result means Arsenal are in control of Group H, sitting top with six points from two games, two points ahead of Red Star Belgrade

Arsenal went close early on through Walcott, who hit the post via Jack Wilshere's deft through ball, but Walcott did score moments later, tapping home on the rebound after his initial header from Wilshere's superbly-worked cross was saved

An error from BATE goalkeeper Denis Shcherbitski handed Walcott his second, capitalising on a woeful clearance before drilling into the bottom left corner from 12 yards

It was 3-0 within 25 minutes as Holding got his first Arsenal goal, turning into the net from close range after Walcott's corner was glanced on by Per Mertesacker

BATE pulled one back three minutes later through Ivanic, who headed into the top right corner from the near post from Aleksey Rios' pacey cross

Walcott was inches from a hat-trick before the break, forcing Shcherbitski into a superb fingertip save, before Holding hit the post from the resulting corner as BATE struggled to deal with Arsenal's set pieces

It was 4-1 just after the break as Stanislav Dragun pulled the shirt of Shkodran Mustafi inside the box, with Giroud making no mistake from the penalty spot for his 100th Arsenal goal

The sixth goal of the night fell to the hosts as Gordeichuk cleaned up from six yards after David Ospina had parried a close-range header, and moments later Aleksandr Volodko blazed over a clear chance from 12 yards out as Arsenal began to show fragility in the closing stages

"Wilshere had an outstanding first half

He fights until the end

He's on his way back to his best and showed that

He's at an age where a player normally gets to the best of his career

He's on the way up

He's only been stopped by a series of injuries

"Hopefully, I just pray, he is not hampered by any more problems and that will see him getting stronger and stronger

He's shown again that he's not lost his football

"Making his second start in just over a week, Wilshere reminded us all why Arsenal fans fell in love with him in the first place

The midfielder's first thought was always to penetrate the BATE defence, and with a mix of balance and skill, the Belarusian side had no answer early on

His assist for Walcott's second, a lovely piece of skill and cross from the left, summed Wilshere up, but can he stay fit and keep that form up enough to be considered in Premier League games?Arsenal host Brighton at midday on Sunday in the Premier League, before going to Watford a fortnight later after international break

Their next Europa League game is in Belgrade against Red Star on October 19

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1,709

Everton endured more Europa League misery as they were held to a 2-2 draw against 10-man Apollon Limassol at Goodison Park

After losing their opening group game 3-0 to Atalanta, the nervy hosts looked to have the game wrapped up at 2-1 when Valentin Roberge was sent off but Hector Yuste headed home a dramatic late leveller

Goodison Park was rocked when Adrian Sardinero put the Cypriots ahead but goals from Wayne Rooney and Nikola Vlasic looked to have salvaged the points for under-pressure Ronald Koeman - until Apollon struck late on

It leaves Koeman's men with a job on their hands to qualify from Group E and means Everton are the first English side to pick up just one point after their first two Europa League group stage games

It was a very slow start by the hosts, and they were punished when Ashley Williams gave possession straight to Anton Maglica

From his cross from the right Adrian fired home from close range

Everton needed some inspiration, but their equaliser was more down to luck than judgement

Yuste played a horrendous back pass to his goalkeeper Bruno Vale that Rooney intercepted with a simple finish - his 40th goal in Europe

Tom Davies and Gyfli Sigurdsson brought saves out of Vale in the last few moments of the first half, but Everton rarely threatened

Koeman brought on Vlasic for Idrissa Gueye at the interval and he had an immediate impact

Rooney's pass ricocheted to Sigurdsson, and he fed Vlasic, who shot low past Vale

The goal seemed to knock the visitors confidence and their chances of a result look slim when ex-Sunderland man Roberge was dismissed four minutes from time for a dangerous tackle on Everton substitute Dominic Calvert-Lewin

It looked game over for the Cypriots, but Yuste sensationally headed in to make it 2-2

There was still time for Calvert-Lewin to fluff a headed chance from six yards as Everton left the field to a chorus of boos

After a stodgy first-half showing, the introduction of the 19-year-old at the break was the catalyst for an improved performance

He looked busy across the front-line and tucked away his opportunity very nicely after being put through by Sigurdsson

It was a performance that will give Koeman a headache ahead of the visit of Burnley

Koeman: "You can take positives out of the game - the performance of Nikola Vlasic, for instance

He is 19 but he brought energy and football, and it is so difficult if you have many players struggling

They are looking for the safe option

I am disappointed because we had three points in our hands

We deserved the three points but it is a difficult situation

"Everton are back in action at Goodison Park on Super Sunday where they host Burnley, live on

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1,710

Everton endured a torrid start to their Europa League campaign as Atalanta inflicted a demoralising 3-0 defeat on Thursday

The Serie A club had not played European football in 26 years but made up for lost time as Andrea Masiello, Alejandro Gomez and Bryan Cristante fired them into a three-goal half-time lead

And there was no way back for the Toffees in their Group E opener as they were outran and outmuscled in every department by their hungrier opponents

It was the worst possible start to European football under Ronald Koeman, who has to pick his side off the ground ahead their trip to high-flying Manchester United on Sunday, live on The hosts flew out of the traps at the Mapei Stadium - 120 miles away from their home ground, which is being renovated - but having weathered the storm, Everton sprang into life

Gylfi Sigurdsson stung the palms of Marco Wolfli on 12 minutes before Wayne Rooney's lob whistled over the bar

However, the Toffees' bright spell was momentary

Maarten Stekelenburg produced a fine point-blank save to prevent Masiello from putting the dominant hosts ahead of 25 minutes, but, two minutes later, the defender was not to be denied as he poked the ball home at the back post after a corner deflected off Phil Jagielka

Gomez underlined Atalanta's superiority with a stunning curling effort from 20 yards on 41 minutes, before Cristante put the game beyond the woeful visitors a minute before the break, rounding off a flowing counter

The onslaught continued after the interval as Andrea Petagna got in on the act, drawing Stekelenburg into action on 49 minutes before setting up Remo Freuler for a shot which cannoned off the bar shortly before the hour

Everton, who have never won in Italy or overturned a three-goal deficit in Europe, steadied the ship from there on but never looked like getting back into the contest as Atalanta saw out an emphatic victory on their long-awaited return to European football

Everton will aim to bounce back from Thursday's defeat when they travel to Manchester United on live on Sky Sports Premier League - before looking to reignite their Europa League campaign against Apollon Limassol at Goodison Park on September 28

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Masiello

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Freuler

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Gomez

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Petagna

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Kurtic

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Stekelenburg

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Calvert-Lewin

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1,711

Alexis Sanchez's fine strike helped Arsenal to a 3-1 win over Cologne in Thursday night's Europa League Group H tie, after the match was delayed by an hour for crowd safety reasons

with many home fans unable to enter the turnstiles due to thousands of gathering Cologne fans outside the stadium

Those fans were celebrating first as Jhon Cordoba gave Cologne the lead after 10 minutes, superbly lofting the ball over David Ospina from 40 yards after the goalkeeper's weak clearance

Arsenal levelled after the break through Sead Kolasinac's fierce left-footed volley, just four minutes after being introduced at half-time

But Sanchez put Arsenal ahead on 67 minutes with a fine curling effort into the top corner from the edge of the box, his first goal of the season

Hector Bellerin rounded off the win (82), finishing up on the rebound from Theo Walcott's initial effort

As kick-off approached, it was clear there were many groups of visiting supporters in home sections of the ground, with reports of up to 20,000 Cologne fans in London on Thursday

Cologne, playing their first European tie in 20 years and first in this competition since 1992, have lost their opening three Bundesliga games, but took the lead in bizarre fashion early on

Theo Walcott fluffed a chance later in the first half from 12 yards, but Arsenal equalised on 49 minutes through defender Kolasinac, who rifled home a volley from the left of the box as Walcott's cross looped up from a deflection

Ospina's tame clearance from a long ball was touched forward by Leonardo Bittencourt, allowing Cordoba to take aim from 40 yards, finding the corner of the net over the hapless Arsenal goalkeeper

Sanchez, whose much-talked-about move to Manchester City broke down late in the summer window, hit a superb strike into the top corner from 20 yards with 23 minutes remaining, leaving Timo Horn helpless

Bellerin made it 3-1 late on, finding the bottom corner from an angle after Walcott's effort had been well saved by Horn

: "I believe we had a little bit of a slow start, our combinations were too slow, and we were shocked they scored

"In the second half I believe our team was better balanced better equipped going forward

Second half was one-way traffic, just a question of time, overall I think we won it in a convincing way

"We moved to a four in the second half, Kolasinac gave us a lot going forward, and pushed Sanchez forward, he played deep in the first half

When he had more support he looked good

"Sanchez may have stolen the headlines with a fine hit, but Spaniard Bellerin was the real class act on what could have been a hairy night for Arsenal

The hosts struggled in their three-man defence in the first half but looked far more solid after the break, with Bellerin ushering out Cologne attacks on numerous occasions, while providing a threat down the right wing

He showed his usefulness in the opposition box late on, reacting fast to score a deserved third

They'll want him fresh for Super Sunday

Arsenal now go to Stamford Bridge to face champions Chelsea on Super Sunday, live on Sky Sports Premier League at 1

30pm, while their next Europa League clash comes away at Belarus' BATE Borisov on September 28

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Rausch

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1,712

Tottenham's Christian Eriksen scored a hat-trick as Denmark came from behind to end the Republic of Ireland's World Cup dream with an emphatic 5-1 play-off win in Dublin

Shane Duffy had headed Martin O'Neill's side into a sixth-minute lead at a sell-out Aviva Stadium but two goals in four first-half minutes prompted a decisive shift

Eriksen struck just moments after Cyrus Christie's own goal (29) and then snuffed out home hopes with a fine second-half double (63, 73), before Nicklas Bendtner's 90th-minute penalty completed the rout

Ireland had produced when it mattered in play-offs to reach their last World Cup finals in 2002 - as well as Euro 2016 - but though their start fleetingly stirred thoughts of another famous night, they were outclassed by a side for which Eriksen starred

After toiling in Saturday's goalless first leg in Copenhagen, O'Neill had urged his side to seize the initiative at home and a boisterous crowd was bouncing when Duffy gambled on a Robbie Brady punt, punishing Nicolai Jorgensen's wayward clearance to nod over Kasper Schmeichel

Denmark might have equalised just minutes later had Jens Stryger Larsen caught Simon Kjaer's swerving diagonal ball with boot rather than shin, while William Kvist went close with a low drive that Darren Randolph dived to stop with a firm hand

A sweeping move down the left flank saw James McClean drag wide, the tempo from both sides brisk on a decisive night, but a moment of Irish misfortune and a flash of familiar quality put the Danes in the ascendancy

Chelsea's Andreas Christensen poked goalwards from a short corner, the ball bobbling off the goalframe and then back over the line off Christie, but Eriksen's follow-up (32) owed far less to luck

Stephen Ward carelessly surrendered possession on the halfway line but the break instigated by Yussuf Poulsen was swift and Eriksen struck without breaking stride

O'Neill threw on Wes Hoolahan and Aiden McGeady at the interval but his side were sapped of confidence and vulnerable on the break

Eriksen was set free with one counter, drilling straight at Randolph, but netted his second goal soon after, drifting into space before taking a touch and curling into the far corner

He completed his hat-trick with a rasping drive into the roof of the net (73) as Ward faltered once again and there was still time for more Ireland misery, Bendtner punishing Duffy's foul from the spot as his side belatedly reached Russia in style

The night and the matchball belonged to Eriksen, who put the Danes ahead with his 32nd-minute thunderbolt and continued to inspire his country's comeback after the break

Shackled in Copenhagen, here he proved the difference, taking his tally for the campaign to 11 goals - just two fewer than the Republic managed in their 12 games in the competition

Tottenham fans will hope for more of the same in Saturday's north London derby, live on

While the Republic will reflect on a further stretch in the World Cup wilderness, Denmark can look forward to the draw for next summer's tournament on December 1

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1,713

Italy have failed to qualify for the World Cup for the first time since 1958 after a goalless second-leg draw against Sweden on Monday led to a 1-0 aggregate defeat

Gian Piero Ventura's side dominated possession at the San Siro but could not find a way past Sweden goalkeeper Robin Olsen, who saved from Ciro Immobile and Alessandro Florenzi at the end of the first half and then denied Stephan El Shaarawy late in the game

Sweden offered little in attack but held on to secure their first World Cup appearance since 2006

There were tears among the Italian players at the final whistle as defeat looks set to mark a changing of the guard, with several experienced players now unlikely to play at another World Cup

Goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon - after winning his 175th cap - is set to retire at the end of the season while Daniele De Rossi, Giorgio Chiellini and Andrea Barzagli will all be in their late 30s in 2022

Head coach Ventura also faces a battle to keep his job after Italy again failed to break down Sweden over 90 minutes, despite showing much more attacking intent than they did in the first leg

The game started in scrappy fashion, with penalty appeals waved away at both ends and Jakob Johansson, scorer of the only goal of the tie, forced off with injury

The first clear chance only arrived in the 27th minute when Immobile's pass across the face of goal spilled out to Antonio Candreva and he blazed over from 12 yards out

Sweden were denied a penalty when the ball struck Matteo Darmian's arm, but had to hold on late in the first half as Italy applied sustained pressure

Immobile saw a shot half-saved by Olsen and then cleared off the line by Andreas Granqvist before Florenzi was denied by Olsen after cutting into the box from the left

Italy were denied a penalty early in the second half when Darmian appeared to be fouled, before Florenzi acrobatically volleyed wide

The hosts continued to pile on the pressure but could not find a way through, with substitute El Shaarawy going closest when he shot at Olsen

As they were in the first leg, Sweden were resilient in defence, but on this occasion they needed their goalkeeper to save them on a few occasions

Olsen came to the rescue twice late in the first half when he helped keep out an effort from Immobile and then saved from Florenzi

He also stood firm late in the game as he kept out an effort from El Shaarawy

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1,714

Northern Ireland’s World Cup dream ended in Basel as a 0-0 draw helped Switzerland secure a 1-0 aggregate victory in the play-offs

It is the ultimate heartbreak for Michael O’Neill’s side, who saw the two-legged affair decided by a contentious penalty decision in the first leg

The Swiss missed a host of opportunities to put the tie to bed on Sunday evening before Jonny Evans nearly sent the tie to extra-time, but his injury-time header was cleared off the line

Northern Ireland’s wait for a first World Cup showing since 1986 goes on, while Switzerland can start preparing for Russia next summer – their fourth straight appearance in the tournament

A frantic first half at a rain-soaked St Jakob-Park saw Chris Brunt force a smart save from Yann Sommer before Haris Seferovic somehow headed wide from Xherdan Shaqiri's cross down the other end

Gareth McAuley almost turned the ball into his own net, and though Brunt tested Sommer once more, it was the Swiss who looked more likely to score an opener

Michael McGovern then made two vital saves in the space of four minutes, first denying Shaqiri at the near post, before going on to keep out Steven Zuber's low strike

After the break, Northern Ireland almost levelled on aggregate, but after an impressive counter-attack Conor Washington could only glance his header wide of the far post

Seferovic was guilty of another poor miss, and the striker was eventually substituted by Breel Embolo, who was denied by McGovern from a narrow angle late on

As the tie headed into injury time, Sommer was left flapping at thin air from a cross, but Evans' goalbound header was cleared off the line by Rodriguez, whose penalty it was in the first leg which essentially sent Switzerland through

It was a battling performance from Northern Ireland, who came up against a Swiss side who had won nine competitive games in a row at home

The Northern Irish back-line was outstanding, though it was McGovern in between the sticks who kept them in the tie with a number of key saves

It proved to be futile for the visitors, but McGovern and his team-mates can hold their heads high after pushing Switzerland so close

"They couldn't have given any more

What they give for me, what they give for each other, what they gave for their country was phenomenal

"That performance was magnificent

Ultimately we have gone out to a really poor decision in the first leg - our reaction to what happened on Thursday night was fabulous

"We were the better team I felt

Yes we had to ride our luck at times, but we were pushing until the end with the dream still alive to go to the World Cup

"There's a devastated bunch of players in there, but I couldn't be any prouder of their efforts

"Switzerland become the 27th side to book their spot in Russia next year, and they will await the World Cup draw on Friday, December 1 in Moscow

You will be able to follow the draw live on digital platforms

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1,715

Republic of Ireland's World Cup play-off tie with Denmark is finely poised after a 0-0 draw in the first leg in Copenhagen on Saturday

The only clear chances of a tight encounter were in the first half as Darren Randolph made a sharp double save and Pione Sisto turned a rebound wide from a good position

Ireland offered little in attack but almost hit on the break in the 44th minute as Cyrus Christie saw a shot saved by Kasper Schmeichel

Randolph also tipped over a late header from substitute Yussuf Poulsen to ensure the tie is level ahead of the return leg at the Aviva Stadium on Tuesday, live on

Ireland might well be the happier side after the first leg, having set up with a defensive gameplan in Copenhagen and allowed Denmark the majority of the possession

The visitors did almost suffer an early setback as Randolph made a double save to deny Jens Stryger Larsen and then Andreas Cornelius

Otherwise Ireland were relatively untroubled until the 33rd minute when Randolph could only palm out a shot from Christian Eriksen and Sisto failed to finish the rebound from close range

Ireland's best moment of the first half came late on as Christie burst past Larsen down the right side and then saw his chipped shot saved by Schmeichel

The visitors continued to hold their defensive shape after the break and neither side created any more clear chances until the final few minutes of the match

Shane Duffy headed at Schmeichel from a free-kick before substitute Poulsen saw an effort tipped over by Randolph

Ireland set up to defend, and they restricted the hosts to few openings while keeping Eriksen, who had scored eight goals in qualifying, quiet throughout

When Denmark did get through, they found Randolph in their way

The Middlesbrough goalkeeper made a double save early on and then kept out an effort from Eriksen before tipping over Poulsen's late header to ensure the game finished goalless

"I thought it was a tough evening for us and the players did splendidly

They put a lot of effort in and it's all to play for now

"We have to win a game

And I think we have to score a couple of goals because Denmark are capable of scoring too

"A World Cup spot is up for grabs when Republic of Ireland host Denmark in their second leg on Tuesday

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1,716

Croatia held Greece to a goalless draw in Piraeus to seal their place at the World Cup in Russia next summer following their emphatic 4-1 first-leg victory last Thursday

In truth, the visitors did not have to get out of second gear in the contest as Greece struggled to create anything of note, although their much-changed team did, at least, restore some pride following their thrashing in Zagreb

Ivan Perisic had the game's best moment as he smashed a long-range effort off the post on the stroke of half-time while Panagiotis Tachtsidis had the only shot on target with 86 minutes on the clock

The result means that Croatia have reached their fifth World Cup while Greece miss out on the finals for the first time since 2006

In front of their home supporters, Greece made an energetic start to the game and had the first meaningful opportunity as Sokratis Papastathopoulos fired a low volley just wide of the past after being teed up on the edge of the area by Vasilis Torosidis

The Dortmund defender thumped his fist into the turf in anguish before retreating sharply back to the halfway line in a show of urgency

However, the highlight of the opening 45 minutes - and the game overall - undoubtedly belonged to Croatia and specifically, Inter Milan winger Perisic, who slammed a wonderful left-footed shot from the edge of the area onto the upright after 42 minutes with Watford's sub 'keeper Orestis Karnezis well beaten

Greece needed a fast start in the second half to stand any sort of chance but instead the game meandered aimlessly before Kostas Mitroglu finally got the home fans on their feet when he swivelled and fired a shot wide just before the hour mark

With 78 minutes played, Greece did have the ball in the net as substitute Dimitris Pelkas passed the ball into the empty net after Torisidis' improvised flick drew a save from Danijel Subasic, but both players were in an offside position and the assistant referee got the decision right

Finally, with four minutes remaining, a goalkeeper was forced into action as Subasic got down smartly to save Tachtsidis' well-struck half-volley and keep his clean sheet record intact, before Pelkas skied a presentable chance over the bar in stoppage time

It was an uneventful game but Croatia managed to maintain their concentration and avoid any complacency to secure qualification to Russia and their interim coach Zlatko Dalic will be hoping that he has done enough to earn the job full-time

Both teams struggled to make much headway in an attacking sense but there were some good defensive performances from Sokratis Papasthapolous and Domagoj Vida

However, the standout performer was Kostas Manolas who was one of six players brought into the side by Michael Skibbe after missing the first leg

How Greece missed him in that match

The Roma defender exuded class and confidence at the back, managing to evade the attentions of Nikola Kalinic on a couple of occasions through good footwork while he also helped to keep Mario Mandzukic quiet

Croatia become the 28th side to book their spot in Russia next year, and they will await the World Cup draw on Friday, December 1 in Moscow

You will be able to follow the draw live on digital platforms

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1,717

Sweden grabbed a slender advantage from the first leg of their World Cup play-off against Italy after winning 1-0 in Stockholm on Friday

Jakob Johansson scored the only goal of the game in the 61st minute, a heavily-deflected shot that wrong-footed Gianluigi Buffon

Italy had the better of the second half but the closest they came to an equaliser was when Matteo Darmian struck the post with an effort from 25 yards

The return leg takes place in Milan on Monday, live on

And if Italy can't find more of a cutting edge than they did in Stockholm then they will be missing out on their first World Cup since 1958

After Andrea Belotti headed narrowly wide in a frantic start, the visitors created little and didn't test Sweden goalkeeper Robin Olsen

With Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Jose Mourinho watching in the stands, Ola Toivonen dragged an early shot past the post for the hosts while Emil Forsberg fired over with a first-time effort

Despite having more possession, Italy were indebted to Buffon for saving from Marcus Berg and then diving to scoop clear the loose ball late in the first half

Italy started on the front foot after half-time but fell behind when Johansson's shot took a deflection off a defender and beat Buffon

Darmian almost levelled when he hit the post with a powerful strike from 25 yards, but otherwise Italy lacked ideas as they failed to break down a solid Sweden defence

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho would have surely liked what he saw from both his players - Lindelof and Darmian

Both put in strong performances for their respective sides, with Lindelof particularly impressive in shackling Immobile, keeping the in-form Lazio striker quiet all match

The two sides meet in Milan on Monday, with the winner advancing to the World Cup in Russia next summer

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1,718

Northern Ireland's World Cup hopes hang by a thread after a contentious 1-0 defeat by Switzerland in the first leg of their play-off at Windsor Park

The Swiss dominated the ball from start to finish but controversially took the lead on 58 minutes when Ricardo Rodriguez converted a penalty after Corry Evans was penalised for handball

It means Northern Ireland, who failed to register a single shot on target, have it all to do in Sunday's return leg in Basel if they are to reach the World Cup finals for the first time since 1986

Switzerland were perhaps unfortunate to find themselves in the play-offs having won nine of their 10 qualification games, but there was no sign of self-pity from the visitors - Fabian Schar's reckless tackle on Stuart Dallas fortunate to avoid more severe punishment

Granit Xhaka had Switzerland's first chance, which he fired over from the edge of the area, before Michael McGovern's stunning fingertip save denied Haris Serefovic from steering Xherdan Shaqiri's cross home on 19 minutes

Northern Ireland settled as the half wore on but failed to threaten Yann Sommer's goal, and the Swiss continued their dominance immediately after the interval as Shaqiri's curling effort clipped the top of the bar

Seferovic came within inches of breaking the deadlock on 55 minutes but he could not stretch enough to get on the end of Blerim Dzemaili's low cross

But the Swiss finally made a breakthrough in contentious circumstances as Rodriguez sent McGovern the wrong way from 12 yards, after Evans was harshly adjudged to have blocked Shaqiri's goal-bound volley

Keen to restore parity before Sunday's trip to Switzerland, Northern Ireland mounted a late rally but they failed to level the contest, Josh Magennis heading the hosts' best chance well wide on 71 minutes

That left Switzerland to see out the victory which puts them in a strong position to reach Russia 2018, Northern Ireland will have to do it the hard way if they are to reach next summer's tournament

"It's staggering really that the referee can give that penalty decision in that situation

He was six yards from the incident, he has no one in his line of sight

I thought he had blown for a foul or for offside, so to give a penalty for that, when nobody appealed, it is bewildering really

In such a defining moment in the match we feel very hard done by

"On his full debut for Switzerland, Zakaria had an all-round stormer in Belfast

He impressed in every third, imposed himself brilliantly on Northern Ireland's busy midfield, and looked years beyond his age

He turns 21 later this month, and Borussia Monchengladbach will no doubt see plenty of Europe's biggest clubs snooping around for his signature if he continues this form

All eyes will be on Basel's St Jakob-Park on Sunday as Northern Ireland look to overcome their first-leg deficit against Switzerland, live on and from 4

30pm

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<PAD>

MichaelO'NeillturnedtoKyleLaffertytoleadtheNorthernIrelandattackasConorWashingtondroppedtothebenchSwitzerlanddidnotincludeValonBehramibutPremierLeaguestarsXherdanShaqiriandGranitXhakastartedinBelfastMcGovern

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McLaughlin

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CEvans

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<PAD>

1,719

Lionel Messi’s heroic hat-trick dragged Argentina back from the brink of an embarrassing World Cup exit with a 3-1 win in Ecuador

Argentina's victory catapulted them from sixth into the automatic qualification places as they joined , and in booking their spots in Russia

After the shock of falling behind after 38 seconds to Renato Ibarra, Messi shouldered the hopes of an entire nation and put in one of the greatest individual performances in international football history by scoring a famous treble (12, 20, 62) when it mattered most

The four-time Ballon d'Or winner now has another crack at adding a World Cup winners medal to his CV

Elsewhere,'s draw against Colombia was enough to secure them a play-off with New Zealand for the final spot, which meant were eliminated after they lost 3-0 in Brazil

Argentina, who have been at every World Cup finals since 1970 and twice won the tournament, knew anything other than victory would have meant elimination

It seemed inconceivable that one of football's superpowers would not make it to the World Cup - but that looked a serious possibility when Ecuador took a shock lead inside 40 seconds

Romario Ibarra ploughed his way through a nervy Argentina back-line and reversed a fine finish beyond Manchester United goalkeeper Sergio Romero

Argentina, who had not scored in open play for 450 minutes, needed inspiration and it came from a familiar source

Messi and Angel di Maria teamed up to devastating effect

Messi played a clever one-two with the winger before sweeping home from close range with 12 minutes on the clock

His influence on the game was growing by the minute and soon he'd single-handedly dragged his country back into World Cup contention with another sublime finish

Ecuador squandered possession, which gave Messi the invitation to pounce

He drove into the area and fired into the roof of the net in the 20th minute, making a tricky finish look devilishly easy

Ecuador pinned Argentina back after the break and looked the more likely to strike - until Messi waved his magic wand again on 62 minutes

Picking the ball up about 35 yards out, he had options either side but decided to go it alone

He had a lot to do with the finish from 15 yards due to being off balance but he managed to loft a wonderful effort over the goalkeeper

It was a goal, and performance, that defied logic and defined world-class

One of the easier man of the match decisions

After failing to score a single away goal in the qualifying campaign, Argentina's little maestro turned it on when it mattered most with three classic finishes

Words really don't do his performance justice

It was legendary

Without him, Argentina would be spending the summer at home

10 out of 10 - no argument

null

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James McClean fired Republic of Ireland into the World Cup qualifying play-offs and dumped Wales out in the process with a 1-0 win in Cardiff

In a winner-takes-all clash for the runners-up spot in Group D behind Serbia, McClean hammered home just after half-time as Ireland put on a defensive masterclass to deny the 2016 European Championship semi-finalists, who had not lost at home in four years

The result means Gareth Bale, who was missing through injury, and his team-mates will spend a summer at home while Ireland can look forward to a two-legged play-off for a place in Russia

Martin O'Neill's side find out their opponents next Tuesday

In a cup final atmosphere, the game rarely sparked into life with both sets of players keen to stay in their respective shapes

Hal Robson-Kanu headed over a presentable chance from a Joe Ledley corner early on, but they rarely tested a disciplined back four shielded by skipper David Meyler

The hosts suffered a blow 10 minutes before the break when Allen was caught in a sandwich of Meyler and McClean and forced to leave the field

Darren Randolph tipped over Robson-Kanu's diving header just after the break before the key moment of the game came on 57 minutes

Wales skipper Ashley Williams lost possession on the edge of his penalty area and Jeff Hendrick crossed for McClean to slam home his fourth goal of the campaign

There was plenty of time for Wales to stage a rally, but Ireland, who had less than 30 per cent possession, soaked up all the pressure and were in no mood for budging

The West Brom winger has been the go-to-guy for the Republic in this qualification period - and once again - when it mattered - he stepped up

Most players would have snatched at his only opportunity of the match, especially with their weaker foot, but McClean skilfully pinged his effort right where Hennessey couldn't reach it

Special mention has to go to the axis of Shane Duffy, Ciaran Clark and Meyler who were all outstanding in repelling Wales' threat

"I'm so proud

The players were magnificent playing away from home at a very good Welsh side

To win on their territory was a great result for us

""Right now all I can think about, picture in my mind, is the faces of the players in the dressing room and the disappointment

They are inconsolable at the moment but they should feel very proud

That's all I can think about

"

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1,721

Harry Kane's first-half penalty gave England an uninspiring 1-0 victory in Lithuania to end their World Cup Qualifying campaign unbeaten

England scored the only goal on 27 minutes through Kane's well-taken penalty after Dele Alli had been fouled, the Tottenham striker's 15th goal in 10 games for club and country

The result means England finish their qualifying campaign unbeaten for the fourth major tournament in a row, having dropped just four points in total

England, fielding a youthful XI with an average age of 23

7, controlled the first half, but it was Lithuania who came closest early on as Darvydas Sernas' near-post header hit the side-netting following Maguire's slip in the box

Michael Keane flashed a half-volley just wide midway through the first period before Alli was brought down in the box by Ovidijus Verbickas following a neat England move

Kane, the hero on Thursday night in the late win over Slovenia, struck his penalty in off the post

Marcus Rashford forced a decent save out of Ernestas Setkus just before the break, while Harry Winks did the same with a left-footed drive early in the second period

Lithuania nearly levelled as Michael Keane turned towards his own goal from a dangerous Fiodor Cernych cross, but Jack Butland did superbly to tip the ball wide

Aaron Cresswell nearly doubled England's lead, seeing his header from Jordan Henderson's cross saved well by Setkus, while Deivydas Matulevicius had a fine chance to equalise late on, but he shot straight at Butland on the half volley after drifting behind the defence

Sub Daniel Sturridge then saw a close-range shot blocked in stoppage time as England searched for a second, but it ended in a narrow and tame victory for Gareth Southgate's side

Make no mistake, this was not a shining performance full of superlatives by debutant Winks, but his composure and neat passing in midfield made him the best of what was frankly an under-par bunch

Winks, who has only started four Premier League games in his career, was uncomplicated, shifting the ball quickly and making the correct decision time and time again

The 21-year-old's speed of thought on the ball, taking his first touch forward rather than to the side, will impress Southgate

Can he edge his way into the reckoning once England's injured players return?England begin preparations for next summer's tournament in Russia with friendlies at Wembley against Germany (November 10) and Brazil (November 14)

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1,722

Scotland's hopes of reaching the World Cup play-offs ended with a 2-2 draw in Slovenia, as Slovakia ran out 3-0 winners over Malta to secure second in Group F

Leigh Griffiths had Scottish fans dreaming at half-time after his volley from a narrow angle fired in off the post (32) but substitute Roman Bezjak turned the game on its head with two goals (52, 72) as Slovenia grew stronger in the second half

Robert Snodgrass' late equaliser (88) set up a tense finale, but Scotland could not find the all-important winner despite coming close twice in the dying minutes and seeing Bostjan Cesar sent off for the hosts (90+2)

The draw left Scotland on 18 points, with Slovakia finishing ahead of them on goal difference

Slovenia knew only victory over Scotland and a slip-up from Slovakia would see them finish second, and the hosts duly shot out the blocks with Josip Ilicic and Tim Matavz testing Craig Gordon early on

Scotland meanwhile overcame their early jitters and grew into the game, with Chris Martin forcing Jan Oblak into making his first save after 18 minutes

The visitors then managed to do what England and all other Group F sides could not manage, and that was score a goal past Oblak in Slovenia in this qualifying campaign

It came in the 32nd minute as James McArthur's looping header found Griffiths at a narrow angle, and the Celtic forward volleyed it back across goal and in off the far post

Slovenia responded well, and they were level seven minutes into the second half as Ilicic's cross was headed in by Bezjak, who came on at half-time for the hosts

Gordon then made a superb reaction save to deny Bezjak again, but he was powerless to prevent the SV Darmstadt forward from putting Slovenia ahead with a calm finish following Miha Mevlja's lay back

Darren Fletcher then somehow skied an effort over with just over 10 minutes to go, but they did find an equaliser through Snodgrass, who chested the ball down before looping it over the onrushing Oblak

A frantic final few minutes followed as Oblak dived to prevent a deflected cross squeezing in at the near post and then saved a Snodgrass header, those chances falling either side of Slovenia captain Cesar being sent off on his 100th appearance, having picked up two yellows in a matter of minutes

It was a cruel end to Scotland's World Cup qualifying campaign, and attention now turns to whether Gordon Strachan will continue as head coach, having been in the hot seat since 2013

The Atalanta midfielder looked a cut above the rest in Ljubljana

He posed a constant attacking threat for Slovenia, assisting Bezjak's first before sending in the corner which led to his second

Ilicic's efforts matched his impressive showing in the 1-0 loss to England, he was arguably the best player on the pitch at Wembley on Thursday, and he proved to be again on Sunday evening

"Genetically we are behind

In the last campaign, we were the second smallest, apart from Spain

"We had to pick a team to combat the height and strength at set-plays

Genetically we have to work at things, maybe we get big women and men together and see what we can do

"But it is a problem for us because we have to fight harder for every ball and jump higher than anyone else

"Nobody can tell me their technique, apart from one player, is better than any of ours

But physically we have a problem

We seem to be able to battle it and get through just with sheer determination and skill and work-rate

And that takes a lot out of you

"

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1,723

A bizarre own goal from Chris Brunt condemned Northern Ireland to a 1-0 defeat to Norway in their final World Cup qualifying game in Oslo but Michael O'Neill's side secured a play-off place

Northern Ireland were guaranteed a play-off place even before a ball had even been kicked following Scotland's 2-2 draw against Slovenia, but O'Neill had named his strongest side before that game had finished meaning six players at risk of suspension all started, including Jonny Evans and Steven Davis

In a relatively uneventful clash, the deadlock was eventually broken with 20 minutes remaining as Brunt volleyed into the top corner of his own net from under the bar before Alexander Soderlund saw a goal ruled out for offside in second-half stoppage-time

Despite the defeat, none of Northern Ireland's players on a yellow card were cautioned and O'Neill and his squad can now look ahead to the play-off draw which takes place on October 17

The first half was a relatively gentle affair with Davis having Northern Ireland's best opportunity with a long-range strike that was parried by Orjan Nyland

Michael McGovern, so usually a dependable presence in goal for Northern Ireland, was shaky throughout and he almost made a mess of Birger Meling's tame volley from the edge of the area just before the interval, parrying the effort wide for a corner

The hosts stepped up a gear in the second half and almost took the lead on 50 minutes when Tore Reginiussen got a toe on the end of Sander Birge's shot but McGovern made a smart reaction save to keep it out before Soderlund converted the rebound from an offside position

Eventually, Norway's dominance paid off although their goal came in unorthodox fashion as McGovern flapped at Stefan Johansen's dinked cross to the far post with Brunt lashing the loose ball high into his own net under minimal pressure

That shock goal sparked a resurgence from Northern Ireland and they had a couple of good opportunities to score late on through Stuart Dallas' low volley before George Saville missed a gilt-edged chance from inside the six-yard box

In injury time, Soderlund saw a goal questionably ruled out for offside

In the end, Northern Ireland achieved their mission of finishing second in the group and reaching the play-off stage, however, defeat to Norway opens them up to playing a seeded nation which could be Italy or Portugal

The big hope of Norwegian football, 19-year-old playmaker Sander Berge ran the show for his side, delivering an authoritative display that belied his years

An imposing presence in midfield, Berge's touch and vision was a key factor in Norway's dominant performance and it will be interesting to see how long his current club Genk can hang onto him based on this performance

Michael O'Neill: "I thought it [Scotland's draw against Slovenia] relieved a bit of the tension in the situation

At times we played some good football, at other times, we were off it a little bit but I think that's understandable

The lads that were on a booking got through the game without picking anything else up which is a positive for us

"It's disappointing for us to lose the game and the nature of the goal is unlucky but the main thing was to make sure we were in the play-offs and that was confirmed to us before we took to the field tonight

"You're always disappointed when you lose the game and it would've been nice to get another clean sheet but the main thing was to get through unscathed without any suspensions which we managed to do and we can look forward to a massive game in November now

"We can't be greedy let's be honest [about potentially being unseeded] we could face some great teams in the play-off and we'll just have to deal with that

You may equally play a very good team if you were seeded as well

It's unlikely that we will be seeded now but we still have the opportunity to go to Russia

"Northern Ireland will have to wait until October 17 to discover which nation they will face in the play-off for the World Cup in Russia but they could be drawn against Italy if they are in the unseeded side of the draw

null

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<PAD>

1,724

Wales took a giant stride towards the World Cup play-offs with a crucial 1-0 victory over Georgia in Tbilisi

With Gareth Bale missing through injury, Tom Lawrence rose to the occasion, scoring his first international goal as Chris Coleman's men moved to within a point of leaders Serbia

Wales will secure play-off qualification if they avoid defeat against Republic of Ireland and can even win the group if they beat Martin O'Neill's side and Serbia fail to beat Georgia on Monday night

Sat bottom in the table of second-placed teams ahead of kick-off, Wales travelled to Georgia in need of a positive result to strengthen their qualification bid

And they so nearly made the perfect start in an evenly-matched first half as Lawrence threaded Aaron Ramsey through on goal inside three minutes, but the Arsenal midfielder fired wide at the near post

Georgia enjoyed the majority of possession but it was Wales who posed the greater attacking threat - Andy King's scuffed volley drawing a save from 'keeper George Loria on 17 minutes, before Sam Vokes dragged Ramsey's cross wide on the half hour

Vokes laid Joe Allen's searching ball up field into the path of Lawrence shortly after, but the Derby midfielder fired over, before Wales' profligacy nearly came back to haunt them as Giorgi Kvilitaia headed Georgia's first chance wide on 37 minutes

But Wales finally made a deserved breakthrough four minutes after the interval as Lawrence flashed a stunning drive beyond Loria from 20 yards

Wales went in search of a second but Otar Kakabadze's last-ditch challenge prevented Vokes from doubling the lead at the end of an intricate attacking move, before the Burnley striker failed to punish Loria after he fumbled shot from Ramsey

Wayne Hennessey was a bystander in the visitors' goal until 79 minutes when he was called into action by Giorgi Merebashvili's low drive, but he pulled off a fine save as Wales weathered a late Georgian storm to maintain their hopes of reaching second successive tournaments

: "It's always tough to come here, but it's all about the points and about the win

Apart from a couple chances, they had a a lot of possession, but our guys stuck to the gameplan and some of the performances out there were heroic

"We found it difficult at times handling the ball

We got in great situations we didn't capitalise on, but overall the commitment and desire was incredible

"I'm delighted for Tom, he's moved to Derby, a big move for him, and he's already shown his potential

He's shown great courage tonight, because defensively he had to do a job for us, and he did it fantastically well

His all-round performance was fantastic

"Wales end their World Cup qualification campaign at home to the Republic of Ireland on Monday, live on & , while Georgia travel to Serbia for their final Group D clash

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<PAD>

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<PAD>

1,725

Two first-half goals from Daryl Murphy kept Republic of Ireland's World Cup qualification hopes alive as they beat Moldova 2-0 on Friday

Murphy's second (2) and third goals (19) in 30 caps mean Martin O'Neill's side must now beat Wales in Cardiff on Monday night - live on - if they are to secure a place in the play-offs

Moldova grew into the game in the second half, but their lack of quality in the final third offered little threat to Ireland

Alexandru Gatcan's straight red card for a bizarre headbutt in injury time summed up Moldova's frustration as the Republic enjoyed a comfortable win in Dublin

The hosts took the lead in the second minute

Stephen Ward's long throw into the box was nodded on by Shane Duffy to Murphy, who volleyed home from close range

Shane Long could have doubled the lead in the 16th minute when he collected Callum O'Dowda's reverse pass, but his effort skidded narrowly wide of the post

Long's goal drought, which has gone on for 23 games for club and country, continues as his effort in the 22nd minute was blocked by Ilie Cebanu in goal before his rebound was cleared away

But Murphy ensured the Republic went into half-time with a two-goal cushion after meeting Ward's cross to score with a looping header

The Republic dropped off in intensity in the second half as Moldova attempted to push further forward

The visitors attempted numerous crosses into the box, but it mostly made for catching practice for Darren Randolph

Long missed another glorious chance on the hour mark

O'Dowda's blocked shot landed at the feet of Long, who simply had to prod the ball into the empty goal, but instead fired his effort wide

The game ended in embarrassment for Moldova in injury time as Gatcan fouled substitute Harry Arter, before attempting to headbutt the Bournemouth midfielder as the Republic cruised to victory

We got off to a great start with a goal early on

We spurned a couple of chances before Murphy made it 2-0

Second half we maybe took our foot off the pedal but most importantly we won the game and it sets us up for Monday night

"It's pretty interesting but we'll go over there, and we know what we have to do

Win a game in Cardiff

"Murphy had an evening to remember with his two goals overshadowing the performances of Shane Long and Callum O'Dowda, who were also given opportunities to impress

His two goals proved decisive for Republic of Ireland, who recorded a much-needed win on a night where Wales also won

Republic of Ireland end their World Cup qualification campaign at Wales at the Cardiff City Stadium on Monday, live on &

Moldova face Austria in their final Group D clash

null

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1,726

England captain Harry Kane scored a late winner as Gareth Southgate's side beat Slovenia 1-0 at Wembley to qualify for the 2018 World Cup with a game to spare

England only needed two points from their final two matches - with a trip to Lithuania to come on Sunday - but took all three thanks to Kane's 94th-minute intervention

The result means England have not lost in their last 20 World Cup qualifiers - a run that stretches back eight years - and they have topped their World Cup qualification group for the sixth time in succession

Southgate's side, 13th in the FIFA rankings and 38 places above opponents Slovenia, dominated possession but struggled to create and ceded the first opportunity to the visitors, with Josip Ilicic's penalty appeal turned down after contact was made by Joe Hart

The talented Slovenian forward then teed up Roman Bezjak, who miscued his finish on the volley as the away team threatened to cause the upset they required to keep their own World Cup hopes alive

England's best chance of the first half fell to Jordan Henderson but Atletico Madrid 'keeper Jan Oblak got down well to keep out the midfielder's low effort

The Slovenia stopper was beaten just after the hour mark but Marcus Rashford's tame chip was cleared by Miha Mevlja

The close call energised a previously lethargic England and they went close again when a remarkable double block by Slovenia captain Bostjan Cesar denied Raheem Sterling

Kane then dragged an effort wide before smart goalkeeping by Hart prevented substitute Tim Matavz from putting the visitors ahead on the counter

And Tottenham forward Kane, auditioning for the captaincy on a regular basis, did his chances of keeping the armband no harm with a clinical low finish from Kyle Walker's delivery in stoppage time to ensure England will be in Russia next year

: "We would have liked to have played more fluidly and scored more goals

We played a team that made it really difficult to create chances

"We are having to find a way of winning by being a bit more savvy because we are not flowing with the ball

But we do have goalscorers

": "Congratulations to England, they maybe not deserved this victory but they scored a goal

"I wish them luck at the World Cup

My players deserve congratulations as well, they played a decent game and can be proud

"Kane's superb September form is continuing into October

He was some way short of his best at Wembley - like most of his team-mates - but still popped up to decide the match with a sharp run and tidy finish by the impressive Slovenia goalkeeper Oblak

The calls to give him the captain's armband on a permanent basis will only grow ahead of next year's tournament

England conclude their qualifying campaign away to Lithuania on Sunday and with their place at the World Cup already secure, Southgate may opt to experiment

Meanwhile, Slovenia host Scotland in what will be a crunch final qualifier with a play-off place on the line

null

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1,727

Martin Skrtel's late own goal ensured Scotland edged past 10-man Slovakia 1-0 at Hampden Park to keep them on course for a place in the World Cup qualifying play-offs

On a night where , Scotland moved up to second place in the table - and Gordon Strachan's side know a victory in Slovenia on Sunday is likely to be enough to secure a berth in November's play-offs

Two quickfire yellow cards for Robert Mak saw Scotland have a man advantage from the 23rd minute, with the Slovakia midfielder sent off for simulation in the penalty area just five minutes after his first booking

Scotland twice hit the bar through Chris Martin and Leigh Griffiths after the break, but at the death Skrtel turned the ball into his own net from Ikechi Anya's cross

The Scots were on top even before Mak's red card, and it took a superb stop from Martin Dubravka to deny Christophe Berra from heading Scotland into the lead after 20 minutes

That chance for Berra fell between Mak's two yellows

The Manchester City Academy graduate picked up his first booking in the 18th minute for a challenge on James Forrest and he was given his marching orders just five minutes later after taking a tumble with Scotland 'keeper Craig Gordon in the vicinity

Scotland looked to make their man-advantage count, but, apart from a curling Griffiths attempt which was stopped by Dubravka, the hosts struggled to create clear-cut chances before the interval

The second half saw Slovakia start on the front foot, but they failed to create any telling chances as Scotland hit back strongly

Substitute Martin saw his effort from 25 yards out rattle the bar, before Griffiths also struck the woodwork with a long-range free-kick

Moments later, James Morrison was denied by Dubravka from point-blank range, and it was starting to look like it would not be Scotland's night

Cue a huge stroke of good luck

Griffiths played in Anya, whose cross was bundled into the goal by a sliding Skrtel, who was under pressure from Martin

Skrtel put in a near-perfect performance until his late own goal, but it was Dubravka who thwarted Scotland time and time again

The Slovakia goalkeeper pulled off a number of superb stops to crank up the pressure on Scotland, and it was telling that he was only beaten by an unfortunate mishap

"I wasn't too bad to be honest with you

I genuinely thought we were going to score a goal

I did

"It would have been a huge disappointment if we didn't

That was some performance, I know there was 10 men there and it shook us for a bit, but that's because you do all your homework to face 11

"We got a bit more time on the ball, they can keep the ball when they get it back, but there's no doubt about the man of the match, for them - the goalkeeper

He was magnificent

And the crossbar was good as well

"Scotland head to Slovenia on Sunday, where victory should send the team into November's play-offs

Slovakia, meanwhile, will host Malta and they will hope to ease past the minnows and pile the pressure on the Scots

null

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1,728

Germany booked their place at Russia 2018 with a classy 3-1 victory over Northern Ireland at Windsor Park

Sebastian Rudy's rocket put the world champions ahead inside two minutes before Sandro Wagner underlined their dominance with a fine second midway through the first half

Northern Ireland steadied after the break, and asked real questions of Germany as Conor Washington struck the bar, but Joshua Kimmich wrapped up a convincing victory four minutes from time before Josh Magennis pulled one back with the final kick of the game

But there was no denying Germany as they inflicted Northern Ireland's first home defeat in four years to finish top of Group C, whether or not Michael O'Neill's men will join them at next summer's World Cup looks set to be determined in the play-offs

Northern Ireland entered the game with an outside chance of automatically qualifying ahead of Germany, but Rudy's unstoppable drive with barely two minutes on the clock allayed any lingering fears for the visitors, and heralded the start of an imperious display from Joachim Low's side

Michael McGovern pulled off a stunning save to claw a Wagner header away three minutes later as the Germans laid siege to the hosts' goal, before a second header from the Hoffenheim striker cannoned off the woodwork on 17 minutes

And it was only a matter of time before Wagner finally got on the scoresheet as he controlled and swivelled on the edge of the area, before firing high past McGovern to underline Germany's dominance

Corry Evans spurned Northern Ireland's best chance of the half six minutes before the break, firing straight at Marc-Andre ter Stegen after poorly controlling a Magennis cross

Michael O'Neill reverted to a back four at half-time in an attempt to get back into the game, but it was Germany who maintained the threat as Wagner drew another fine save from McGovern on 51 minutes

The introduction of Washington saw Northern Ireland pose a greater threat in attack, with the QPR striker striking the woodwork on 77 minutes, but Kimmich ended any hopes of a comeback with a cute finish from a narrow angle before Magennis grabbed a consolation with the last kick

We were great in the second half, especially after being 2-0 down against that level of opposition

3-0 would have been harsh, we deserved the goal in the end but it was very difficult

We lost a goal early to a phenomenal strike, and the game plan we had in mind went out of the window after a minute and 20 seconds

That knocked us back in the first 15-20 minutes and it took us a while to get going

We clawed our way back in and what we gave in the second half was fantastic

The Bayern Munich star underlined his growing reputation with a fine display

The 22-year-old was a potent attacking force both charging down the right and cutting inside

He linked well with the midfield and Northern Ireland's wing-backs struggled to deal with him

He capped his display with a deserved goal in the closing minutes

Northern Ireland end their World Cup qualification campaign away in Norway on Sunday, live on , while Germany look to make it 10 wins from 10 when Azerbaijan travel to Kaiserslautern

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1,729

A late 2-0 victory for Wales against Moldova saw them leapfrog the Republic of Ireland into second place of World Cup Qualifying Group D on Tuesday night

After an even opening period, Wales sprang into life in the second half and their pressure paid off in the 80th minute as a superb cross from Ben Woodburn was headed home by Hal Robson-Kanu

Aaron Ramsey then rounded off proceedings as his volley was deflected into the back of the net in the second minute of injury time to earn Chris Coleman's side a hard-fought victory

With the Republic of Ireland losing 1-0 to Serbia in Dublin, it means that Wales have now gone second in Group D, one point ahead of their home nations rivals and four behind leaders Serbia

Wales could have taken the lead inside 10 minutes as a Ramsey corner was met by the head of Robson-Kanu, but while the effort had goalkeeper Ilie Cebanu scrambling, the West Brom striker could only guide the ball past the post

Cebanu was called into a series of quick-fire saves on the 20-minute mark as Wales had their best spell of the first half

The Moldovan stopper initially parried a stinging effort from Gareth Bale, before tipping away the rebounded effort from Ramsey and Robson-Kanu's follow-up bounced wide off the leg of Alexandru Epureanu

Moldova's best chance of the opening period came five minutes later as Alexandru Pascenco's free kick was met by the head of Artur Ionita at the back post, forcing Wayne Hennessey into a rare save but the referee had already blown his whistle for a foul in the box so any goal would not have counted

Wales were much improved in the second half and could have twice taken the lead before the hour mark

Ramsey and Bale linked up brilliantly again in the 50th minute before the Real Madrid forward's shot was saved by Cebanu

Robson-Kanu flashed a shot just wide of the post not long after

While Wales saw the better of the play, Moldova could have caused a shock in the 66th minute as Ashley Williams was caught off-guard and allowed Ionita through on goal

His attempted cross for Gheorghe Anton was put behind by Andy King before Ionita headed just wide from the resulting corner

But Wales finally made the breakthrough with 10 minutes to play and substitute Woodburn was once again involved

He powered down the right flank, easily beating Vitalie Bordian for pace, before firing a cross into the box that was headed in by Robson-Kanu

There was more to come as Ramsey sealed the victory in the 92nd minute

He collected a Sam Vokes pass at the top of the box before hitting home on the volley, taking a deflection off the legs of Moldova captain Epureanu to send it into the back of the net

Wales won away from home for the first time since September 2015 (v Cyprus), ending a run of six games without victory

Chris Coleman's side are unbeaten in their last eight games (W3 D5), and have won in consecutive outings for the first time since July 2016 (a run of three wins)

Ben Woodburn has been directly involved in two of Wales' last three goals; scoring the winner against Austria and assisting Hal-Robson Kanu in this game, on both occasions as a substitute

Only Gareth Bale (4) has scored more goals than Aaron Ramsey (2) for Wales in the 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign

While the victory was a collective effort from Wales, Ramsey's attacking contribution just edges him ahead

He continuously linked up with his team-mates throughout the game, particularly with Bale, and especially when chances were few and far between in the first half

He continued to be centre of the attacking play when it opened up for Wales in the second period, and rounded off his performance with a deserved goal, even if it did take a deflection on the way through

A good evening's work from the Arsenal man

Wales know they will need to win their remaining two games to make sure their second place spot is secured, and begin the next international break with a trip to Georgia on October 6

If the Republic of Ireland also beat Moldova in their next game, it could then be a straight shoot-out for second spot as they host Martin O'Neill's side at the Cardiff City Stadium on October 9

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1,730

Republic of Ireland's hopes of qualifying for the World Cup were dealt a huge blow on Tuesday after a 1-0 defeat to 10-man Serbia at the Aviva Stadium

Martin O'Neill's side started the evening with the chance of going top of Group D with a victory but former Manchester City full-back Aleksandar Kolarov (55) scored the only goal of the game as Serbia, who finished the game with 10 men after Nikola Maksimovic's 68th-minute red card, secured a top-two finish

Serbia moved four points clear at the summit but for the hosts, who drop down to third in the group, defeat leaves them with a mountain to climb to reach next summer's tournament in Russia, especially after Wales' 2-0 victory in Moldova

O'Neill asked for a response from his side following their disappointing draw against Georgia at the weekend, and they thought they'd made the perfect start when Shane Duffy converted Robbie Brady's cross from close range but the celebrations were cut short by the offside flag

Backed by the home crowd, Republic of Ireland continued to threaten and they went close again in the 20th minute through Shane Long, whose long-range effort was tipped over the bar by Vladimir Stojkovic

Serbia eventually grew into the game and in the 33rd minute created their first clear-cut opening

Dusan Tadic's pass released Filip Kostic and he pulled the ball back for Aleksandar Mitrovic, but the Newcastle striker's goal-bound effort was clawed away by Darren Randolph

It was the visitors who were celebrating the 55th minute when Kostic guided the ball perfectly on to the fast-arriving Kolarov's left boot and he thundered it off the underside of the crossbar, leaving Randolph helpless

Ireland needed a response and O'Neill brought on striker Daryll Murphy to replace Wes Hoolahan with 28 minutes remaining, and the new man made a swift impact

As he set off in pursuit of Brady's ball over the top, last man Maksimovic slipped and was adjudged to have brought him down, prompting referee Cuneyt Cakir to brandish a red card, although Brady wastefully drilled the resulting free-kick into the defensive wall

Murphy was convinced he should have been awarded a 76th-minute penalty for a challenge by Jagos Vukovic as he tried to meet substitute Callum O'Dowda's teasing cross, and saw an 86th-minute snapshot palmed away by Stojkovic as the Republic's World Cup dream started to ebb away

Republic of Ireland looked a threat at set pieces all game but Stojkovic stood up to the challenge, commanding his penalty area to great effect

He also read the play brilliantly and showed excellent handling all night

He also made what proved to be a crucial save in the 86th minute to deny Murphy, sticking his right boot out to block the substitute's snapshot

Republic of Ireland, who will be without Robbie Brady and James McClean through suspension, face Moldova at home on Friday, October 6, before finishing their campaign on October 9 with what could be a decisive trip to Cardiff to face Wales

For Serbia, they can clinch qualification to the World Cup with victory in Austria on October 6 but should they need another game they face Georgia at home three days later

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1,731

Marcus Rashford put England on the brink of World Cup qualification after scoring the winner in a 2-1 victory over Slovakia on Monday night

Defeat would have seen Gareth Southgate's side slip to second place in Group F with two games to play and Stanislav Lobotka's goal after two-and-a-half minutes prompted concern among the 67,823 supporters at Wembley Stadium

But Eric Dier turned in a corner on 38 minutes to settle the nerves, before Rashford struck a fine winner 14 minutes after half-time to put England five points clear of Slovakia

And that means England need just two points from their remaining fixtures against Slovenia and Lithuania to guarantee a place at next summer's World Cup finals in Russia

Rashford made his first England start after being preferred to Raheem Sterling in attack, but his night did not start well as he lost possession in the build-up to Slovakia's third-minute opener

Lobotka robbed the Manchester United forward 25 yards from goal and shared the ball with Adam Nemec, who clipped a clever pass over the England defenders back to his team-mate to finish brilliantly past Joe Hart

England were visibly rattled and laboured for much of the first half, but found an equaliser in the 38th minute

It came from a corner, which was curled by Rashford low to the feet of Dier at the front post and the Tottenham midfielder hooked a first-time shot above Lobotka on the goal-line and into the roof of the net

England might have been reduced to 10 men on the stroke of half-time when last man Kyle Walker appeared to trip Vladimir Weiss in full flight on the edge of the area, but the referee felt the defender won the ball, much to the frustration of the Slovakia players

And England capitalised on their fortune as Rashford put them ahead on 59 minutes

Following a neat exchange between Dele Alli and Jordan Henderson, the 19-year-old struck an unstoppable low shot across goalkeeper Martin Dubravka from the edge of the area

Slovakia had limited opportunities to score a second as Nemec's close-range volley was beaten away by Hart and Tomas Hubocan wastefully bounced a shot over the bar - and they will now need to avoid defeat in their next match at Hampden Park to prevent Scotland going above them into a play-off spot

England's night might be tarnished if FIFA decide to punish Dele Alli for , but Southgate knows victory against Slovenia next month will secure a passage to Russia after another tenacious, if unconvincing, qualifying display

The former England boss was very impressed with Jones' display at centre-half, saying: "He gets the highest rating of the night from me

It was a very solid performance and he was certainly the pick of the bunch in the back four

He's forming an excellent partnership with Gary Cahill and becoming a fixture in the side which is really handy for Gareth Southgate

"England can secure World Cup qualification with a win over Slovenia at Wembley in their next qualifying match on Thursday October 5, before concluding their campaign in Lithuania three days later

Slovakia's match in Scotland on October 5 will likely be crucial in the race for a play-off spot

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1,732

Northern Ireland secured second spot in Group C with a 2-0 win over Czech Republic at Windsor Park on Monday

Michael O'Neill's side went into the game knowing a point would be enough to see them clinch the place and give themselves a fantastic chance of making the World Cup qualifying play-off round

The three points were ultimately wrapped up in the first half with Jonny Evans heading home in the 28th minute before Chris Brunt curled home a superb free kick 13 minutes later

The Czech Republic pushed for goals in the second half but could not breach one of the most solid defences in the European World Cup Qualifiers as Northern Ireland secured the vital victory

The hosts could have struck in the opening minutes as Josh Magennis headed a Brunt corner wide in the pick of the early action

Despite seeing the better of the ball, Czech Republic struggled to create first-half chances, with the best coming in the 22nd minute as Jan Boril headed towards goal from the left of the box but Michael McGovern made an easy save

The hosts broke the deadlock six minutes later, with a Brunt corner again causing the Czech defence some problems

The delivery was initially cleared by the visitors, but Oliver Norwood was lurking at the top of the box to head the ball back towards goal

His effort found Jonny Evans at the back post, who flicked the ball home with the back of his head

Brunt added his own goal in the 41st minute with a superb free kick

Corry Evans was fouled by Filip Novak around 20 yards out to hand Northern Ireland the advantage, which was expertly curled home by the West Brom midfielder

Czech Republic could have halved the deficit just after the hour mark as Josef Husbauer curled a superb cross into the box from the top left corner, searching for Michal Krmencik in the middle but he could not rise high enough to meet it as McGovern ushered the ball out of play

The visitors were camped in Northern Ireland's half for much of the second period and had two of the best chances in quick succession in the 68th minute

Theodor Gebre Selassie's fizzing cross evaded the foot of Jan Kliment before Norwood cleared

The ball then fell to Vladimir Darida, but his long range effort went well over the crossbar

But despite seeing 77 per cent of the ball, Czech Republic could not find a way past Northern Ireland - who have conceded just two goals in their eight qualifiers so far - as the hosts made sure they will finish in the top two of Group C along with Germany

Northern Ireland are now unbeaten in nine competitive games at home, winning seven and drawing two

Northern Ireland enjoyed just 23 per cent of possession, their lowest figure in the 2018 World Cup Qualifying campaign so far

Michael O'Neill has now won 14 competitive matches as Northern Ireland boss, as many as the two previous managers, Nigel Worthington and Lawrie Sanchez, combined

Jonny Evans netted just his second goal for Northern Ireland and his first in 45 games, since netting against Poland in March 2009

It was a superb Northern Ireland performance all round but Chris Brunt had a hand in both goals and put in a defensive shift as Czech Republic probed in the second half

It was his corner that started off the play for the first goal and scored a fantastic second-half free-kick, with most of his set piece deliveries causing problems for the visiting defence

After his Euro 2016 heartbreak, Brunt has had a huge hand in getting Northern Ireland into a great position to qualify for their first World Cup since 1986 and appearances in successive major tournaments, having been directly involved in four goals in his five qualifying appearances so far (2 goals, 2 assists)

Northern Ireland welcome Germany to Windsor Park on Thursday 5 October and, if they beat the current World Cup holders, they would be in with a chance of winning the group

This would require them to also pick up three points in their final group qualifier away to Norway on Sunday 8 October, and hope that Germany draw or lose to Azerbaijan

However, even if this does not happen, they are still certain of a second-place finish and should secure their spot in the play-off round which begins in November

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1,733

Scotland enhanced their chances of qualification for the 2018 World Cup with a 2-0 win over Malta at Hampden Park on Monday

Goals from Christophe Berra (10) and Leigh Griffiths (48) saw off the minnows as Scotland moved to within one point of Slovakia in second place in Group F, after they lost 2-1 to England at Wembley

Scotland have now won 10 points from their last four games after only winning four points from their opening four World Cup Qualifiers

Gordon Strachan's men have two matches remaining and go into them knowing that six points will be enough to guarantee the runners-up spot and almost certainly a play-off place

Those games are a monumental home clash with Slovakia (October 5) and a trip to Slovenia (October 8)

Scotland have failed to qualify for the last nine major tournaments since the 1998 World Cup in France, but showed no early nerves in this must-win encounter, scoring inside 11 minutes

Griffiths whipped in a corner from the right flank which found Berra towering over his marker at the back post

He thumped home his fourth international goal

That should have set the platform for Scotland to grab plenty of goals against a team who have not won in their last 21 competitive games (D2 L19)

However, they were restricted to long shots which failed to seriously trouble visiting goalkeeper Andrew Hogg

There was a feeling that Scotland were playing with the handbrake on and they put their foot on the gas just after the break to double their lead

Andrew Robertson had the beating of his man on the left flank all night and he used his pace to fly into the box on 50 minutes

His cross was turned towards goal by James Morrison

That effort came back off the post but Griffiths was on hand to turn home from close range

Scotland goalkeeper Craig Gordon had little to do but in the 75th minute made a decent double-save, first from Joseph Zerafa's angled-drive then from striker Alfred Effiong's follow-up attempt

Griffiths limped off late on with a calf injury - but that was a minor blip on a job well done for Strachan's men

Energy and creative passing is always needed when trying to break down defensively-minded teams like Malta and Armstrong provided the magic in midfield with another accomplished display

He's fast becoming one of Strachan's main men in this improving Scotland side

"As long as everybody keeps fit and healthy [we can qualify]

The good players play well and we meet up again and hopefully we'll have a choice of guys on top form - 23 guys on top form

"I think

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the last group we were involved in

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Germany, Northern Ireland, Poland

null

that was a fantastic and hard group

All them went on to do well in the finals and we knew how hard it was going to be

But again we've made it kind of a roller-coaster ride

"• Scotland have only lost one of their last 10 competitive home games (W6 D3)

• Scotland have won each of their last six games against Malta, and remain unbeaten against them in all competitions (W6 D1)

• Malta remain without a goal on their travels to Great Britain or Ireland, shipping 38 in the process

• Scotland attempted 25 shots in the game, their most in 13 games, since mustering 30 v Gibraltar in October 2015

• Griffiths has been directly involved in six goals in his last three games for Scotland (3 goals, 3 assists)

Scotland host Slovakia in a barnstorming qualifier at Hampden Park in October which you can watch live on Sky Sports Football

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Gordon

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1,734

Republic of Ireland held out for a 1-1 draw in Georgia on Saturday to stay unbeaten in World Cup Qualifying Group D

Shane Duffy headed Ireland into the lead in the fourth minute but Georgia responded well and levelled through Valeri Kazaishvili before half-time

Even though Georgia dominated possession, James McClean and Aiden McGeady spurned late chances to snatch victory for the visitors, who slip to second in Group D, two points behind leaders Serbia ahead of their meeting in Dublin on Tuesday

Wales could also make up ground on Ireland when they host Austria later on Saturday evening, live on

Ireland made the perfect start in Tbilisi as Georgia goalkeeper Giorgi Makaridze failed to claim a free-kick and Duffy rose highest to head into the empty net

But Georgia responded well to the setback and dominated possession for the rest of the first half

McClean spurned a rare chance for Ireland when he headed wide from Jon Walters' cross, before Georgia's pressure paid off when Kazaishvili slipped a shot under Darren Randolph after a well-worked move

Duffy headed at Makaridze from a corner late in the half, but Ireland went into the break having had just 24% of the possession

Although Georgia continued to control the game in the second half, it was the visitors who had the better chances

Shane Long headed over from 10 yards out before McClean and McGeady spurned late openings

McClean saw an effort saved by the goalkeeper after breaking the box while substitute McGeady slashed a shot over the bar from a good position

The Spartak Moscow player dictated play, especially in the first half, and set up Georgia's equaliser with a well-weighted pass through for Kazaishvili

Ireland's midfielders struggled to get close to Ananidze, who was able to find plenty of spaces and control possession

Republic of Ireland face a key game against Serbia in Dublin on Tuesday

They finish their campaign with a home match against Moldova and then trip to Wales

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1,735

Wales secured a gritty 1-0 win against Austria thanks to 17-year-old debutant Ben Woodburn's strike in their Group D World Cup Qualifier

The 69th-minute substitute smashed in the only goal of the night from outside the box five minutes after coming on in Saturday's clash in Cardiff to keep Welsh hopes of making next summer's finals in Russia alive

Despite Austria's persistence and attacking threat through David Alaba and Marko Arnautovic, the visitors were unable to break the deadlock in a tight contest where Woodburn emerged the hero

Wales' victory puts an end to their five-game drawing streak, with Woodburn enjoying a debut to remember

Chris Coleman's third-placed side are now four points off group leaders Serbia, and two behind Republic of Ireland, with three games of qualifying remaining

Wales started the first half brightly, with Gareth Bale's slightly scuffed shot unsettling the Austria backline early on before Aaron Ramsey caused a few problems with his driven shot over the bar in the eighth minute

But Austria would soon gain control and provided plenty of dangerous situations down the left flank through some lovely combination work between Alaba and Arnautovic

Arnautovic had the clearest chance in the first half after playing a sublime one-two with Julian Baumgartlinger

However, with just goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey to beat from close-range, the West Ham winger struck over the bar

In the 42nd minute, Marcel Sabitzer gave Wales another real cause for concern as he had a strike in plenty of space from the edge of the penalty box, but his drive skidded just wide of Hennessey's right-hand post as Wales held on until half-time

Wales responded brightly in the second half, with Bale trying a dangerous, dipping shot on goal 10 minutes in, forcing Heinz Lindner to tip wide of the post

Ramsey also had a low attempt flicked away by Lindner as the hosts continued to press for a goal

Woodburn proved to be the hero as, just five minutes after coming off the bench, he picked up Kevin Danso's poor clearance and smashed his strike into the net from 25 yards out

The goal entirely shifted the tone of the match, with Austria looking rattled

Hal Robson-Kanu's last-minute shot over the bar was quickly followed up by Bale's spectacular overhead kick that was parried away by Lindner, ensuring Wales finished the game deserved winners

"We've got a strong bench

It was a great game for young Ben Woodburn to make his debut because it doesn't get much tougher than that with so much pressure

"You wouldn't have thought it though, because his composure was fantastic

I'm delighted for him

It was one of those games where Austria will feel hard done by, but on the balance of the second half, we were the stronger team

""Austria had a number of chances - they were dominating the game

We needed to win so something had to change

Austria will have been conscious Ireland play Serbia on Wednesday

The win puts us right back into the group with a win over Moldova

"We see a special talent and hopefully Woodburn goes on to fulfil that, but he's already made a big impact

"Despite only being on the pitch for just over 20 minutes, Woodburn had a fantastic debut

Not only did the young teenager impressively score his first Wales goal to deliver a vital win, but his energetic pressing and willingness to attack completely altered the mood of the match

Wales travel to take on Moldova on Tuesday evening, live on while Austria face Georgia at the Ernst-Happel-Stadion at the same time

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1,736

Scotland kept their World Cup qualification hopes alive with an assured 3-0 victory in Lithuania on Friday

Gordon Strachan's men travelled to Vilnius knowing anything less than a win would all but end their hopes of going to Russia 2018

But goals from Stuart Armstrong (25) and Andrew Robertson (30) in a dominant first-half display eased the nerves before James McArthur (72) made sure of the victory

The result lifts Scotland up to third in Group F, four points behind second-place Slovakia ahead of Monday's Qualifier with whipping boys Malta at Hampden Park

Scotland's qualification campaigns of recent years are remembered for falling short at the final hurdle, but any chance of that trend repeating itself was quickly eradicated by a powerful start in the Lithuanian capital

With the exception of Arvydas Novikovas' dragged 10th-minute effort, it was one-way traffic as the Scots laid siege to the Lithuania goal

And they got the goal their industrious start deserved as Armstrong headed a Leigh Griffiths corner into the back of the net from close range midway through the half

One became two shortly after when Liverpool full-back Robertson underlined Scotland's dominance by curling an unstoppable shot into the top corner

Scotland started the second period needing to score a decisive third, and, after peppering the Lithuanian goal, McArthur finally got the better of stopper Ernestas Setkus with a scooped finish 18 minutes from time

It means a place at next summer's World Cup is very much still up for grabs for Scotland, who look to capitalise on Slovakia's trip to Wembley when Malta travel to Glasgow

"The individual performance from some of the boys was outstanding, so it was a good night

In terms of pure football that was as good as it gets from my time

The guys were phenomenal

"Robertson took to the field in Vilnius with all the swagger of a man who had just become a father for the very first time

It's been a momentous few weeks for the promising full-back, who has settled into life at Liverpool with ease

Robertson was the standout performer on a rare night of comfort for the Scots, his 30th-minute stunner the highlight

Scotland host Malta at Hampden Park on Monday - live on - while Lithuania travel to Slovenia for their match in World Cup qualification

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1,737

Harry Kane scored twice as a late flurry of goals gave an England a 4-0 win in Malta in World Cup 2018 European Qualifying on Friday night

Kane, who had not scored in August, marked September 1 with a goal, driving low from eight yards out in the 53rd minute after a frustrating first half for the visitors

Ryan Bertrand doubled England's lead in the 86th minute with a long-range effort, before sub Danny Welbeck added a neat third in stoppage time

Kane then netted his second and England's fourth a minute later, and the result means England stay top of Group F with three games remaining, sitting two points clear of second-placed Slovakia after their late 1-0 win over Slovenia

In a goalless first half, England had several opportunities to take the lead, the best falling to Raheem Sterling in the first minute after being found by Kane, but the Man City man decided to stall and turn inside the box when one-on-one, before being tackled

Kane then forced Malta goalkeeper Andrew Hogg into a fine save with a fierce header from Dele Alli's deflected cross, while Alli himself then blasted a half volley over the bar from Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's cut back

Tottenham striker Kane broke the deadlock eight minutes after the break from eight yards after some unselfish play from club team-mate Alli

Southampton left-back Bertrand looked almost embarrassed to have scored England's second, seeing his long-range effort take a slight deflection before finding the bottom corner when goalkeeper Hogg should have got down quicker

Sub Welbeck made it 3-0 in the 91st minute, running onto Kane's fine through ball to lift the ball over Hogg before the ball bounced over the line

Marcus Rashford, who impressed after coming on for Sterling at half-time, then found Kane, who struck on the half-volley from close range after moving into space in the box

"We've dominated the game

Of course you'd like your goals earlier, and we had a couple of really good early chances, but actually that was a rally good test for us

"There was a bit of stick towards us [from fans], we had to stay calm, make sure that we stuck to the plan

And if you keep the ball as much as we did and make the opposition work as much as we did, then in the end they tire, and your goals come late, also with a good impact from the bench

": "Forget about his goals and his assist tonight, his all-round play makes him so important to the England team

He has touch and awareness which is first class and he is just one of the best centre-forwards in the world now

"Next up in Group F, England host Slovakia on Monday at Wembley, while Malta go to Hampden Park to face Scotland, live on

null

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1,738

Northern Ireland left it late before beating San Marino 3-0 to strengthen their position in World Cup Qualifying Group C on Friday

Josh Magennis broke San Marino's resistance in the 70th minute and then headed in a second shortly afterwards

Steven Davis scored the third from the penalty spot to secure Northern Ireland a fourth successive win for the first time in their history

With other results in the group also going their way, Northern Ireland can now guarantee a top-two finish, and likely at least a play-off berth, if they avoid defeat against Czech Republic at Windsor Park on Monday

Czech Republic should provide a different test to San Marino, who frustrated Northern Ireland for much of the match but offered no threat at all up front themselves

Davis fired wide in the second minute for the visitors before Oliver Norwood sent a looping header past the post and Magennis failed to hit the target with a header from a corner

The visitors created more chances towards the end of the half but Conor Washington dragged an effort wide and then Magennis headed against the inside of the post

Chances continued to come and go after half-time as San Marino's hopes of holding out for only their second competitive clean sheet increased

But their resistance was eventually broken in the 70th minute when Davis kept alive a rebound and crossed for Magennis to turn in from close range

Magennis added a second shortly afterwards, nodding in from Washington's cross, before Davis slid in a penalty after the ball hit Alex Gasperoni's hand

After heading against the post and missing a couple of other chances, Magennis finally got the breakthrough for Northern Ireland in the 70th minute, finishing from close range after he had seen a header kept out by the impressive Aldo Simoncini

The Charlton striker then added a second to cap off a positive performance that saw him pose a constant threat with his power and aerial strength

Northern Ireland face a crunch clash with Czech Republic at Windsor Park on Monday

If Michael O'Neill's side avoid defeat they will be assured of a top-two finish in the group

After facing the Czechs, Northern Ireland host Germany in October before traveling to Norway

null

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<PAD>

1,739

Manchester United needed extra-time to edge past brave FC Copenhagen 1-0 to reach the semi-finals of the Europa League

After 90 minutes in Cologne, where the two teams could not be separated in hot and humid conditions, Anthony Martial won United's 21st penalty across all competitions this season and Bruno Fernandes fired it home

It broke a brave resistance from the Danish champions, who had defended brilliantly but did ride their luck slightly as Mason Greenwood and Fernandes both had struck the post in normal time and Greenwood had a goal ruled out by VAR in the first half for offside

Copenhagen also had their goalkeeper Karl-Johan Johnsson to thank as he made 13 saves, the joint-most by a goalkeeper in a single Europa League game since the competition's rebranding in 2009-10

United will face the winners of Tuesday's Europa League quarter-final between Wolves and Sevilla for a place in the Europa League final on August 21

As the temperature hit 32 degrees ahead of kick-off, saving energy was a key component and United were rather slow out of the blocks as a consequence

Copenhagen played a brave game in the early stages, pressing United where possible and Fred got caught in possession but was let off the hook as Mohamed Daramy and Jens Stage saw shots blocked following his sloppy play

United looked to have a chance to take the lead against the run of play when Martial went down under pressure from Victor Nelsson, moments before Fernandes hit the crossbar, but after a delay the VAR ruled out the penalty for offside

VAR was to cause further frustration for United when Marcus Rashford sent through Greenwood in behind and he thumped a classy finish into the far corner

However, the replays showed the assistant referee had missed a clear offside and VAR overturned the on-field call

The game settled into a more predictable pattern after the break with United making the Copenhagen defence work hard to preserve their clean sheet

Rashford had the ball in the net on 57 minutes after Greenwood's strike had rocketed back off the post, but, the striker was correctly flagged offside

Fernandes became the latest to hit the goal frame when trying his luck from 25 yards, with the Danish side remaining a threat as long as the match was scoreless

Former Everton full-back Bryan Oviedo was thwarted by a brilliant block from Aaron Wan-Bissaka, who made up for his wasteful performance in the final third with a quality piece of defending

Johnsson started to come to the party as the game wore on, making a superb one-handed save which stopped Martial bending home from 25 yards

Extra-time was needed and the extra quality in the United ranks came to the fore

Martial wriggled through to get away another shot saved by Johnsson and had just got back to his feet when Andreas Bjelland bundled into the back of him when collecting a Juan Mata pass

Fernandes did the rest from the penalty spot, deciding against using his delayed spot-kick technique in preference of just simply firing one into the top corner

It was one-way traffic now as United hunted a second goal but Johnsson was impressing in the Copenhagen goal and he superbly denied Fernandes, before halting the impressive Mata with his feet and seeing Victor Lindelof hit a post

Eventually a second goal was not required as Copenhagen succumbed to their exertions in the draining heat and rarely laid a glove on United in the closing stages

You would be forgiven for thinking the Frenchman was only introduced to the game at the start of the extra-time as for the majority of the 90 minutes he was on the edge of the game

However, as legs all around him ran out steam, he stepped on the gas with a spell of scintillating direct dribbling that tore apart those tasked with marking him

It was his run that opened up the Copenhagen defence seconds before he won the penalty that allowed Fernandes to score from the penalty spot

Special mention also has to go to Johnsson, who showed his credentials on the biggest stage with an unbelievable performance between the sticks

Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer: "We had close to 30 shots, almost half of them on target

The goalkeeper had the game of his life, he was really good

I could say we need to be more clinical in knockout games but I'm delighted we're through

It's another semi-final for this team and the next challenge is to go one step further and win the last one

"Wolves or Sevilla vs Man Utd (August 16, RheinEnergieStadion)Inter Milan vs Shakhtar Donetsk or Basel (August 17, Merkur Spiel-Arena)Friday August 21 (RheinEnergieStadion)

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1,740

Shakhtar Donetsk cruised into the Europa League semi-finals as their quartet of dazzling Brazilians helped them to a thumping 4-1 win over Basel in Gelsenkirchen

The Ukrainian outfit, who won the competition in 2009, took an early lead as Junior Moraes headed home Marlos' corner (2) and Taison doubled their advantage after 22 minutes when his shot deflected in off Fabian Frei

Basel were second best throughout, and they fell further behind when Alan Patrick converted from the penalty spot (75) and Dodo increased the lead with a well-taken finish with two minutes remaining

There was still time for a heart-warming end for Ricky van Wolfswinkel, who notched his third goal since returning to the game following a life-threatening brain condition earlier this season (90+2)

Shakhtar will play Inter Milan in their first Europa League semi-final since 2016 on Monday with Manchester United taking on Sevilla in the other side of the draw on Sunday

Shakhtar and Basel had met on three previous occasions in all competitions, with the Ukrainian outfit avoiding defeat in each clash, most recently running out 5-0 winners in the 2008/09 Champions League group stages

Their head coach Luis Castro said he expected a "huge battle" but this was a very one-sided affair

Shakhtar retained the Ukrainian Premier League title by a whopping 23 points over second-placed Dynamo Kiev - and they asserted their dominance right from the off

Basel were without their influential defender Eray Comert at the heart of the defence, and his replacement Jasper van der Werff had a torrid evening, losing Moraes for the opener inside a minute and 38 seconds as Marlos' corner was headed home by the veteran striker

Marcel Koller's men briefly flickered into life as Afimico Pululu fizzed a low shot wide of Andriy Pyatov's goal, but seldom did Basel threaten in the opening 45 minutes

The roof inside the Veltins-Arena was open but the sky was falling in for Koller's side when after 22 minutes, more sloppy defending from the youngster Van der Werff allowed Marlos to set up Taison, and his first-time finish clipped off Frei on its way into the net

Basel, who progressed from their only previous Europa League meeting with a Ukrainian club - beating FC Dnipro 3-1 on aggregate in the 2012/13 last 32 - struggled to match the creativity and sharp passing of their opponents as Marcos Antonio struck the underside of the bar after Moraes had already forced the overworked Djordje Nikolic into a smart save

The interval stiffened Basel's resolve, and they had the chance to get back into the contest after 66 minutes when Arthur Cabral reached a long ball ahead of Serhiy Kryvtsov but with Pyatov off his line, he could only chip his effort wide

Basel went into the contest having played 16 games in eight-and-a-half weeks compared to 11 from the Ukrainians since the restart, and it was visible which side was fresher in the closing stages

Substitute Yannick Marchand brought down Taison inside the box with 15 minutes remaining, allowing Alan Patrick to slot home his third goal in this season's competition, and with Basel defeated Dodo compounded their misery with a fine finish beyond Nikolic from Tete's run and pass

This was Basel's first major European quarter-final tie since the 2013/14 Europa League when they were eliminated by Valencia - and they found a late consolation when Samuele Campo's low cross was converted from close range by Van Wolfswinkel, but they were soundly beaten

While there was a big deflection on his goal, Taison was instrumental in helping his side find a second wind following the restart, winning the penalty from which Alan Patrick put the contest to bed

Taison is now Shakhtar Donetsk's joint-top scorer in the Europa League with seven goals, alongside Luiz Adriano, and he will be among the danger men that Inter must be wary of during Monday's semi-final at the Merkur Spiel-Arena in Dusseldorf

Shakhtar Donetsk advance to face Inter Milan in the last four on Monday (kick-off at 8pm)

The remaining rounds of the Europa League are all being played in Germany due to the coronavirus, with the semi-finals reduced to a single leg

Sevilla vs (August 16, RheinEnergieStadion)Inter Milan vs Shakhtar Donetsk (August 17, Merkur Spiel-Arena)Friday August 21 (RheinEnergieStadion)

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<PAD>

1,741

Romelu Lukaku scored twice as Inter Milan thrashed Shakhtar Donetsk 5-0 to set up a clash with Sevilla in the Europa League final

Lautaro Martinez opened the scoring at the ESPRIT arena in Dusseldorf, heading home Nicolo Barella's cross in the 19th minute

Shakhtar should have been on level terms midway through the second half but Junior Moraes wasted a glorious chance moments before Danilo D'Ambrosio (64) extended Inter's lead

Martinez (74) then added his second of the night with a fine finish before Romelu Lukaku's double (78, 83) extended his scoring run in the Europa League to 10 matches as Antonio Conte's side ran away with proceedings

Inter face five-time Europa League winners Sevilla, , in Friday's final in Cologne

Lukaku is the first player in UEFA Cup/Europa League history to score in 10 consecutive matches via a run stretching back to November 2014 with Everton

Lukaku and Martinez are the first duo to score 20+ goals each in a single season for Inter Milan since Adriano and Obafemi Martins in the 2004-05 campaign

He also became the first Serie A player this season to hit 50 appearances in all competitions while the Belgian is also the first Inter player to reach the milestone in a single campaign since Samuel Eto'o (53) and Javier Zanetti (52) in 2010-11

After a rather cagey opening, Inter made the breakthrough in the 19th minute with their first chance of the match

The Italian side capitalised on a terrible clearance from Andriy Pyatov as Nicolo Barella's inch-perfect cross picked out Martinez, who rose to head home for his 20th goal of the season

Inter came very close to doubling their advantage moments later but Lukaku, and then Martinez, failed to convert Ashley Young's low cross before Pyatov tipped Barella's powerful half volley over the crossbar

Shakhtar finally showed some conviction in their attacking play towards the end of the first half with Marlos setting up the Marcos Antonio, but his right-foot half volley flew just over the crossbar

Inter were back on the front foot at the start of the second half as Martinez, who dispossessed Davit Khocholava, saw Pyatov off his line and tried his luck from distance, but the Shakhtar keeper just gets back to tip the ball around the post

Lukaku then went close, curling an effort just wide as he looked to pick out the bottom corner and the Italians were almost made to pay for their wastefulness in front of goal

Mykola Matvyenko produced a brilliant cross but Junior Moraes' header was straight at a grateful Samir Handanovic, who parried the ball away from goal

It was Moraes' miss that was punished as one minute and 55 seconds later D'Ambrosio rose highest at a corner to head home Inter second before Martinez produced a clinical finish to beat Pyatov from the edge of the penalty area

Inter then ran away with the game in th final stages as Lukaku got in on the act

Martinez set up the former Manchester United striker for Inter's fourth before using his pace and power to round off proceedings six minutes from time with his 33rd goal of the season

Inter Milan boss : "I am very happy to say we feel very satisfied because our fans see Inter Milan reaching, firstly, a semi-final and now a final of the Europa League after ten years

Of course, we are really looking forward to provide some satisfaction to all of them, but we also know we are facing an opposition with great experience

"They have won this tournament five times already, so we will have to prepare ourselves in the same way we have done against Shakthar

"I have a great satisfaction to see how the team are giving everything they got with plenty of eagerness and resolution

I am satisfied also because the players do really believe in what we are doing, in what we are proposing

I think we play a very brave game

"Shakhtar boss : "Our progress in Europe was great until this very day

We gave the game away to our opponents

We knew Inter's pressing was very good but we couldn't do anything against it

We lost to a great team who deserved this win

"We've had a fantastic journey until this game

Of course, we are unhappy with the result

It will make everyone remember a very sad ending of this campaign

We were not ourselves after the second goal, and the coach must always take the responsibility

"We had some chances but Marcos Antonio and Junior Moraes didn't score, unfortunately

When Inter scored their second goal we simply collapsed

After 2-0 we made so many terrible mistakes

"An honourable mention has to to go to Martinez, but the man of the match award goes to Lukaku, who just cannot stop scoring in the Europa League

As previously mentioned, he is first player in UEFA Cup/Europa League history to score in 10 consecutive matches via a run stretching back to November 2014 with Everton

The former Manchester United striker now has 33 goals for the season and it's difficult to back against him making it 34 in Friday's final

Inter Milan will face Sevilla in the Europa League final at the RheinEnergieStadion in Cologne on Friday - kick-off is at 8pm

The match will be held behind closed doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe

null

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<PAD>

1,742

Manchester United will be left to rue a string of missed chances as they were beaten 2-1 by Sevilla in the Europa League semi-finals

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side were hoping it would be third time lucky in a semi-final after being knocked out in the FA Cup and Carabao Cup last four earlier this season, but a lack of cutting edge and defensive errors cost them once again

They made the ideal start though when Bruno Fernandes (9) converted from the spot after Marcus Rashford was fouled by Diego Carlos

But former Liverpool winger Suso (27) levelled things up with a tap-in during an entertaining first half

United had a string of chances after the break to re-take the lead - Mason Greenwood, Anthony Martial, Fernandes and Rashford all going close - but paid for these misses when Luuk de Jong (78) tapped home late on after some poor defending from Victor Lindelof and Aaron Wan-Bissaka

Five-time Europa League winners Sevilla will face either Inter Milan or Shakhtar Donetsk in Friday's final in Cologne while Manchester United once again fall just short

It was a strong start from United as they looked to produce a better performance than their edgy quarter-final win against FC Copenhagen and were awarded a penalty inside seven minutes

It was a superb bit of play too as a cheeky heeled pass from Martial picked out Rashford down the left of the area, with the latter's shot saved well by Yassine Bounou

However, just after the ball left his foot, Rashford was chopped down by Carlos, sending him sliding off the field in some real pain

As Fernandes chased down the loose ball, the referee blew for a penalty which the Portuguese lined up, albeit with a short delay so Rashford could be seen by the medical team

Once he took it though, it was a cool dispatch past Bounou

Going behind seemed to spark Sevilla into life after a nervous start, but against the run of play, United could have doubled their lead in the 14th minute

Fred initially won the ball back before sending Fernandes away on a driving run

The midfielder then slipped the ball back to Fred, who had acres of space ahead of him, but his run left him on a tight angle and he could only fire into the side of the net

Shortly after, Lucas Ocampos forced a strong punch from David de Gea at the near post as Sevilla edged towards an equaliser

And the goal came in the 26th minute after a wonderful team move

Ocampos played a superb forward pass into the path of Regulion, who then sent a fizzing cross through the area

Suso was waiting at the back post as Brandon Williams scrambled to get back before tapping into the back of the net

United will feel slightly aggrieved at the equaliser though as they should have been awarded the throw-in that began the passage of play

However, with VAR unable to go back that far for a goal, it was not reviewed or ruled out

As with the first half, United came bursting out of the traps after the break and the scores were only kept level by some superb Bounou saves and blocks

Inside two minutes, Greenwood sent his effort straight at the goalkeeper before Martial, Rashford and Fernandes saw a series of shots saved or blocked by the Sevilla defence

Martial was twice denied by Bounou not long after, his first shot saved by the legs of the goalkeeper

His second looked to be an easy chip over the Sevilla stopper but Bounou was there was again to deny the Frenchman as Manchester United wasted yet another chance

United continued to see the better of the play and restricted their opponents to few attacking moves, but were made to pay for their early missed chances - as well as some woeful defending - when De Jong fired Sevilla into the final

Former Manchester City man Jesus Navas whipped in a cross from the right, with De Jong lurking in between Lindelof and Wan-Bissaka

The full-back in particular stopped moving entirely as the striker tapped the winner home

It prompted an angry confrontation between Lindelof and Fernandes in the aftermath as United crashed out of another semi-final while Sevilla have reach their sixth Europa League final - two more than any other side in the competition's history

Going into the game, Banega was easily identified as Sevilla's dangerman and although he might not grab any of the headlines, he was the beating heart for the La Liga side and instrumental in their success

He made everything look easy with and without the ball

Although Banega did give the ball away in a dangerous area once after half-time, he was otherwise insightful, tidy and classy in his play

'Coming up against one goalkeeping masterclass might be unlucky

Face two inside a week and the side's ruthlessness in front of goal will be questioned

Marcus Rashford was sloppy in his execution

Anthony Martial was denied twice in a minute by Sevilla goalkeeper Bono when one on one

Shots were blocked and others were missed

The sucker punch was always possible

'It was no surprise that when it came it was carved out down United's left where the willing Brandon Williams endured a challenging evening

And yet, it was the defending of others for Luuk de Jong's 78th minute winner that will have troubled Solskjaer

Victor Lindelof should have done more to block the cross

Aaron Wan-Bissaka's failure to even move as the ball came in appeared inexplicable

It was shoddy

It was punished

'Sevilla manager : "We suffered for some moments of the game against Manchester United, specially at the start of the second half

They had a couple of clear chances to score but Bono keeps us alive in the match, then we show our heart

We knew it could be possible [to reach the final]

"We continued running a lot and I think at the end of the second half we were better and we scored the second goal

We are very happy to be in the final and I am very happy for the players as they deserve to be in the final

"I am also very happy for our supporters as this time are so difficult for the society

It is nice we can bring some joy the people and that make us very happy

We have plenty of excitement to play the final and hopefully to win it

We don't know against whom yet, but it is going to be even a tougher match, so we need to prepare very well

"Manchester United manager "The result is very disappointing

We're not devastated, but it's one of those hard ones to take because you feel you played some fantastic stuff at times, created chances and just couldn't get the goals that were, I felt, deserved at times

In different spells of the game, I thought we were absolutely excellent

"We were on top for long spells, both first and second half, especially at the start of both halves

We created chances and should have scored, but I can't fault the boys

"But we seem to let off at times because when we were on top, that's the time to keep squeezing them

We let them play too much in periods and we definitely let him off the hook

"It's a disappointing goal [De Jong's winner] to concede

I want them players to be accountable and to put others to account, but then again, the cross got deflected

Brandon [Williams] has been a bit unlucky and Victor [Lindelof] just gets caught with a ball looping over him after that deflection

So I think that was just a bit of frustration

"Sevilla will face either Inter Milan or Shakhtar Donetsk in the Europa League final on Friday August 21

The second semi-final will be played on Monday (kick-off 8pm), which you can follow across digital platforms

Inter Milan vs Shakhtar Donetsk (Monday August 17, Merkur Spiel-Arena)Friday August 21 (RheinEnergieStadion)

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<PAD>

1,743

Wolves were left to rue a missed penalty from Raul Jimenez as they were knocked out of the Europa League by Sevilla, who landed a late knockout blow in a 1-0 win

In Wolves' first European quarter-final since 1972, they had the perfect opportunity to take the lead from the penalty spot after a quite scintillating run from Adama Traore on 12 minutes but Raul Jimenez was denied by goalkeeper Yassine Bounou

Replays showed that the goalkeeper was slightly off his line when the kick was taken and a Sevilla defender was encroaching - but VAR didn't order a retake

From that moment Sevilla took over and bossed possession - forcing Wolves to defend for the majority of the game - and the breakthrough came with just two minutes to play when Lucas Ocampos headed home following a superb cross from Ever Banega

It ends an exciting season for Wolves on a deflating note with their late loss of form resulting in a seventh-placed finish in the Premier League which wasn't enough for European qualification

For Sevilla, they now play Manchester United in the semi-finals on Friday

This was a true elite test at the top level of European football for Wolves, who were coming up against a team that had won this competition five times and finished fourth in La Liga

Having come through three rounds of qualifiers that started 12 months ago, then the group stages and on to the knockouts, the journey to this stage had been a long one for Wolves, who started very brightly

Traore surprisingly started through the middle with Raul Jimenez and his speed caused so many problems in the early stages for Sevilla

It was him that created the first major moment in the match by winning the penalty

His direct run through the heart of the Sevilla defence that took him 70 yards was ended by a rash sliding challenge from Santos Silva inside the area

Jimenez usually is the man for a high-pressure penalty but ruined his 100 per cent record from the spot for Wolves as Bounou didn't fall for his slow run-up and palmed away a poor effort, although replays did show that the goalkeeper was slightly off his line when Jimenez made contact, plus the defender that cleared the ball was encroaching in the area

However, VAR deemed the incident within the laws of the game and didn't order a retake

Joao Moutinho couldn't convert the rebound either as Sevilla survived a major scare

A switch to a back three helped fend off the threat of Traore for the remainder of the half with Banega and Suso dominating the midfield

Despite the territorial advantage, Sevilla didn't manage to open up the Wolves backline and only had a shot from Joan Jordan which Rui Patricio dealt with comfortably to show for their efforts

The Sevilla possession percentage grew further after the break as Wolves struggled to get hold of the ball and provide themselves a platform to play out from

Leonardo Dendoncker was tasked with making a great last-ditch challenge to stop Jordan before the impressive Jules Koundé wasted a glorious opportunity from eight yards when heading over from a perfect Suso cross

Patricio had to be at his brilliant best to help a Banega free-kick from 20 yards over his own crossbar as Nuno Espirito Santo reacted to his team's lack of ideas by bringing on Pedro Neto and Diogo Jota

The changes failed to spark Wolves into life though as Sevilla continued to ask questions of a tiring Wolves defence that had been overworked since the early stages

Eventually, that pressure told when Banega provided the quality from the wide area and Ocampos got above his marker to flick an unstoppable header into the far corner

A heartbreaking end to what has been a great European adventure for Wolves

Perennially underrated, Banega has enjoyed another fine season bossing matches in La Liga and he was absolutely instrumental in making sure Sevilla won the midfield battle

His quick passing and clever movement made Ruben Neves and Moutinho consistently work to maximum level without the ball

It was no surprise to see that when the game-changing moment came, he was the man delivering the goods into the goalscorer Ocampos

Manchester United beware

Wolves boss : "It's been a long journey

We wanted to go as far as we could

We had it today really, really close

Of course everybody's disappointed, but we should not ignore all the effort the players have been done

Its almost 14 months of hard work

Disappointment is something that cannot take away all the good things that we've been doing

"Sevilla boss : "I think we deserved the win

The key was to chip, chip, chip away, have patience and wait until the right moment

"We are going to play against Manchester United in the next match

They're the biggest team in the world but we're going to be prepared for them

""I'm so disappointed that Wolves haven't played how they played all season

First half they looked a threat but second half they were non-existent

It was gutting to see

If they had played to their usual level they would have got through

It hurts to say it but Sevilla were the better team

"Sevilla vs Man Utd (August 16, RheinEnergieStadion)Inter Milan vs Shakhtar Donetsk (August 17, Merkur Spiel-Arena)Friday August 21 (RheinEnergieStadion)

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<PAD>

1,744

Inter Milan eased into the Europa League semi-finals as goals from Nicolo Barella and Romelu Lukaku helped them secure a 2-1 win over Bayer Leverkusen at the Dusseldorf Arena

Chelsea target Kai Havertz gave Leverkusen hope in what could prove his final game with a well-taken finish before half-time but it was not enough as Antonio Conte's side booked their place in the last four in Germany

Inter were denied two penalties upon VAR review but those decisions proved immaterial as another season which promised such hope for Leverkusen once more ended with disappointment

Inter will face the winners of Tuesday's quarter-final between Shakhtar Donetsk and Basel for a place in the final on August 21

Conte - who has never won a European trophy as a manager - was looking to put a turbulent few weeks behind him, with the Italian having publicly voiced his discontent at the club, sparking speculation he could leave

His side made the perfect start on Monday night as after Lukaku's shot was blocked by Daley Sinkgraven, the ball fell kindly for Barella to stroke his first-time shot with the outside of his boot beyond the outstretched Lukas Hradecky for his first goal in this season's competition just shy of the quarter-hour mark

Barella nearly found a second when he met Lautaro Martinez's low cross and forced Hradecky into a smart save with his feet, but 30 seconds later the Italians had their second when Lukaku rolled Edmond Tapsoba from Ashley Young's pass, and managed to keep his feet to guide his shot into the net for his 31st goal of the season

It was also the ninth consecutive game Lukaku had scored in the competition - a new Europa League record - and the Belgian should have had his second moments later when he was set free by Marcelo Brozovic but Hradecky stood tall to save

The miss proved costly as within a minute, Leverkusen found a route back into the game

After Lars Bender's speculative shot was blocked by Diego Godin, Havertz wriggled through to take Kevin Volland's return pass to squeeze his shot beneath Samir Handanovic

The goal came firmly against the run of play, but Inter thought they had the chance to regain their two-goal lead just two minutes later when referee Carlos Del Cerro Grande initially deemed Daley Sinkgraven to have handled Danilo D'Ambrosio's cross

Upon VAR review, however, the decision was overturned as Leverkusen got to the break with just the one-goal deficit

There is always a sense Inter are only one result away from a crisis, but they were the stronger side in the second period with Leverkusen goalkeeper Hradecky denying substitute Alexis Sanchez and Victor Moses in quick succession

Leverkusen missed out on a Champions League place when well set in the Bundesliga while they also lost out in the German Cup final to Bayern Munich, and there were few moments in the second period where Handanovic was unduly troubled

Leon Bailey came off the bench to inject some urgency and it was his teasing cross with 10 minutes remaining that just evaded Havertz and Volland - but it was Inter who came closest to putting the tie to bed

Lukaku placed the ball on the penalty spot once more late on after Christian Eriksen was fouled by Karim Bellarabi inside the box but replays showed a handball by Barella in the build-up

But a year to the day since Peter Bosz's side started their 2019/20 season, their hopes of ending a 27-year wait for silverware goes on

As Leverkusen bowed out, Inter progressed to Sunday's semi-final

Bayer Leverkusen boss : "We have been beaten by a good opponent

It must be said that we have not played well during the first twenty minutes

It was obvious that we were nervous, very untidy in possession

Without the ball, we had problems with Lukaku

We knew what a strong player he was

"But overall we have not defended well

After that, we finally got into the game and in the second half I really think that we could have done more

But to be honest, we have never had a really big chance tonight

The feeling I had from the team is that we could have done more

We are disappointed

We are losing to a better team, but there was more for us to do

"Inter Milan boss : "What has never faded is the trust I have in the team

We worked really hard, and I think the result shows, both in Serie A and in Europa League

I think the whole team is to be praised today, we played a huge match, under all aspects

"I think that aside from the first 20 minutes, it was the whole match which showed we deserved it, under all aspects

We did well in preventing Leverkusen doing what they can do, which is dominate a match with ball possession, push you back in your half and then attack you

We played well and we showed courage, which is something I always ask the boys

"Lukaku tormented the Germans all evening

After scoring what proved to be the winner, the Belgian could have had a second when Inter were awarded a penalty for handball, but that harsh decision against Leverkusen was rightly overturned

He also had a goal disallowed after been adjudged to have fouled in the build-up on Tapsoba, who will be having sleepless nights after being over-powered by the striker throughout the 90 minutes

Lukaku showed plenty of humility after his dominant performance, saying: "To me, the man of the match is Nicolo Barella

The way he plays football is simply incredible - maturity, quality

He is truly a great player

"But it was he who was the game's outstanding player

Lukaku has been directly involved in nine goals in European competition for Inter Milan this season (six goals and three assists); excluding qualifiers, the most by a player for the club in a single season since Samuel Eto'o in 2010/11 (13)

Among players aged 21 or under within the top five European leagues, only Kylian Mbappé (69) has scored more goals than Leverkusen's Havertz (38) across all competitions since the start of last season

"I can confirm that next season Kai Havertz will play for Heracles Almelo (in the Dutch Eredivisie)," Bosz joked afterwards

But it feels now like he has outgrown his current employers, who once again have seen a season fizzle out with little to show for their efforts

Leverkusen have been eliminated in each of their last three quarter-final appearances in the UEFA Cup/Europa League, having previously exited against Osasuna in 2006/07 and Zenit St Petersburg in 2007/08

Havertz provided them with hope with his 18th goal of the season but this looked one game too far for many of his team-mates this term

Inter were by far the better side, and Diego Godin alongside Alessandro Bastoni were able to keep the £90m-rated Chelsea target limited to just the one chance he took

Inter MIlan will play the winners of Tuesday's Europa League quarter-final between Shakhtar Donetsk and Basel

The 2020-21 Bundesliga season is slated to begin on September 18, and Leverkusen will continue their preparations for the return of the domestic campaign

Wolves or Sevilla vs Man Utd (August 16, RheinEnergieStadion)Inter Milan vs Shakhtar Donetsk or Basel (August 17, Merkur Spiel-Arena)Friday August 21 (RheinEnergieStadion)

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Diaby

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Volland

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Godin

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<PAD>

1,745

Sevilla were crowned Europa League champions for a record-extending sixth time after a thrilling 3-2 victory over Inter Milan in Cologne

In a breathless conclusion to Europe's second-tier competition, Romelu Lukaku won and converted a fifth-minute penalty as Inter struck first at the RheinEnergieStadion

Luuk de Jong's bullet header hauled Sevilla level within seven minutes, and the Dutchman doubled his tally with a second headed effort on 33 minutes

Inter hit back immediately through Diego Godin as a pulsating first half took another fascinating twist, but there was no way back for Antonio Conte's side when Diego Carlos' stunning bicycle kick deflected off Lukaku into his own net with 16 minutes remaining

Sevilla saw out yet another European triumph to hand Julen Lopetegui the first trophy of his managerial career as the Europa League reached a memorable conclusion in Germany

Inter thrashed Shakhtar Donetsk 5-0 in the semi-finals and made the dream start inside five minutes in Cologne when Lukaku was hauled down in the area by Diego Carlos

Referee Danny Makkelie - officiating his first European final - pointed straight to the spot but issued only a yellow card to the Sevilla defender, who watched on as Lukaku slotted his 34th goal of the season from 12 yards

The lead lasted just seven minutes though, as De Jong, hero from Sevilla's semi-final triumph over Manchester United, connected with Jesus Navas' cross to send a bullet header through the defences of Samir Handanovic and into the roof of the Inter net

And the Dutchman - Sevilla's only pre-match change - vindicated Julen Lopetegui's decision to start him with his second on 33 minutes as he met Ever Banega's free-kick and looped an unstoppable header over Handanovic into the top corner

But just as Inter had, Sevilla relinquished their lead in an instant as Godin rose high to head Marcelo Brozovic's cross past goalkeeper Yassine Bounou

The breathless first-half nature transferred into a tense second period that culminated in Sevilla restoring their lead on 74 minutes

After Inter failed to sufficiently clear a Banega free-kick, centre-back Diego Carlos produced an acrobatic over-head kick that struck the outstretched leg of Lukaku on its way into the net

Substitute Alexis Sanchez had an effort cleared off the line by Jules Kounde late on, but a desperate Sevilla rearguard action kept Inter at bay to secure yet another Europa League success for the Spaniards

Sevilla head coach : "You have to know how to cope with difficult moments and overcome them

This is a feeling of immense happiness

I'm so grateful to our players for how hard they worked

Our anthem says we never give up and tonight we proved that again

""This is a magnificent club

I hope all the fans can celebrate it but with caution

This squad are great

They believe in it, what they work on and what they transmit

Even if we hadn't won, I'd still love these guys, but today we take home the prize

We always believed

"Inter Milan head coach : "I don't have many regrets now; my players gave really everything they had against a team used to playing these kind of games

"Many young players earned a great dose of valuable experience this season

They can continue on this path with great confidence

"Newcastle United fans will be scratching their heads after the Dutchman's latest exemplary attacking display

Fresh from sending Manchester United packing in the semis, De Jong turned the game on its head with two first-half headers of the finest order

Having rarely looked like scoring during his barren spell in the Premier League, De Jong showcased his credentials as a top European marksman to ensure his first season at Sevilla ended with silverware

Sevilla return to action when the new La Liga season starts on the weekend of September 12/13, while Inter Milan will kick their 2020/21 Serie A campaign off on September 19

null

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<PAD>

1,746

Rangers' Europa League adventure came to an end at the last-16 stage as Moussa Diaby's strike earned a 1-0 win for Bayer Leverkusen, completing a 4-1 aggregate victory for the Bundesliga side at the Bay Arena

The visitors had not reached the last eight since 2007/08, when they reached the final, but it was always going to prove a tough ask for the Scottish side given the

Diaby's fine finish six minutes into the second period decided the contest while the closest Rangers came to a goal on the night fell to defender Connor Goldson, but his header was cleared off the line

Rangers' campaign started 395 days ago in Gibraltar, but their focus will now return to Scottish Premiership action on Sunday with the visit of St Mirren while Leverkusen progress to face Inter Milan in Dusseldorf on Monday

Leverkusen had not played since their defeat to Bayern Munich in the German Cup Final on July 4, while Steven Gerrard's team followed up an impressive pre-season campaign by kicking off the new domestic season with victory over Aberdeen

Rangers went into the game with a vibrancy and momentum that comes from a couple of shrewd summer signings and no doubt with a reminder that some of their best performances last season came away from home in this very competition, collecting wins at Braga and now Danish champions FC Midtjylland as well as draws at Porto and Feyenoord

Having shown themselves to be a very capable side away from home, this was very much a free hit, and Rangers showed early promising signs

Brandon Barker and Ryan Kent were bright, with their pace troubling the Leverkusen defenders, while Goldson and Filip Helander both looked solid at the back

It took until the 17th minute for the first chance to arrive, and it came through a likely source as Kevin Volland set up Kai Havertz from Lars Bender's dinked ball into the box, and the man touted to join Chelsea this summer thundered his snap shot against the top of the crossbar

Rangers hadn't heeded the warning sign as six minutes later, Havertz was presented with an even better opportunity as he collected Exequiel Palacios' pass over the head of Helander but, with the goal at his mercy, the forward dragged his effort wide of Allan McGregor's left-hand post

Alfredo Morelos - who by speculation surrounding his future - cut a lonely figure at times, and the visitors failed to register a single shot at goal in the opening 45 minutes as the half ended with another Leverkusen chance

Havertz, with nine goals in his previous nine games for his side, was the architect this time as his measured pass found the right foot of the shot-happy Diaby but his volley failed to trouble McGregor

That was Diaby's fourth attempt during a lively first half but he made amends for his previous misses to give Leverkusen clear daylight six minutes into the restart

Charles Aranguiz spotted the winger's well-timed inside run and once clear of Helander, the rising shot was too much for McGregor to prevent from finding the roof of the net

Rangers were by now on the ropes, and the hosts very nearly extended their lead when Havertz again found himself one-on-one with McGregor, but this time his strike was too close to the Rangers stopper, who kept out the effort with his feet

Gerrard began to ring the changes to freshen up his tiring side in the sweltering heat, but it was two of his starters who nearly combined for an equaliser as Goldson rose to meet Borna Barisic's free-kick, but the impressive Edmond Tapsoba was back to clear off the line as Rangers finally waved goodbye to last season

Rangers boss "We've come a long way in the last two years

We failed to get past some part-timers (Progres Neiderkorn) two seasons ago - now we're competing in the last 16

"We're disappointed with the result

I don't think we found our level of performance that would have allowed us to give it a good go

There's a lot we can improve on

We've found a level tonight to strive for

Hopefully one day we can get to that level

"The run has been amazing, the players have given me everything

At times we've punched above our weight

But I'll keep pushing the players to improve

""I think the truth is that nobody expected Rangers to progress tonight and they gave a reasonably competent performance but it was a tie too far

"They replaced Sven Bender with Jonathan Tah - a nine-cap German international from the bench to show the calibre of player they have at their disposal

"Crucially, this run will help Scotland's co-efficiency

We're now up to ranked 14th which is really beneficial for the country

"There was no redemption in the Rhineland as Rangers' Europa League campaign came to an end and Peter Bosz' impressive Bundesliga outfit will now march into Monday's quarter-final shootout with Inter Milan

They will hope Diaby brings the same level of performance to Germany

His early second-half strike sealed this 4-1 aggregate triumph - the French Under-21 ace expertly took Aranguiz's pass on his chest and his feet did the rest, rifling into McGregor's net

The format of the final stages of the competition has been amended with the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final all now set to be held in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany

Bayer Leverkusen will face Inter Milan in a one-legged tie at Merkur Spiel-Arena in Dusseldorf on Monday

Rangers return to Scottish Premiership action this Sunday, hosting St Mirren at 3pm

null

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Volland

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Tah

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Dragovic

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Bailey

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Tavernier

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Goldson

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Helander

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Jack

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Kent

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Hagi

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<PAD>

1,747

Raul Jimenez's penalty fired Wolves to a 1-0 win over Olympiakos and into the Europa League quarter-finals after a 2-1 aggregate victory

Jimenez took his tally for the season to 27 with a coolly dispatched spot-kick inside eight minutes after Olympiakos goalkeeper Bobby Allain bundled Daniel Podence over in the area

Wolves had to ride their luck to reach the last eight though, with a marginal offside and VAR denying Mohamed Camara a first-half equaliser before Youssef El Arabi and Ahmed Hassan spurned chances to haul Olympiakos level

But a steely defensive display saw Wolves through a nervy finale as Nuno Espirito Santo's side booked a quarter-final date with five-time Europa League winners Sevilla in Duisburg on Tuesday, August 11

Wolves opened the scoring with eight minutes on the clock after awful Olympiakos defending

The visitors hesitated clearing their lines and Allain's heavy touch allowed Podence to close him down before the former Olympiakos man was bundled over by the goalkeeper

The referee pointed straight to spot and up stepped Jimenez to stroke Wolves ahead in the tie for the first time with his 27th goal of his stellar season

Wolves survived a scare on 28 minutes when Camara found the Wolves net with a deflected effort, but after a lengthy VAR check the equaliser was chalked off after El Arabi was adjudged to have been an armpit offside in the build-up

Pape Abou Cisse was a whisker away from turning El Arabi's dangerous cross home and Camara dragged a shot wide of the target as Olympiakos finished the half strongly, but Wolves reached the interval with their lead intact

A tense and nervy second period saw Olympiakos, bolstered by a raft of attacking substitutes, grow in ascendancy, but El Arabi was unable to restore parity on two occasions, heading wide while under pressure from Willy Boly before firing a shot wide after it struck his standing leg

Wolves came close to doubling their lead just after the hour mark when Allain turned Podence's drive over seconds before Boly failed to convert Diogo Jota's deflected shot with the goal at his mercy

As the seconds ticked down, Olympiakos threw everything at Wolves in search of the equaliser, which midfielder Guilherme nearly secured when he whistled a shot inches over

Rui Patricio was called into action to prevent Hassan's towering header from levelling the tie late on, but Wolves saw off the Olympiakos challenge as their Europa League quest - which started 379 days ago - continued

Wolves head coach : "I told the boys, 'OK our holidays must wait

We will have them, but not now'

It was the last game at Molineux this season, we miss our fans, it's not thesame but the boys must be proud

Let's hope we are together again at Molineux

"We started with Crusaders a long time ago, more than a year ago

Everyone has to realise that it's been a long, long season

We've had a fantastic victory which allows us to be in the last eight, it's huge

"Olympiakos manager : "We didn't score our goals, we also had some mistakes, but I'm very proud of my players

We've made a fantastic journey after only a year and this is one of the best season's for Olympiacos in Europe

That's what we did, this team and players

"Wolves face Sevilla in the Europa League quarter-finals on August 11 at 8pm

null

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Ba

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Tsimikas

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<PAD>

1,748

Manchester United came from behind to beat LASK 2-1 at Old Trafford as they sealed their spot in the Europa League quarter-finals with a 7-1 victory on aggregate

Leading 5-0 from the first leg, which was played nearly five months earlier before the coronvairus pandemic halted the season, United were never in any danger, but it was the visitors who took the lead thanks to Philipp Wiesinger's stunning strike in the 55th minute

However, United, who put in a lacklustre display for much of the game, hit back 93 seconds later through Jesse Lingard (57) before substitute Anthony Martial's late strike sealed victory on the night (88)

United are just three games from silverware and their bid to win the Europa League continues on Monday when they will face Copenhagen, who progressed past Istanbul Basaksehir, in a one-off game in the quarter-finals in Cologne

LASK came to Old Trafford with nothing to lose following their thrashing in the first leg and they made United work hard

Andres Andrade saw a looping header strike the crossbar before Wiesinger lashed just wide in the 10th minute, while Sergio Romero had to deal with a Marko Raguz attempt later in the half

The first half was certainly lacking quality, with United, who failed to muster a single shot on target against a side they scored five against five months ago, looking rusty and disjointed as they searched for a breakthrough

Things did improve after the break and four minutes into the second half Odion Ighalo wriggled free to produce United's first effort on target

Brandon Williams' cross then just evaded Daniel James and Lingard and they were made to pay for their wastefulness in front of goal as LASK opened the scoring in stunning style

After Timothy Fosu-Mensah turned a threatening cross behind his own goal, the corner was only cleared as far as Wiesinger and the defender hit a stunning curler from 25 yards that bent in the top right-hand corner, leaving Romero absolutely no chance

Wiesinger went close to adding to that 55th-minute wonder strike moments later and it proved a costly missed as United instantly hit back

Mata met a loose ball with a lovely first-time pass that sent Lingard scampering through to slot past goalkeeper Alexander Schlager in the 57th minute

Scott McTominay then fizzed wide from the edge of the penalty area as United started to crank up the pressure before Solskjaer handed a first-team debut to 18-year-old defender Teden Mengi, who came on at the same time as Martial

The Frenchman wrapped up victory two minutes from time as neat build-up with Mata was followed by a shotthat trickled over the line after Schlager failed to keep it out

Man Utd boss : "We learned the players need to play to keep that sharpness

Some of these lads haven't played for a while and it showed

We won, we gave a debut to a young lad, it's been a good night

"It is that sharpness you lack when you don't play regularly, some haven't played since lockdown, for me it was a good exercise, it's job done, minutes under the belt and on to Copenhagen

"Jesse Lingard has scored in back-to-back matches for Manchester United for the first time since December 2018

Solskjaer on Lingard: "Every player, when you get your chance in a game or even in training, you've got a chance to prove yourself, prove your worth

I've known Jesse since he was a little kid and I know there's a good player and a great personality to have around

"He knows what we want from him and he knows he has to stand by the manager whatever decision he makes

I would be disappointed if he was happy coming off

He's growing in confidence

He's worked really hard on his finishing, especially lately, and I'm happy for him to score

"As previously mentioned, Manchester United will face Copenhagen in the Europa League last eight on Monday at the RheinEnergieStadion in Cologne, Germany

null

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MartialChong

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<PAD>

1,749

Manchester United took a huge step towards the quarter-finals of the Europa League with a 5-0 win against LASK in the first leg of their last-16 tie

The game was played to a nearly empty stadium due to concerns about the coronavirus, but the bizarre circumstances did not impact United as Odion Ighalo put them ahead in the 28th minute

LASK had a small spell either side of half-time when they troubled United, but Daniel James' (58) first goal in 32 games quelled any resurgence before Juan Mata (82) slotted home the third

But the visitors were not done there

Substitutes Mason Greenwood (90+2) and Andreas Pereira (90+3) scored within seconds of one another in added time to compound LASK's misery and essentially seal United's path to the quarter-finals with the second leg to come at Old Trafford next Thursday

United are unbeaten in 11 games and have conceded only twice in that run, as well as registering a second successive 5-0 win in the Europa League

It was a quiet start both on the field and in the stands, but once United found their rhythm, they really tested LASK

Mata went close in the 19th minute, attempting to turn home a Luke Shaw cross which had been pushed into his path by goalkeeper Alexander Schlager

However, Gernot Trauner was there to see it behind for a corner

Schlager made another sensational save not long after, getting down low to push away a James shot

Just before the 30-minute mark and United took a deserved lead

Bruno Fernandes made a driving run to the top of the area before chipping the ball into Ighalo's path

The striker took three keepy up touches to set up his shot before firing home via the underside of the crossbar for his second successive Europa League goal

LASK grew into the game in the final ten minutes of the first half

Dominik Reitner fired a cross into the area after Harry Maguire had cleared an initial throw-in

It was the United captain who headed the cross on too, landing at the feet of Dominik Friser on the left of the area

He struck well, but Eric Bailly was there to stick a foot out and send it - fortunately - behind for a corner

LASK continued their decent spell as the second half got under way, but it was United who struck again in the 58th minute

Ighalo nabbed an assist for the evening as he slotted James through from midfield and it was then a superb solo run from the Wales international

He drove into the area, dinking around Trauner at the top, before hammering home into the bottom corner to break his 32-game scoring drought

It looked to be just the two goals for a free-scoring United in Austria, but there were three more to come in the final 11 minutes

The first was from Mata, who set off the move himself as he played a superb give and go with Fred

The Brazilian slotted a sensational ball forward for his team-mate, who then easily swept home past Schlager

It was the substitutes who added the final two goals in three minutes of added time

Tahith Chong pinged the ball into the path of Greenwood, who burst into the area with acres of space to shoot, sending the ball around the back of the goalkeeper, off the post and into the back of the net

Pereira followed just seconds late as United won a late free-kick

He took it quick and short to the waiting Fred, receiving the ball back before looping the ball over everyone and into the back of the net to seal another wonderful United performance

Man Utd boss : "The boys were fantastic

I think they deserve a lot of credit and praise for the way they went about the job

There was loads of quality in our finishing, some fantastic goals and somefootball we should be proud of

"It was easy (to keep the team focused) because these players are very focused

They know what they want, so there was no doubt in my mind that we were going to do well

"After the warm-up, Michael (Carrick) and Kieran (McKenna) came to me and said that the boys were really, really good in the warm-up

Focused

I have to praise them, they are very professional

"There could have been five or six players chosen for this particular award - Fernandes shone once again, Fred and Mata were superb and Maguire spearheaded a resolute United defence

But Ighalo - starting in his second successive Europa League game - showed some sensational skill and a fine finish for his goal, and his pass for James' strike was nothing short of genius

He should have added a second when he hit the post, but the Nigeria international is finally showing why United wanted him

Even though Anthony Martial is a doubt for Sunday's game against Tottenham, live on Sky , Ighalo would surely give him a run for his money after another eye-catching performance

"It's comfortable now for Man United, going into the second leg at Old Trafford 5-0 up and you can play the players who haven't been playing a lot of football, even the main man Paul Pogba might be back for the second leg

"Even if the home fans were there, United were too strong, they were dominant, they were on the front foot and you can see that this team are playing with a lot of confidence at the moments

It's credit to the manager because people are too quick to say these days that they want to get rid of managers, but United have stuck with him

I can slowly but surely see United have turned a corner and hopefully there are good times for them

"LASK will have the second leg and get to play at Old Trafford, which will be a big event for them and you could see at the end of the game, they were happy and changing shirts and they knew it was always going to be an uphill task to try and beat United

"Manchester United will be live on this weekend, travelling to Tottenham on Super Sunday (kick off 4

30pm)

They will then welcome LASK to Old Trafford for the return leg next Thursday (8pm)

LASK's league games have been postponed, so will next be in action in a week's time in the Europa League

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Wolves came from behind to draw 1-1 with 10-man Olympiakos in the first leg of their Europa League round of 16 tie in Athens

Ruben Semedo's first-half sending off presented Wolves with a huge opportunity but when Youssef El Arabi opened the scoring early in the second half it looked like Olympiakos' night

But substitute Pedro Neto's deflected shot from distance levelled things up for the Premier League side and the tie remains in the balance going into the second leg at Molineux

The game was played out in an eerie atmosphere in Athens with no supporters permitted inside the stadium because of the situation caused by the coronavirus

Nuno Espirito Santo had expressed his frustration that the game was even going ahead and his mood will not have been improved after a largely frustrating evening

Wolves were content to contain in the early stages of the game but the momentum of the match appeared to change when they launched one of their trademark counter-attacks

Raul Jimenez put Diogo Jota through one-on-one with Semedo and the Portuguese forward drew the foul from his compatriot resulting in a straight red card for the defender

The man advantage allowed Wolves to begin to dominate possession and also appeared to nullify much of the early threat posed by the Greek side that eliminated Arsenal

Nuno made a positive change at the interval, bringing on Pedro Neto for Matt Doherty and playing Adama Traore as a forward thinking wing-back in search of the away goal

But instead it was Olympiakos who took the lead early in the second half with a goal against the run of play when good work from Guilherme gifted a tap in to El Arabi

Wolves were suddenly chasing the game in desperation and when Jimenez's shot came back off the face of Jose Sa it seemed like the equaliser might not come

But more good work by Jota earned a free-kick that Joao Moutinho played into the path of Neto and there was nothing Sa could do when the deflection on the low shot deceived him

Nuno wanted more than the one goal and brought on Daniel Podence against the club he left in January in another attacking change as Ruben Vinagre made way

But the winner would not come and - global pandemics not withstanding - these two teams will do it all again for a place in the quarter-finals at Molineux next Thursday

All being well, Wolves will travel to London to take on West Ham in Premier League action on Sunday

That game is live on Sky Sports Premier League from 1pm

Kick-off is at 2pm

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Jonathan Calleri scored a hat-trick as Espanyol ruined Wolves’ unbeaten away record in the Europa League with a 3-2 victory, but it could not stop the visitors progressing to the last 16, 6-3 on aggregate

The forward's 91st-minute header handed the Spaniards victory as they gained an element of revenge on Wolves after a thumping 4-0 defeat at Molineux last week

Matt Doherty's 79th-minute equaliser looked to have earned Wolves a hard-fought draw, although Pedro Neto squandered a glorious chance to win it as he shot wide when faced with an open goal in the closing stages

Calleri also scored on 16 minutes and from the penalty spot 12 minutes after the break, either side of Adama Traore's equaliser in his hometown

Wolves now turn their attention to Friday lunchtime's last-16 draw, while Espanyol will focus on their La Liga relegation battle

Espanyol came out with more determination than they had at Molineux last week and moments after Calleri was flagged offside after testing Rui Patricio, he opened the scoring

Sloppy defending down Wolves' right saw Adria Pedrosa get to the byline and his ball across the six-yard box was met by Calleri, who fired it into the roof of the net

That lead was short-lived, however, and it was Traore, raised just down the road from the RCDE Stadium but a former member of city rivals' Barcelona's academy, who got the equaliser

Daniel Podence picked out his team-mate in the box and, after his first effort was blocked, he made no mistake with his second bite at the cherry, finishing into the bottom corner

There was little in the way of goalmouth action aside from the goals in a first half played like a pre-season friendly, but it livened up after the break as Espanyol made more of a fist of it

Wolves' brightest spark, Podence, had the first opportunity of the second half as he fired over from 25 yards out, before Max Kilman was penalised as his high foot caught David Lopez in the box after his defensive colleagues failed to clear

Calleri made no mistake from the spot, sending Patricio the wrong way

Morgan Gibbs-White had Wolves' best chance prior to the equaliser, firing over after Doherty played him in behind and he had shrugged off the attentions of Espanyol defender Naldo

Doherty got himself on the scoresheet 15 minutes later, although the goal was all about Kilman and Podence's intuitive thinking

The former took a quick thrown-in as Podence stood five yards behind the home defence

He picked the ball up, raced into the box and passed the ball across the six-yard box for Doherty, who simply could not miss

Wolves should have won it eight minutes later through Neto

A poor backpass allowed the substitute to steal in ahead of 'keeper Andres Prieto

Faced with an open goal but under pressure from a defender, Neto shanked an effort wide from 18 yards with only an empty net in front of him

His anguish at that miss only deepened in the first minute of stoppage-time as Calleri was alert in the box to nod the ball beyond Patricio, completing his hat-trick and ending Wolves' impressive away run in the process

Nuno Espirito Santo was clearly frustrated with his side's display at the final whistle, but they remain among the favourites to win this competition and will be one of the sides teams want to avoid in two weeks' time

Nuno admitted he was powerless to stop rising expectation levels after his side reached the last 16

He said: "It's impossible, my job is this squad

How can I manage outside expectations?"We are on the journey, we focus on our daily process, tomorrow we will train, Saturday we're going to train and then we will travel to play Tottenham [on Sunday]

"It's massive for the club and city, we are happy

We want to keep going

This gel between players is amazing

"We should have done better [in the second leg] but the hard work was there and we made something which is massive for us

It was a lot of hard work last season so we are proud of what we have been doing

"Wolves continue their quest to qualify for Europe again next season with a trip to Tottenham on Sunday afternoon, kicking off at 2pm

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1,752

Arsenal were sent crashing out of the Europa League on away goals after Olympiakos stunned Mikel Arteta's side with a 2-1 victory (2-2 on aggregate) to book their place in the last 16

Leading 1-0 from the first leg, the Gunners, who put in an extremely disjointed display, were pegged back by Pape Abou Cisse's strike (53), which forced the tie to extra-time

Arsenal thought they had snatched victory late in the second half of extra-time through Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's stunning volley, but Youssef El Arabi popped up in the 119th minute to shock the Emirates and cap a historic night for the Greek side

They now go into the round-of-16 draw, which will take place on Friday, while Arsenal's only remaining hope of Champions League football next season rests on a top-four finish in the Premier League, where they are seven points behind fourth-placed Chelsea with 11 games of the season remaining

Arteta named a strong side, including Aubameyang, Nicolas Pepe, Alexandre Lacazette and Mesut Ozil as Arsenal looked to keep their Europa League challenge on track

Granit Xhaka and Pepe had efforts blocked in quick succession in the early stages, before Pepe was hauled down right on the edge of the penalty area by Ousseynou Ba as he looked to burst through on goal

Ba was cautioned by referee Davide Massa, but Pepe could not take advantage as his free-kick failed to trouble goalkeeper Jose Sa

The Gunners, who needed two crucial interventions from Shkodran Mustafi to thwart Olympiakos, started sluggishly and they struggled to find their fluency as Arteta watched on closely from the sidelines

Arsenal thought they were in front just before half-time as Bukayo Saka crossed for Lacazette to turn home but - unlike the goal from the same combination in Greece a week earlier - this one was correctly ruled out for offside against the full-back

After a first half with hardly any chances, it was Olympiakos who would stun north London as they look the lead

Mathieu Valbuena put a corner into the middle of the Arsenal box and picked out a completely unmarked Cisse, who guided his header past Bernd Leno

Olympiakos took confidence from taking the lead and it took until the 77th minute for Arsenal to have their first shot on target, Pepe drawing a smart stop out of Sa, with Lacazette heading the rebound wide with the goal at his mercy

With the visitors starting to drop deep, substitute Lucas Torreira was next to force Sa into action with a low effort from the edge of the box before a fine last-ditch Tsimikas challenge stopped Ozil from getting a shot away as the game went into extra-time

Olympiakos substitute Giorgos Masouras clipped the top of Leno's crossbar as the second half of extra-time got under way

Arsenal were still struggling for rhythm but it would be their main man, Aubameyang, who looked to have rescued their European hopes

Ozil crossed into the middle where Gabriel Martinelli contested a header and the loose ball dropped to Aubameyang to finish with an acrobatic bicycle kick

However, despite just six minutes remaining, it would not be the end of the drama as El Arabi swept home in the final moments to send the away fans into rapturesThere was still time for one more chance and it fell to Aubameyang, but this time the Gunners skipper, who had just the goalkeeper to beat, could only fire wide from six yards out as a chance of silverware and a path to the Champions League disappeared for Arteta and Arsenal

Arsenal head coach : "It hurts big time

We had a lot of hope in this competition

It was a great way for us to be able to go to Europe and as well, it's a very beautiful competition to try to win

I think we did a lot of positive things in the game, I think we created a lot of positive chances to win the game but if you concede two set pieces in a tie like this you put yourself in big trouble

"I just want to concentrate now on lifting those players and getting back the belief, and convince them that there is still a lot to play for, and move on

It's part of this sport that a big disappointment can happen and it happened tonight

We have to learn and react as a team and as a club

"I'm the first one, I have to lift them, it's my job

That's the first thing I have to do

First of all we have to digest it because it's very, very painful tonight

""It hurts big time," Mikel Arteta said in his post-match press conference

"We had a lot of hope in this competition

It was a great way for us to be able to go to Europe and as well, it's a very beautiful competition to try to win

"The pain of this Europa League exit will take a lot of getting over for Arsenal and Arteta

This competition was a big chance of silverware and a route into the Champions League, but that all disappeared in dramatic circumstances as Olympiakos snatched a place in the last 16 at the expense of the Gunners

There was a positive atmosphere starting to build around the Emirates Stadium as Arteta led his side to unbeaten start to 2020

They had just had three wins in a week and everything was starting to look better, but now, the Spaniard faces the biggest challenge of his short managerial career as he attempts to lift his players after that heart-breaking exit

There is still the FA Cup to play for and although it's an outside chance, they can still finish in the top four of the Premier League to qualify for the Champions League

Arteta must now find a way to brighten the mood in the Arsenal camp, and quickly, because if he does not, all his good early work at the Emirates Stadium will be undone

It's a big test for Arteta and his coaching staff, and he knows it

"I'm the first one, I have to lift them, it's my job," he said

"That's the first thing I have to do

First of all we have to digest it because it's very, very painful tonight

"It's a challenge they must overcome though, starting against Portsmouth in the FA Cup on Monday, otherwise their season will be over very quickly

Olympiakos' attentions now turn to t, with proceedings set to start at 12pm, UK time

You can follow it on and with our live blog on the website and app

The first legs for the round of 16 are scheduled for Thursday, March 12, with the second legs to be held a week later on March 19

Up next for Arsenal is a trip to Portsmouth in the FA Cup fifth round on Monday, March 2; kick-off 7

45pm

The Gunners are back in Premier League action on Saturday, March 7 against West Ham at the Emirates Stadium; kick-off 3pm

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1,753

Bruno Fernandes shone for Manchester United as they thrashed Club Brugge 5-0 in their Europa League last-32 second-leg tie, winning 6-1 on aggregate

Fernandes scored his second United goal when he converted from the spot in the 27th minute - three minutes and 40 seconds after it was awarded - when Simon Deli stuck his arm out at a Daniel James shot, with VAR intervening to confirm the decision

The Portugal international was also the starting point for the next two goals, with Odion Ighalo (34) scoring for the first time in a United shirt on his first start before Scott McTominay (41) drove an effort home on his first start since Boxing Day

It looked like Brugge would see out the second half without conceding, but two goals in the final 11 minutes compounded their misery

Both were scored by Fred too, turning home from a Jesse Lingard cut-back (82) before a thunderous second with the last kick of the game (90+3)

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side have now gone seven games unbeaten in all competitions - with only Brugge scoring against them in the first leg during that run - and will discover their next opponents in the Europa League last-16 draw on Friday

It was a breathless start at Old Trafford, with both sides having their chances

Simon Mignolet made three brilliant saves, denying Juan Mata and Fernandes with the latter also have a shot sent just past the post by the goalkeeper's fingertips

At the other end, David Okereke almost caught Harry Maguire out before Mats Rits lifted a shot just over the crossbar

But from the 22nd minute onwards, it was all United

It was sparked by a penalty awarded when Deli threw his arm out to divert a James shot over the crossbar

The referee instantly pointed to the spot and showed the Brugge defender a straight red card, both of which were confirmed after a lengthy VAR check

Three minutes and 40 seconds after the penalty had initially been awarded, the waiting Fernandes was able to take it

He expertly held his nerve as he eased the ball past Mignolet with a skip just before striking, which could become his penalty trademark similarly to team-mate Paul Pogba's stuttered run-up

It was then Ighalo's turn in the spotlight as he scored his first United goal

Fernandes was involved again, standing a ball up for the waiting Mata at the far post

The Spaniard then cut the ball back for the waiting Ighalo and he easily turned it home before wheeling away for a rapturous celebration

McTominay has had a horrid time with injuries in 2020, but he put some demons to bed with a fine third United goal just before the break

Fernandes played a superb pass that took out two Brugge players and send Fred bursting into the area

The Brazilian then cut the ball back for the unmarked McTominay at the top of the area and he thundered a curling effort into the back of the net

The second half was a quieter affair with the result already decided in the opening 45 minutes

Mignolet made another fine save in the 68th minute, getting down low inside a packed six-yard box to see away a thunderous Luke Shaw shot with Odilon Kossounou hacking the ball to safety

Fred had only one goal in his United career heading into the game, but tripled that tally in the final few minutes

He added the fourth after some brilliantly unselfish play from Lingard, who burst down the left flank before cutting the ball back for Fred and the Brazilian easily slotted home

He then added another with the final kick of the game

Tahith Chong - who came on for James at half-time - sent the ball back into his path and it was a thunderbolt effort from Fred that rounded off a truly wonderful United performance

Thursday's performance from Fernandes showed why United pursued him for so long, and they are reaping the rewards of their January signing

After an extended wait, the midfielder slotted home a cool penalty when it could have been easy to overthink it in nearly four minutes, before having a hand in the next two goals

While they were not assists, they were vitally important passes and just a few of the many he made

He also wowed the crowd with his tricks and flicks and he got a huge roar from the fans when he was substituted in the 64th minute as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer waits to unleash him against Everton on Sunday, live on Sky Sports

Fernandes is just getting started in England and it's exciting to see what he will do next

Ole Gunnar Solskjer had praise for Odion Ighalo as well as Bruno Fernandes, declaring his surprise January signing a "natural striker" after he scored his first United goal in Thursday's resounding Europa League victory

He said: "As a fellow striker myself, I know how important that first goal is

He has been close a couple of times, you can see he sniffs goals, he wants to be there where it sometimes hurts but with that goal as well, he is sharp in his head

"As the ball is played over to Juan, he spins and is on the six-yard line when Juan puts it there

That's a natural striker

"Man Utd will find out their last-16 opponents when the is made on Friday, which you can follow on and digital platforms

Manchester United will travel to Everton in the Premier League on Sunday, live on Sky Sports (kick off 2pm)

Club Brugge will also play away at Genk in the Belgian Pro League (kick off 1

30pm)

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1,754

Fraser Forster's fine penalty save earned a 1-1 draw for Celtic in the first leg of their Europa League last-32 tie against Copenhagen at Telia Parken in Denmark

Odsonne Edouard put Celtic ahead in the 14th minute with a cute lob over Karl-Johan Johnsson

Copenhagen came out fired up after the break and deservedly equalised through 34-year-old former Sunderland striker Dame N'Doye

VAR - newly introduced to the Europa League - helped award the Danish side a penalty after Ryan Christie handled the ball in the area, but Forster saved Jens Stage's penalty brilliantly to salvage a draw ahead of the second leg at Celtic Park next Thursday

The game exploded into life inside half a minute when Celtic's Edouard raced through on goal from Christie's cute slide-rule pass, but goalkeeper Johnsson did well to smother the effort and Victor Nelsson blocked the rebound

Minutes later, Edouard had another one-on-one after Christie teed him up again but Johnsson once again was alert off his line to block the poked shot and sprint back to kick away Olivier Ntcham's goalbound follow-up

Inside 15 minutes it was third time lucky as the lively Christie broke down the right and set-up Callum McGregor, who drew the defender and shipped it on to Edouard

The Celtic striker took a touch and, with Johnsson and Nelsson advancing, chipped it daintily into the corner

On the half-hour mark, former Everton and Sunderland left-back Bryan Oviedo almost scored the equaliser

Christopher Jullien gave the ball away carelessly moments after a head injury and the Costa Rica international almost capitalised after Michael Santos' quick pass, curling just wide of Forster's left-hand post on his weaker foot

After the break, the hosts deservedly equalised

Ntcham tried a risky turn just outside the box and gave the ball away

Rasmus Falk slipped it through to Senegalese striker N'Doye, who smashed it past a helpless Forster for his 10th goal of the season

McGregor burst past a sliding defender to set up a promising three-on-two, but with Edouard free to his left and Christie free to his right he opted for the shot himself and blazed over

Edouard almost gave Celtic the lead once again and after Christie fed Jonny Hayes with an inch-perfect pass down the left wing, his low driven cross was touched towards goal by the Frenchman, but Sweden international Johnsson made himself big and blocked bravely

On its European debut, VAR intervened

After the referee checked the pitchside monitor, Christie was adjudged to have handled the ball in the area, but Jens Stage's spot-kick was brilliantly tipped onto the post by Forster's fingertips

Johnsson once again denied Celtic at the death, this time James Forrest's close-range near-post shot

Celtic manager Neil Lennon stated his conviction that his side can progress after a solid away draw

He said: "I wouldn't say confident but you can have belief

The players will believe that as well and they are capable of going through

"I am happy with the away goal but disappointed we didn't score more goals, we had plenty of chances on the counter-attack

I am not going to be critical of the players as the quality of the chances we are creating are good

"The Hoops boss was also full of praise for Forster after the goalkeeper once again made a crucial penalty save

He added: "He's brilliant, it's down to the work him and Stevie Woods do behind the scenes

"I have no real complaints about the penalty, it has came off Ryan's arm and in an unnatural position

"He's done brilliantly and it's a magnificent save

"Celtic host Kilmarnock in the Scottish Premiership at 3pm on Sunday, before welcoming Copenhagen to Celtic Park for the return leg of this last 32 Europa League tie next Thursday at 8pm

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1,755

Rangers booked their place in the last 16 of the Europa League after a fine 1-0 win against Braga in Portugal, completing a 4-2 victory on aggregate

The Scottish Premiership club had not won any of their previous 15 European away games, but Ryan Kent's second-half strike (61) ensured they ended that wait in style in northern Portugal

Rangers arrived at the Estádio Municipal de Braga protecting a slender 3-2 advantage from the first leg, and they were denied the lead on the night in first-half stoppage time when Matheus Magalhaes saved Ianis Hagi's penalty

But Hagi atoned from his miss to set up Kent for a composed finish having breached Braga's high line as Rangers booked their place in Friday's draw for the last 16

Rangers arrived in Portugal aware of the size of their task

The 3-2 loss at Ibrox last Thursday was Braga's first European defeat this season after previously winning eight and drawing two of their Europa League matches this term

Indeed, no other side in the competition had scored more than their 17 goals, but in front of the 4,500 travelling supporters, George Edmundson and Connor Goldson produced virtuoso displays to keep the hosts at bay

Within 10 minutes, Steven Gerrard's side had carved the Braga defence open as Scott Arfield beat the high offside trap before setting up Florian Kamberi to his left but his shot was easily saved by Matheus

Nuno Sequeira was proving Braga's most dangerous outlet through his deliveries at set-pieces and in open play, with Paulinho meeting one such wicked cross only to head wide of Allan McGregor's post before Kent dragged a shot wide on the break following good work by Hagi

Paulinho was then denied by McGregor following another pinpoint cross from Sequeira, but Rangers were offered a brilliant chance to extend their lead on aggregate when Raul Silva handled inside the box from Kent's corner

Hagi, who was the hero with his two goals in the first leg, stepped up confidently but saw his spot-kick well saved by Matheus to hand the hosts a boost just before the interval

The setback did not affect Rangers, however, as Kent missed the first good chance following the restart from Kamberi's cutback, but five minutes later the former Liverpool winger made no mistake

Goldson anticipated the pass into the feet of Paulinho to regain possession before Ryan Jack and Hagi combined for the latter to play a brilliant pass seeking Kent, who sped away from the Braga defence to dispatch his low shot to the left of Matheus and into the far corner

Braga looked shell-shocked as assistant manager Manuel Sequeira withdrew two defenders in search of a route back into the tie, and one of the substitutes, Joao Novais, very nearly halved the deficit when his header from Trincao's cross brushed the foot of the post

But that was the closest Braga came to a response, and Rangers were denied a second when Connor Goldson's header was tipped onto the post, before Scott Arfield tapped home from an offside position

When Novais headed over from another Trincao cross in stoppage time, the celebrations for Rangers and their supporters began, safe in the knowledge they had booked their place in the last 16 of the Europa League for the first time in nine years

Rangers boss: "The partnership of the two centre backs tonight was faultless

George was thrown in at the deep end but there's one way to get European experience

At some point a manager has got to trust you to go in, whatever the challenge is

"He stepped up and he fancied it and he delivered with the help of Connor, who played like a captain, like a leader

"He is someone who has had some stick since the weekend, along with the rest of us, so to bounce back and post that type of performance was great

"We played against high-class opposition, a very dangerous opponent, who are in probably the best form they've been in for some time

The players have been outstanding to a man over both games

I'm really proud of them for getting the job done

""The Rangers back four were absolutely outstanding

You'd have expected Braga to have got one or two chances, but there was nothing that you would say troubled Allan McGregor too much

"Braga have won nine of their last 11 now, with both those defeats coming against Rangers

They've beaten Sporting twice and also Benfica in that run, so this is an unbelievable achievement for Rangers and for Scottish football

"It's going to help the coefficient with potentially two teams back in the Champions League in two years' time

"Gerrard dropped a surprise an hour before kick-off as he benched Nikola Katic following his Perth horror show against St Johnstone

Edmundson took his place but there was no repeat of Sunday's sloppiness as he and Goldson stood firmer than the massive rock looming over one end of the pitch

Braga began with Paulinho as the focal point of their attacks, and later they would introduce Joao Novais and Abel Ruiz, but whatever they threw at the Rangers defence, Goldson had the answers

Rangers refused to budge

Rangers return to domestic action at the weekend, visiting Hearts in the Scottish Cup quarter-finals on Saturday; kick-off is at 5

30pm

The draw for the last 16 of the Europa League takes place on in Nyon, with proceedings set to start at 12pm, UK time

You can follow it on and with our live blog on the website and app

null

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RaulSilva

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JoaoPalhinha

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NunoSequeira

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McGregor

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Goldson

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Edmundson

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Jack

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1,756

Anthony Martial pounced on a mistake to ensure Manchester United take an away goal into the second leg of their Europa League last-32 tie with Club Brugge following a 1-1 draw on Thursday night

The Belgian side worked tirelessly throughout and deserved their 15th-minute lead when Dennis Bonaventure lobbed the onrushing Sergio Romero direct from Simon Mignolet's goal-kick

But Martial restored parity after an error from Brandon Mechele 16 minutes later with a composed finish beyond the former Liverpool goalkeeper

The lively Bonaventure forced Romero into two saves from an acute angle while Odilon Kossounou squandered another fine chance as United extended their unbeaten run to five games

Club Brugge head coach Philippe Clement, who played under Gordon Strachan for Coventry City during the late 1990s, said his side would require "a miracle" to advance from the tie - but it was the hosts who made the better start

The 45-year-old felt his side ought to have been awarded a very early penalty when Romero challenged Bonaventure inside the box but referee Aleksei Kulbakov was unmoved

The Belgians, who were eliminated from the Europa League at this stage last season, then very nearly took a third-minute lead as after Luke Shaw switched off from a throw-in, Bonaventure saw his effort blocked by Victor Lindelof before Nemanja Matic hacked the ball to safety under pressure from Hans Vanaken

It has been several decades since Club Brugge were considered among the continent's elite, but the partisan home crowd were celebrating a contentious opener on the quarter-hour mark

Moments after Mignolet had denied Andreas Pereira with a fine fingertip save, United felt they ought to have had a second successive corner when Matic's effort was deflected wide

Referee Alexei Kulbakov awarded a goal-kick which replays showed was allowed to be taken despite a moving ball, and United paid the ultimate price

Bonaventure - who scored twice against Real Madrid earlier this season - latched onto the long ball to lift his shot over the scampering Romero

It was the first goal United had conceded in 408 minutes following four clean sheets and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side were very nearly breached a second time three minutes later as Mats Rits dragged his shot from inside the box wide

Bonaventure was proving a real nuisance to the United defence as just shy of the half-hour mark, he shrugged off the returning Diogo Dalot down the Brugge left before finding the legs of Romero at his near post

United would make full use of their reprieve, but in fortuitous circumstances

There appeared very little danger as the debutant Maxim De Cuyper prepared to take a throw-in

Having picked out Mechele, the Brugge centre-back allowed the ball to run across his body, but Martial nipped in to take possession, run clear and fire beyond Mignolet

It was back in September 2015 when Martial, then a precocious 19-year-old famously scored beyond Mignolet to settle a contest against Liverpool

Some things never change

The torrential rain that lashed around the Jan Breydel Stadion subsided in the second period, and both sides had chances to earn a slender lead heading into the second leg next Thursday at Old Trafford

Kossounou's sloppy pass allowed Juan Mata to set up Martial down the left channel, and his cross was very nearly deflected into his own net by Clinton Mata just four minutes into the restart

Bonaventure was next to go close moments later as he was too quick and powerful for Shaw down the left, but again the acute angle got the better of him as his shot was kept out by Romero

A raft of substitutions, including a second United appearance for Odion Ighalo, interrupted the flow of the second period, but Brugge still had a glorious chance to pinch a memorable win as Bonaventure's cross was scuffed wide by Kossounou as United claimed a creditable draw from a below-par display

Club Brugge boss on early penalty incident: "For me, it's a clear penalty

In some countries it's a red card, I don't know how you see it in England

If you go with two feet against the leg of somebody, it's a red card

"For a team like Brugge to beat Manchester United, you need circumstances to go your way, and it didn't go our way

"Manchester United boss: "They were difficult conditions out there

It was almost like an AstroTurf

The ball was very quick and lively

"Anything could have happened so I'm pleased we got the away goal

Anthony was very composed with his finish, but we know we can play better

"The Club Brugge forward is developing a reputation as a big-game player having given Real Madrid an almighty scare at the Bernabeu with two goals in October, and he might well have had a hat-trick against a recently-improved United rearguard

The 22-year-old was linked with a move to the Premier League in January, and his price will have risen following another vibrant display against one of Europe's elite clubs

The eyes of Nigeria were once more trained on the Manchester United dugout in anticipation for Ighalo's introduction in the second period, but it was his countryman Bonaventure who was the standout performer, very nearly providing Kossounou with a late winner

Manchester United face Watford at Old Trafford in the Premier League on Sunday; kick-off is at 2pm

The return leg against Club Brugge is next Thursday at 8pm

null

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Vanaken

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Tau

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Schrijvers

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Romero

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Shaw

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Maguire

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Lindelof

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Dalot

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Williams

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Lingard

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Mata

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Martial

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Fred

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Fernandes

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<PAD>

1,757

Arsenal took a big step towards the Europa League last 16 as Alexandre Lacazette's late strike secured a 1-0 win away to Olympiakos in the first leg of their round-of-32 tie

Lacazette converted from close range in the 81st minute after Bukayo Saka had latched onto Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's pass and sent the ball across the six-yard box

Arsenal had survived some awkward moments before that, with Bernd Leno making some fine saves, but they could have put the tie out of Olympiakos's reach in the closing stages, with Lacazette spurning another opportunity and Sokratis striking the woodwork with a header

The Gunners still take a lead back to the Emirates Stadium, though, extending their unbeaten run to nine games under Mikel Arteta, and they will be confident of reaching the next round of the Europa League when they welcome Olympiakos to the Emirates Stadium for next week's second leg

Arsenal came into this game on the back of Sunday's impressive 4-0 win over Newcastle, but they started slowly at the Karaiskakis Stadium, with Olympiakos twice going close to scoring inside the opening four minutes

First, Leno was forced into a smart save from Mathieu Valbuena after the Frenchman was left unmarked on the left-hand side of the Arsenal box

Then, just moments later, Giorgos Masouras spurned an even better chance when he headed Valbuena's inviting cross over the bar from close range

Arsenal, who fielded a strong team despite Arteta making five changes to his side, were fortunate to survive those early scares, but they grew into the game and should have scored themselves when Lacazette fired wide from Gabriel Martinelli's cut-back midway through the half

Olympiakos continued to threaten on the counter-attack, however, with Leno reacting smartly to prevent David Luiz from deflecting a Masouras cross into his own net

And Leno was called into action several more times after the break, making a fine reaction save from Ousseynou Ba's close-range header, albeit before the Olympiakos man was flagged for offside, then managing to smother a powerful free kick from the dangerous Valbuena

It seemed the Gunners were in for a nervy finale, but a clinical counter-attack changed the game

Aubameyang did well to control a long-range pass and find Saka, and the 18-year-old, who produced another excellent all-round performance, was able to pick out Lacazette for an easy finish

It was Lacazette's second goal in two outings following a nine-game drought, and he was denied another by Olympiakos goalkeeper Jose Sa following another rapid Arsenal counter-attack soon afterwards

It was then Sokratis's turn to go close, the defender rattling the crossbar from a the resulting corner

Olympiakos attempted to rally in the closing stages, but Arsenal showed resilience to secure a third consecutive clean sheet and secure a victory which, as well as putting them in a strong position to advance to the next round, adds to the growing sense of optimism that they could yet salvage something from their season

Arsenal boss : "It's a really good result

To win here is really difficult

Credit to the lads

We suffered in the first 10 minutes

After that we started to have more control of the game and create some good opportunities

"In the second half we controlled the game much better and we had chances

I think we could have put the tie in a much better position

It's still good but we had clear chances with top players and we expect them to put the ball in the net

"Arsenal return to Premier League action against Everton on Sunday, live on Sky Sports Premier League from 4pm, ahead of the 4

30pm kick-off

The second leg of this Europa League tie will take place at the Emirates next Thursday on February 27

null

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Guilherme

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Camara

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Bouchalakis

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Masouras

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Valbuena

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ElArabi

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Lovera

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Leno

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Sokratis

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Mustafi

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Luiz

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Saka

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Xhaka

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Martinelli

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Ceballos

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Pepe

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<PAD>

1,758

Two goals from Ianis Hagi, scored with father Gheorghe watching on, completed a stunning turnaround to give Rangers a 3-2 win over Braga in a pulsating Europa League first leg at Ibrox

Rangers went from on the ropes to on cloud nine in the space of 15 second-half minutes, having found themselves second best to their Portuguese visitors for much of the last-32 tie

They were behind after 11 minutes when Fransergio beat Allan McGregor with an unstoppable rising drive from 25 yards

The hosts had chances to level before the break, but could easily have found themselves further behind

Their fears were realised 14 minutes after the restart when Abel Ruiz cut across three defenders before leaving McGregor static with a powerful low shot into the bottom corner

After conceding two away goals, Rangers gave themselves what seemed only a glimmer of hope when Hagi beat Matheus with a fierce drive in off the post

But then substitute Joe Aribo levelled with 15 minutes to go after running through and slotting under the goalkeeper

Then Hagi took aim from a 25-yard free-kick and found the corner courtesy of a big deflection off Paulinho

It gives Rangers a narrow lead going into the second leg in Portugal on February 26

Braga were unbeaten under new manager Ruben Amorim - who was not allowed to be in the dugout as he does not have his full quota of coaching badges - and looked every inch a team in form by exuding confidence in their play from the off

They were willing to play a high line and allow Alfredo Morelos time in behind because of their belief they could catch Rangers high up the pitch

And so it proved

The opening goal was a wonderful strike but avoidable for the hosts, who gave away the ball cheaply in their own half and were punished

Fransergio, with half a sight of goal from 25 yards, beat McGregor with a powerful effort which cannoned in off the crossbar

Even before that they should have been ahead when Bruno Viana headed wide from barely four yards out inside 90 seconds, but Rangers would go onto have chances of their own with Morelos denied on the break by a smart Matheus save

Francisco Trincao also went close for the visitors, who profited from Rangers' wasteful passing, but could not find a deserved and potentially killer second away goal before the break

It arrived with 14 second-half minutes played after another moment of individual brilliance, from Ruiz, who danced inside three defenders before catching out McGregor with a smart reverse shot

That goal stung for Steven Gerrard's side as Morelos - who was booked and will miss the second leg - had moments earlier been denied at point-blank range by Matheus

But there was reason to celebrate eight minutes later when Hagi turned inside Silva and fired in off the woodwork

That new-found hope reverberated around Ibrox and substitute Aribo took it to another level when he wriggled through a number of challenges before slotting calmly beyond Matheus

With Braga stunned, Hagi's free-kick, which took a significant deflection off Paulinho to leave Matheus stranded, raised the atmosphere even more as Rangers completed one of their greatest European comebacks

null

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Goldson

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Davis

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Silva

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Sequira

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Ruiz

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<PAD>

1,759

A much-changed Celtic suffered the first defeat of their Europa League campaign as second-half goals secured a 2-0 win for CFR Cluj in northwestern Romania

Andrei Burca rose to head the hosts in front three minutes after the restart before Damjan Djokovic stabbed home a second with 20 minutes remaining as Cluj qualified for the knockout stages of a European competition for the first time in their history

Dan Petrescu's side secured second place in Group E while Celtic were denied a maiden unbeaten European group-stage campaign

The visitors finish the group on top with 13 points, one ahead of second-placed Cluj and attention will now turn to the draw for the last 32 on Monday in Nyon, with Celtic among the seeded teams

Lennon said following the defeat: "Overall, we've had an amazing campaign and I'm happy to have used the squad tonight because we have so many important domestic games coming up

"The Celtic boss was also happy with the performance of 18-year-old Scott Robertson on his senior debut, while at 16 years and 293 days old, Karamoko Dembele became the youngest player to ever play for Celtic in major European competition

The Scottish champions were already assured of their place in the last 32, and this was remarkably the fourth time these two sides have met this season, first meeting at the Dr

Constantin Radulescu Stadium on August 7 in the Champions League qualifiers - but Giedrius Arlauskis, the Cluj goalkeeper, was rarely troubled

Despite having already sealed top spot, 1,000 Celtic supporters made the trip to Transylvania hoping to witness the club's first win in Romania, but it was the hosts - with the extra incentive of needing a point to secure second spot - who created the best openings of a cagey first half

Lacina Traore, the giant Ivory Coast striker once on loan at Everton, led the line well and set up Billel Omrani with a cute reverse pass after 18 minutes but Craig Gordon raced from his line to smother the shot

Celtic's best efforts came from distance, as after Nir Bitton's speculative drive was comfortably kept out by Arlauskis, Mikey Johnston came within a yard of finding the top corner when his dipping shot from outside of the box deflected just wide

But Cluj emerged from the second period with greater urgency and duly broke the deadlock when Burca lost his marker Boli Bolingoli to head home Ciprian Deac's corner

Gordon appeared to still be reflecting on that incident when a sloppy pass out from the back presented the ball straight to Deac, but the stand-in Celtic goalkeeper made amends with a fine one-handed save around the post to ensure Cluj didn't celebrate a quickfire second

Celtic showed resilience earlier in the group campaign, coming back from a losing position away to Rennes, and both home and away to Lazio, but after Leigh Griffiths and Mikey Johnston spurned half chances either side of the hour, Cluj pulled away with 20 minutes remaining

Emmanuel Culio's inviting low cross from the left was diverted back across goal by Deac and Djokovic was on hand to guide the ball beyond Gordon as Celtic's run of 12 consecutive victories in all competitions came to an end

Celtic boss : "We're disappointed to lose the game but in the main very pleased with what I got out of it

Some of my players needed the games and needed the 90 minutes

"The likes of Griffiths, Bitton, Bolingoli, Bauer and Bayo getting time on the pitch has given them minutes in their legs now

These are huge games in the context of our season because the championship is our priority

"I thought Ntcham was unbelievable

To give him the captaincy and then for him to take on the responsibility the way he did was excellent

I thought his all-round game tonight was absolutely top class

"Revenge was a motivating factor in the reverse fixture as Celtic powered to a convincing 2-0 victory - but in Romania on Thursday night, the onus was on Lennon's squad members to take their opportunity to impress

The Celtic manager had called on his players to express themselves with the rare luxury of not having anything to play for on matchday six, but his shadow team, including Scott Sinclair and Nir Bitton, didn't seize their chance

Lennon was sensible in removing Christopher Jullien, the French centre-back, at half-time having conceded five fouls

In avoiding a yellow card, he is now available for the first leg of the last-32 tie in the new year

But Cluj's proud home record, having won 10 home games in a row since losing 1-0 to Slavia Prague in Champions League qualifying in August, was rarely troubled

Heading into the hectic Christmas period, Lennon won't have been given too much of a selection headache

Lennon opted to leave first-teamers Tom Rogic, Fraser Forster, Callum McGregor, Ryan Christie and Odsonne Edouard all at home, and Deac was allowed to showcase his undoubted ability against Celtic's second string

Deac provided both assists, meaning the 33-year-old Romanian has been directly involved in five of CFR Cluj's Europa League goals this season (two goals, three assists), providing the assist for each of the last three

The draw for the last 32 of the Europa League takes place on in Nyon, with proceedings set to start at 12pm, UK time

Celtic return to Scottish Premiership action on Sunday when they host Hibernian at Parkhead; kick-off is at 3pm

null

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Arlauskis

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Susic

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Bordeianu

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Culio

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Deac

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Traore

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Omrani

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LuisAurelio

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Golofca

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Gordon

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Bauer

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Jullien

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Bitton

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Robertson

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Sinclair

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Morgan

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Johnston

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Griffiths

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Bayo

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Ajer

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<PAD>

1,760

Diogo Jota scored a hat-trick as Wolves thrashed Espanyol 4-0 in the first leg of their Europa League last-32 tie at Molineux

Ruben Neves also scored a trademark wonder goal, volleying home from distance, to ensure the Premier League side have one foot in the last 16 with the second leg still to play

The game had been in the balance at the break with Jota's first goal separating the sides, but Neves' strike early in the second half saw Espanyol heads drop and Wolves capitalised in style

This was Wolves 13th Europa League game of the season and there was a confident mood in the stadium with Nuno Espirito Santo's side having won five of the previous six at Molineux

It was a quiet start to the contest but when Adama Traore went on one of his attacking runs down the right wing and won a corner, the breakthrough goal followed

Joao Moutinho's cross was flicked on by Raul Jimenez and the ball fell nicely for Jota to force an effort past goalkeeper Andres Prieto and into the Espanyol net

La Liga's bottom club have endured a difficult season but form has picked up under new coach Abelardo and the visitors were almost presented with an equaliser soon after

Ruben Neves skewed the ball back to Rui Patricio and with the goalkeeper reluctant to claim it he attempted a volley instead and made a horrible mess of it

Facundo Ferreyra had the opportunity to beat Patricio from close range but the Portugal No 1 managed to recover sufficiently to keep out the attempt

That was a warning for Wolves but they could well have gone in at the interval a man up as well as a goal up when Ander Iturraspe was fortunate to avoid a red card

The midfielder squared up to Jota near the touchline and moved his head towards the goalscorer in an aggressive fashion but escaped with only a yellow card

There was no escaping Neves, though

The Wolves midfielder was on fine form all evening and lit up the night with a volley from range that arrowed past Prieto to double the lead

It was a stunning goal to add to his collection and took the game away from Espanyol

That was confirmed midway through the second half when Jota added a third

Matt Doherty, freed up to attack after Traore's withdrawal, threaded a ball between Naldo and Victor Gomez and Jota was on hand to force the ball in at the near post via a deflection

Wolves almost added a fourth when substitute Pedro Neto struck the angle of post and bar from distance with a quarter of an hour remaining

But Jota had the final say when he danced past several markers on the edge of the box before finishing powerfully beyond Prieto to complete his hat-trick

This was the Portuguese forward's second treble of the season having also scored three on his previous Europa League appearance here against Besiktas in December

It puts Nuno's side in a strong position to progress and extend their Europa League adventure to at least 16 games

Wolves supporters don't want the journey to end

"It was a good performance, better in the second half, first half not so good," said Nuno afterwards

"We scored some beautiful goals but despite the result, the tie isn't over

"Espanyol resume their relegation battle against Valladolid on Sunday, while for Wolves it's a game back here at Molineux against Premier League bottom club Norwich

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:Patricio

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Coady

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Doherty

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Neves

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Jonny

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Traore

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Jimenez

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Jota

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Dendoncker

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Neto

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Podence

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Prieto

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Gomez

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Naldo

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Calero

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DidacVila

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Vargas

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Iturraspe

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VictorSanchez

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Melendo

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Ferreyra

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WuLei

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Calleri

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Lopez

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Darder

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<PAD>

1,761

Arsenal progressed to the last 32 of the Europa League as Group F winners after late goals from Alexandre Lacazette and Bukayo Saka rescued a 2-2 draw at Standard Liege

The Gunners only needed to avoid defeat by five goals to book their spot in the knockout stages, but for much of the night they were heading to Monday's draw as an unseeded team after Standard Liege took a two-goal lead thanks to deflected strikes in the second half from Samuel Bastien (47) and Selim Amallah (69)

With Eintracht Frankfurt leading Vitoria Guimaraes 2-1 until the 85th minute in the group's other game, second spot was looking likely for Arsenal, but goals from Lacazette (78) and Saka (81), coupled with Vitoria's late turnaround in Germany to win 3-2, saw Freddie Ljungberg's side rescue a point and reclaim top spot

The result means Arsenal, who face Manchester City live on on , will be seeded for , while Standard Liege, who needed to win to have any chance of progressing, exit the competition

Backed by their passionate home support, Standard Liege, who knew they needed a win to stand any chance of progressing to knockout stages, started brightly but most of Arsenal's problems came from their own doing

Konstantinos Mavropanos' slack pass gifted possession to Mehdi Carcela on the edge of the penalty area, but luckily for the Gunners the Standard Liege forward scuffed his shot straight into the arms of Emiliano Martinez

Arsenal eventually grew into the game and created a number of chances to take the lead

After Emile Smith Rowe had seen his cross-shot turned away by the foot of goalkeeper Arnaud Bodart, Saka had three excellent opportunities to put Arsenal ahead but failed to beat the in-form keeper

As the half-time whistle approached, Saka saw an effort from the left of the box saved before Bodart produced another smart stop to keep out Reiss Nelson's goal-bound effort

Arsenal made the worst possible start to the second half, falling behind just two minutes in when Bastien's strike took a huge deflection off Sokratis Papastathopoulos, wrong-footing goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez and looping into the back of the net

Things got even worse for the Gunners as they found themselves 2-0 down in the 69th minute following another deflected effort from the hosts

Joe Willock gifted possession to Amallah in the middle of the penalty area and the midfielder's shot took another big deflection to beat Martinez

Buoyed by the goals, Standard Liege sensed something special, but it was Arsenal, who brought on Gabriel Martinelli, that found a response

Ljungberg's side levelled things up at 2-2 courtesy of two quickfire goals from Saka and Lacazette

Saka created the first, sending in an inch-perfect cross which Lacazette headed into the net from close range to give the Gunners a lifeline

And the 18-year-old then got on the scoresheet himself as he fired in from the edge of the area after exchanging passes with Martinelli to secure Arsenal a point, which was enough to see them finish top of Group F after Vitoria's win in Frankfurt

Arsenal youngster Saka played a key role in his side's comeback, setting up Lacazette before finding the back of the net himself to secure a point

On a different night could have added to his tally after being denied on a couple of occasions by smart saves from Standard Liege goalkeeper Bodart

It was a performance that impressed Arsenal's interim head coach

"He was amazing," Ljungberg said in his post-match press conference

"He was a bit upset with me before the game that he had to play wing-back and full-back

He's a tremendous talent

"His final ball and last bit is always effective

Bukayo had a tremendous night

": "It was beautiful for me because that is what I am judged on, scoring and assisting, so to score and to make one is a good night

"It's a good feeling [finishing top] because on the pitch we didn't know [the result in the Frankfurt game] and were pushing for the third goal to try to win the game but Freddie was trying to tell us that Frankfurt were down

Everyone came into the changing room after and found out we were top of the group

"We feel we are taking a lot of confidence

In our last game in the Premier League we won, and while we didn't win here we came back

We always keep our heads and try to get a result because we knew what the stakes were and that if we lost we could possibly be out

"Arsenal interim head coach : "We played really well to our game plan in the first half

They didn't have any shots on target

We should have maybe been one or two up at half-time

We got sucker-punched a bit, they scored two deflected goals

null

you can't really slam the players for that

We could have folded but we didn't

2-2, we could have got a 3-2 but I had the information about the other score, so we didn't go too hard

"On the character of the team, he added: "It's tremendous

I'm really proud of them

They showed belief in how they can play football

It's good for us in the future

The energy, they go and go

They don't stop

"Arsenal host Manchester City at 4

30pm on Super Sunday - live on from 4pm

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Martinez

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<PAD>

1,762

Mason Greenwood scored twice as a second-half Manchester United blitz secured a 4-0 victory over AZ Alkmaar at Old Trafford and top spot in Europa League Group L

United were well off the pace in the first half but came alive in the second as four goals in a devastating 11-minute spell blew AZ away

Ashley Young's superb finish from an acute angle kicked United into gear after the interval, and within five minutes the lead was doubled thanks to Greenwood's instinctive low finish

With the floodgates well and truly open, United plundered more goals as Juan Mata drilled home a penalty and Greenwood doubled his tally with a clinical near-post drive

United's fourth group-stage victory sees them progress as group winners ahead of runners-up AZ, and ensures Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side will be seeded in Monday's round-of-32 draw

With their passage to the knockout stage already secure, Solskjaer challenged his United players to maintain the desire and level of performance that secured consecutive victories over Tottenham and Manchester City

But after making nine changes, United were flat and rode their luck against a hungrier AZ side as Yukinari Sugawara and the lively Oussama Idrissi tested Sergio Romero in the opening 10 minutes

It took the best part of half an hour for United to wake from slumber, Greenwood stretched the AZ defence and cushioned a header into the path of Mata, but he blazed wildly over the target

Mata saw a shot blocked and Harry Maguire saw a header saved on the line as United improved as the break approached, but the first half belonged to AZ, who should have taken the lead when Dani de Wit blazed over on 41 minutes

Solskjaer got into his players at the break and it took just eight minutes to bear fruit, with Young finishing off a fine team move with a pinpoint finish after a fine team move

United doubled their advantage five minutes later when Greenwood swept the ball home from 20 yards, and the 18-year-old won a penalty after Jordy Clasie bundled him to ground in the box

Mata rifled United's third in from the spot on 62 minutes before Greenwood had the final word on an enthralling second-half performance with a low left-footed effort from the right side of the box

'The feel good factor continues at Old Trafford with a ruthless second half performance that rewarded those who had stayed to watch after a tepid and forgettable first period

'United were much changed but the experience they retained in the shape of players such as Mata, Matic and Young showed how much Solskjaer wanted top spot in the Group

'But the show was stolen by Greenwood, his two goals dispatched fearlessly, taking him to four in the last five Europa League matches

That the spotlight shone so brightly on the 18 year old was a bit harsh on skipper Young, whose searing finish set United on their way

'It's now three wins in a row for the second time this season and perhaps, as crucially, a clean sheet too, with youngsters Ethan Laird and Tahith Chong entering the fray once the points were sealed

'Solskjaer rested many of his big guns ahead of Sunday's visit of Everton, a match that will provide real evidence of whether or not Manchester United are heading in a new direction

'Man Utd boss : "I've seen a few good young players

I played with Wayne Rooney, but in terms of natural finishing, Mason is one of the best I've seen

He was class

Mason is a natural footballer but the closer he gets to goal, the more dangerous he is

Right foot, left foot, a nightmare for defenders

All he needs to do is develop his heading and then he can be a proper striker

"AZ boss : "It's an understatement to say that we had a bad period in the second half, but maybe it shows the class of our opponents

The most important lesson is that it's all very well to play attractive football but you can still lose a match within a couple of minutes

"United host Everton at 2pm on Super Sunday - live on from 1pm - and AZ host Ajax in a top-of-the-table Eredivisie clash at 3

45pm, before both clubs learn their Europa League fate in Monday's round-of-32 draw

null

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Williams

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Greenwood

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Martial

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Laird

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Chong

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Bizot

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Wuytens

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Idrissi

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Ouwejan

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Druijf

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1,763

Rangers edged into the last 32 of the Europa League after a 1-1 draw against Young Boys, with a late equaliser and red card making for a nerve-wracking finish

Steven Gerrard's side were looking to overcome their Scottish League Cup final disappointment and showed no ill-effects in the first half as they overran their opponents

Alfredo Morelos (30) scored his sixth group-stage goal but Rangers would have been disappointed not to add a few more to their tally

Young Boys - who came from behind to win 2-1 in the reverse fixture - threatened to spring another surprise in the second half, with a scrambled Borna Barisic (89) own goal hauling the Swiss side level

It got worse for Rangers a few minutes later as Ryan Jack was sent off for a second yellow card (90+3)

But they managed to hold out for a draw, which was enough to see Rangers into the knockout stages for the first time since 2011, and finishing second behind Porto in Group G, who beat Feyenoord 3-2 in Portugal

Rangers knew they had a job to do at Ibrox and went agonisingly close around the 20-minute mark

Some good build-up play saw Scott Arfield fire the ball goalwards, but it was deflected behind by Frederik Sorensen

Not long after, some more sensational Rangers football saw Joe Aribo slot the ball into the path of Morelos, but his strike from close range was pushed away by the feet of David von Ballmoos

Rangers should have been awarded a penalty in the 22nd minute

Morelos continued to get the better of Sorensen, darting past him and into the area, with the Young Boys defender clipping at Morelos' heels and pulling him down

However, referee Felix Brych waved away the claims and with VAR unavailable, no review could be made

The hosts finally made the breakthrough on the half an hour mark after some horrendous errors from Young Boys

Nicolas Burgy's poor initial pass allowed Ryan Kent to float the ball towards Morelos in the middle of the park

The Colombian's touch easily took the ball past Sorensen and he was then one-on-one with the goalkeeper, powering home into the back of the net for his sixth goal of the Europa League group stages which takes him to the top of the scoring charts

Rangers had three glorious chances to double their lead not long after

Von Ballmoos pushed away a stinging effort from Arfield before Aribo twice put the ball wide - one from a header and another with a misplaced shot

Young Boys also had their best effort of the game on the stroke of half-time, but Christian Fassnacht - who scored the late winner against Rangers in the reverse fixture - could only head Ulisses Garcia's fizzing cross over the bar

Young Boys were much improved after the break

Allan McGregor was forced into his first save in the 65th minute as Saidy Janko whipped a great cross into the area

Fassnacht rose up again to head the ball goalwards, but the Rangers goalkeeper pushed it over the crossbar with his fingertips

Sorensen also went close from the resulting corner, but his header smacked off the back of Nikola Katic to send it wide

For all of their second-half pressure, it was a scrambled own goal from Barisic that brought Young Boys level

Substitute Felix Mambimbi flew a cross in from the left and the Rangers defender sent the ball over the line with an outstretched foot, despite McGregor's best efforts to keep it out

Roger Assale and Fassnacht were both there to help send the ball further into the net, but it was not needed with Barisic already doing the damage

The frayed nerves of Rangers fans were worsened in the final minute of four added on when Jack saw red for a second yellow card

The first had been for pulling down Michel Aebischer just after the hour mark with Mambimbi caught late on for his second offence, and he will now be unavailable for the first knockout round fixture

As usual, it was difficult to ignore the impact of Morelos up front

He was spellbinding in the first half, linking up brilliantly with Arfield and Aribo despite some poor finishing from his team-mates

The Colombian also gave Young Boys defender Sorensen a torrid time and he will not be forgetting Morelos any time soon

He also took his goal brilliantly and when he is sent through on goal like he was, there is no mistaking the outcome

Morelos has now scored six goals in the Europa League this season, which is the joint-most a Gers player has scored in a major UEFA European campaign - also six for Jim Forrest in the 1964/65 European Cup

The striker has certainly put to bed his personal demons from the Scottish League Cup defeat to Celtic and will be vital for Rangers as they prepare for the knockout stages, ending the group campaign as the top goal scorer

: "It's a fantastic feeling, especially after the last few days

It's been tough to pick ourselves up, the players and the staff, for this game

The boys deserve credit for getting it done

"It was a very good first half, we looked dangerous, created the best chances

Maybe if people would have been more bold and brave, we could have scored more

Young Boys turned the heat up on us in the second half, piled a lot of bodies forward and went direct

"I can't criticise them boys [for the nerves getting to them]

There's not a high level of European experience in the group

But on the back of a cup final where we put everything into that game and had two days to recover, no-one should understate what they've done

"No-one gave us a chance

I sat in the canteen with the players and squad when the draw was made

It's going to be very nice to see Rangers in the draw, among some elite teams around Europe

It was an aim and target when I came through the door, get respect back in European competitions

Fans live for this

Getting through gives the club a bit of kudos, for sure

"Next up for Rangers is a trip to Motherwell in the Scottish Premiership on Sunday, live on Sky Sports (kick-off 12pm)

Young Boys will also play on the same day in the Swiss Super League, travelling to Lugano

In terms of the Europa League, the draw for the last 32 takes place on Monday December 16 in Nyon, with proceedings set to start at 12pm, UK time

null

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Kent

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Ojo

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VonBallmoos

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Burgy

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Sorensen

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Garcia

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Fassnacht

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Aebischer

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MartinsPereira

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Ngamaleu

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Assale

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Nsame

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Hoarau

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Spielmann

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Mambimbi

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<PAD>

1,764

Diogo Jota came off the bench to score a hat-trick as Wolves beat Besiktas 4-0 at Molineux to go into the Europa League knockout stages in style

Wolves had been struggling to find a way through the Turkish team but Jota's introduction just before the hour mark turned the game as he scored three goals within 11 minutes

Leander Dendoncker was also on target but Braga's 4-2 victory away to Slovan Bratislava meant Wolves had to settle for second spot in Group K, one point below the Portuguese

Despite a healthy crowd of 27,866, it had looked to be a low-key contest for much of the evening with Wolves' progress already assured and Nuno Espirito Santo having made seven changes to his team

Jota's arrival changed that as Wolves withdrew Ruben Neves and switched to a 3-4-3 formation

Patrick Cutrone produced a clever flick to put Pedro Neto away down the right and his cross found the head of Jota who scored with his first touch

Besiktas' resistance was broken

Dendoncker's first-time shot from Joao Moutinho's corner struck the post from close range soon after but Wolves did not have to wait long

The Belgian midfielder hit the frame of the goal again moments later with better results when his fierce long-range effort was pushed onto the post by Utku Yuvakuran only for Jota to react first and put home the rebound

At the third time of asking, Dendoncker finally did have his goal - a straightforward header from another Moutinho corner as Wolves continued to overwhelm the visitors

One minute later it was four goals in 11 minutes when young wing-back Oskar Buur won possession near the touchline and crossed for Jota to complete his hat-trick

There were more than 20 minutes remaining at that point and there was still time for debutant Owen Otasowie to head against the top of the bar in search of a fifth

Wolves were forced to settle for four goals and second spot in the group following Braga's come-from-behind win over Slovan Bratislava

But with Nuno's side having lost only once in 18 games now - and that having been a weakened side in the Carabao Cup at Aston Villa - Wolves won't fear anyone in the last 32

"I am happy with the whole performance," said Nuno afterwards

"We scored goals, we defended well, we were organised

I think it was a good game

"Of course, when you make [a substitution] you try to change something and find a solution for the team

Sometimes it works out, sometimes it does not

"It has been a tough competition

The first game we didn't do too good but I think progressively throughout the competition we have done better

"Let's see the draw on Monday, know the opponent and then think about it

This is our process

""This is what we want," said Nuno of Jota's extraordinary impact

"Diogo did fantastically well

" It was still an understated assessment of one of the fastest hat-tricks ever scored in this competition

What an impact he made

None of Jota's goals were from distance but his trio of poacher's finishes will encourage everyone at Molineux that the forward is back to his best form having also netted twice against Brighton on Sunday

His tally of five goals in two games is more than he had managed in his previous 24 for club and country this season

It is a huge boost to Nuno who could have been forgiven for wondering whether the player could thrive in his 3-4-3 formation

After all, it was only after Jota was moved more centrally to partner Raul Jimenez that he enjoyed his purple patch last term

While the switch back to 3-4-3 has suited some, including Neves, Jota was seen as a potential victim of the change

But he is a confidence player above all else and with Wolves going into a daunting run of games over the festive period, having Jota in this kind of form could be huge

Wolves supporters will have one eye on the Europa League on Monday as they wait to discover where this European adventure will take their team next but before all that there is the small matter of Premier League action at the weekend

Nuno's team host Jose Mourinho's Tottenham at Molineux on Sunday with plenty at stake

With Spurs are currently one point adrift of Wolves, victory for the home side will guarantee that they retain their place in the top six

Sky Sports has 8 dedicated channels and subscriptions start from £18 a month

If you're already a Sky TV customer you can be watching live action in minutes

Plus you can choose a pack without a contract so there is no long term commitment

null

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Perry

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UtkuYuvakuran

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KeremKalafat

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Rebocho

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<PAD>

1,765

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's youngsters were dealt a harsh footballing lesson as Astana came from behind to condemn Manchester United to a 2-1 defeat in Kazakhstan

With their passage to the knockout phase already secure, Solskjaer handed seven players - of which six where teenagers - their full club debuts in the Europa League Group L clash in what was the youngest-ever side Manchester United had fielded in European competition

Solskjaer's faith was repaid inside 10 minutes when captain Jesse Lingard drilled United into a deserved lead

The youthful United side enjoyed a measure of control throughout but their failure to convert their dominance came back to haunt them as Dmitry Shomko hauled Astana level on 55 minutes, 38 seconds after Tahith Chong spurned a glorious chance to double the visitors' lead

Debutant Di'Shon Bernard's unfortunate own goal seven minutes later then sealed Astana's first Europa League points of the season and their first win over English opposition as United tasted defeat in Europe for the first time this campaign

Considering the mixture of inexperience and rustiness, Solskjaer's side equipped themselves well during a bright start

Mason Greenwood stung the palms of the goalkeeper and by the 10th minute, the visitors were ahead

Luke Shaw, making his first appearance since August, played in Lingard to rifle a low shot into the bottom right-hand corner from 20 yards, leading to cheers from all four corners of the ground

Astana flickered into life midway through the first half and Dorin Rotariu wasted a glorious chance when ghosting behind the sleepy United backline, while Grant comfortably denied Abzal Beysebekov soon after

Lingard saw a shot deflect over and Greenwood irritated team-mates by ignoring them to take a hopeful shot, with the teenager then irking the home fans by chipping Astana goalkeeper Nenad Eric with play halted for offside

But Astana were proving a handful and pushed for a leveller after the break, with sloppy play nearly resulting in Bernard putting a clearance into his own goal

United were just about holding firm and had a gilt-edged chance to put the game to bed in the 55th minute

A smart one-two with Angel Gomes ended with Shaw turning and firing the ball across the six-yard box, where unmarked Chong somehow scooped over at the far post

It was a dreadful miss that proved the evening's turning point

Astana's leveller had been coming and it was a strike that Shomko will treasure, hitting a low effort past Grant

United had little chance to restock by the time the perennial Kazakh champions were celebrating again, with debutant Bernard directing a cross into his own net at the near post seven minutes later

Axel Tuanzebe helped the devastated debutant to his feet

Ineffective Chong soon made way as D'Mani Bughail-Mellor made his United bow, with Astana continuing to look the bigger threat and Runar Mar Sigurjonsson just missed the chance to score a stunning strike against the club he supports

Astana keeper Eric pulled off stunning saves to deny Gomes' free-kick and then Greenwood as United fell to defeat on an evening that ended with Largie Ramazani and Ethan Galbraith coming on for their debuts

Man Utd boss : "We're disappointed with the end result but there are definitely positives

I thought we started the game fantastically, the boys took control of the game, and the response after they scored two was also good

I was disappointed with that 10 minute spell, you could feel pressure was coming but some fantastic performances by the three young lads who made their debut, all were excellent

"Manchester United host Aston Villa in the Premier League on Sunday at 4

30pm

United then end their Europa League campaign at home to AZ Alkmaar on December 12 at 8pm, while Astana travel to Partizan at the same time

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<PAD>

1,766

Wolves qualified for the Europa League round of 32 with a game to spare despite letting a two-goal lead slip to draw 3-3 in Braga

Braga took the lead through Andre Horta's deflected effort (6), but Wolves levelled as Raul Jimenez headed home his 10th goal in nine games (14)

Matt Doherty's header (34) and Adama Traore's fierce low drive (35) put the visitors in control, and although Braga looked down and out, they forced two goals in the second half through Paulinho (64) and Barbosa Fransergio (79) to level it up

The result means both Braga and Wolves qualify, and Wolves can finish top of the group if they beat Besiktas in their final game in a fortnight and Braga fail to beat Slovan Bratislava

On a soaking pitch in Braga, the hosts took a fortunate lead early on as Horta's long-range effort deflected off the boot of Ruben Neves and flew past the reach of Rui Patricio

But Wolves were soon back on terms through the in-form Jimenez, who guided a header back into the far corner from Jonny's fine left-wing cross

It was the Mexican's 15th goal of the season, and his ninth in the Europa League

Two goals in the space of a minute then put Wolves in control as they showed buckets of attacking confidence

First, the brilliant Jimenez spotted the run of Doherty, who headed home from 10 yards, before Traore found a yard on Wallace inside the box, lashing under Eduardo from 15 yards

Wolves should have had a fourth after the break as Traore's cross was headed goalwards by Diogo Jota, but Eduardo beat it away well, and their failure to capitalise did come back to bite them

Braga halved the deficit against the run of play as Paulinho finished off at close range at the back post via some sleepy Wolves defending

Their leveller had Nuno fuming as Miguel Nuno Sequeira's cross found the unmarked Fransergio to head home in between his markers, leaving the Wolves manager with an inquest to organise into how they had let slip from such a controlling position

Wolves boss : "We are trying to develop and improve and to achieve other results

We don't have limits, we always try to keep going

It's not about momentum, if you expect to play when you have good momentumyou'll have problems

We always want to compete, the momentum doesn't mean anything

"It's about preparing yourself for the competition, that's why you don't have limits

It was our 26th game, we started very early in the season, but the balance has been good and the team is improving

"The draw for the last 32 of the Europa League takes place on in Nyon, with proceedings set to start at 12pm, UK time

Wolves now host Sheffield United on Sunday at 2pm in the Premier League, while their last Europa League group-stage clash is against Besiktas at Molineux on December 12 at 8pm

null

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JoaoPalhinha

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RicardoHorta

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Paulinho

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Galeno

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Fonte

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RuiPatricio

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Doherty

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Dendoncker

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Coady

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Jonny

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Moutinho

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Neves

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AdamaTraore

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DiogoJota

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RaulJimenez

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Neto

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<PAD>

1,767

Rangers' fate is in their own hands going into their final Europa League group game, following a 2-2 draw in Feyenoord

Jens Toornstra gave the hosts a deserved lead after 33 minutes when his shot from just outside the box deflected off Filip Helander and beat Allan McGregor

The Gers could consider themselves fortunate to go in only 1-0 down at half-time, but they equalised shortly after the break as Morelos guided the ball in from a delicious Ryan Kent cross (52)

The Colombian struck again after 65 minutes when he met Borna Barisic's ball to send Rangers into dreamland, but Luis Sinisterra responded just minutes later with a cool finish (68)

The result, coupled with Porto's 2-1 win against Young Boys, means Rangers are in a good position to qualify, with a win against the Swiss side on December 12 taking them through to the last 32

At half-time Rangers could have had no complaints if they were two or three goals behind after a first period which was completely dominated by the hosts

McGregor pulled off a wonderful stop to deny Steven Berghuis from a corner after 19 minutes, and former Swansea midfielder Leroy Fer could only hit the post with a header from the rebound

Sinisterra then blazed over from just yards out after a cutback from Lutsharel Geertruida's cut-back, and you started to wonder if the hosts were going to be made to pay for their early profligacy

But they deservedly took the lead when Toornstra's strike from just outside the box took a deflection off Helander and beat McGregor

After the break, Feyenoord continued to dominate, but Rangers stunned the home crowd with a goal out of the blue after Kent's ball was met by Morelos, who guided it into the left corner of the net

Just over 10 minutes later and Morelos was on the scoresheet again, converting Barisic's delivery and sending Gers fans into ecstasy

But Sinisterra made up for his first-half miss when he danced into the Rangers box and lifted the ball over McGregor to bring his side level

At one stage it looked like a point would have been enough for Rangers to qualify, with Young Boys ahead against Porto, but two late goals from the Portuguese side mean Gerrard's side need a victory at home next month to qualify

If they can repeat the performance from the second half, they should be playing knockout European football for the first time since 2011

Rangers boss : "I think it's a fair result

Feyenoord were better in the first half, I thought we were excellent in the second

In patches of the first half I didn't recognise us - what we stand for, our identity, what we've worked ever so hard for

"I thought we were passive at times - and slightly lucky not to be further behind at half-time

They got a bit of luck with the goal but Feyenoord certainly deserved to be in front at the break

"I asked for the real Rangers in the second half and we got it

We're really pleased and proud of the boys to be in this position

Of course we would have liked to have got the job done today, but we can't control what happens elsewhere

This is a positive result even though you saw two sides of us today

"Rangers host Hearts on Sunday as they look to keep up the pace with Celtic at the top of the SPL

Feyenoord are at home to Zwolle in the Eredivisie on the same day

The draw for the last 32 of the Europa League takes place on in Nyon, with proceedings set to start at 12pm, UK time

null

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Davis

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1,768

The pressure firmly increased on Arsenal head coach Unai Emery after Eintracht Frankfurt came from a goal down to beat his side 2-1 at the Emirates Stadium

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang struck on the stroke of half-time to give the Gunners an advantage at the break, but two goals in nine second-half minutes from Daichi Kamada turned the game on its head

Arsenal pushed in search of an equaliser, but they failed to really create anything of note as the Bundesliga side held on for a famous victory in north London, which also keeps their hopes of qualification alive

Despite the defeat, the Gunners should still qualify for the round of 32 barring a five-goal defeat at Standard Liege on December 12, but another poor result leaves Emery firmly on the brink at the Emirates ahead of their Premier League clash with Norwich on Sunday, which is live on

Before the match, Emery called on Arsenal to produce a performance to connect with the supporters again, but with rows and rows of empty seats around the ground - including an empty away section because of ban on Eintracht Frankfurt fans by UEFA for disorder at their away game against Vitoria - there was an eerie atmosphere at the Emirates Stadium

Aubameyang missed a glorious chance to get the Arsenal fans off their seats in the 12th minute, heading wide from six yards after Joe Willock got in his way

The Gunners, who suffered an injury blow in the first half with David Luiz replaced by Matteo Guendouzi, eventually took the lead at it was Aubameyang who made amends for his early miss

The Arsenal skipper struck on the stroke of half-time, via the underside of the crossbar, to give his side a lift heading into the break

However, Frankfurt stunned the Emirates Stadium 10 minutes after half-time when Kamada smashed in a drive from outside the penalty

Things got even worse for the Gunners when Kamada struck again nine minutes later, smashing into the bottom corner under no pressure to give the Bundesliga side the advantage

Arsenal, who just needed a draw to book their place in the knockout stages, could not find an equaliser as streams of home fans left the Emirates Stadium

Those that remained greeted the final whistle with another chorus of boos as the pressure piled on head coach Emery

Arsenal boss : "I think we improved

In the first half we had control of the game and we were winning 1-0 but we created chances to score a second goal

"The first five or 10 minutes or so of the second half was positive, how we were playing

We lost control in 15 minutes of the second half and they scored two goals and then we couldn't change the result

"The last 20 minutes we tried to come back but we didn't create in that moment a big opportunity to score

""'Emery Out

No tactics, no formation, nowhere to hide

'"Those were the words visible on a banner held aloft by frustrated Arsenal fans during the second half as the Gunners suffered yet another setback under Unai Emery - and it's very difficult to disagree

"There were yet more tactical changes from Emery as he shifted David Luiz into a holding midfield role - an experiment which ended when the Brazilian was forced from the field because of injury early in the match

"Despite leading at half-time, the Gunners again lacked direction and looked void of any sort of confidence throughout the game, which was played in front of a sparse crowd at the Emirates Stadium

"The manager was continuously barking orders from his technical area but on the pitch it all looked muddled once again, and the Gunners never really looked like finding a way out once Eintracht Frankfurt levelled things up

"Panic then set in as Arsenal's defending cracked under the pressure

It seemed inevitable that Frankfurt would go on to score a second and the inevitable happened as Kamada was given the freedom of north London on the edge of the Arsenal box before finding the bottom corner

"The tension was building amongst the home fans and it hit a crescendo as the final whistle condemned Emery's men to their worst run since 1992

Despite the sparse crowd, the boos were loud

They were making their feelings known loud and clear - and it's time for the powers that be to listen

"Decisive is not generally a word associated with the decision makers at the Emirates Stadium, but they need to take control of this situation before it's too late

"The draw for the last 32 of the Europa League takes place on , in Nyon, with proceedings set to start at 12pm, UK time

Arsenal travel to Norwich on Sunday at 2pm in the Premier League, live on , while their last Europa League group-stage clash is at Standard Liege on December 12 at 5

55pm

null

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Guendouzi

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Ozil

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1,769

Already-qualified Celtic secured top spot in Europa League Group E as Ligue 1 side Rennes were comfortably beaten 3-1 in Glasgow

Lewis Morgan met James Forrest's cut-back to give Neil Lennon's side the lead (21), and Ryan Christie doubled Celtic's advantage on the stroke of half-time by beating Edouard Mendy at his near post (45+1)

Substitute Mikey Johnston lashed in a third from Olivier Ntcham's pass (74), and while substitute Adrien Hunou's late header denied Celtic a clean sheet, it did little to take the gloss off a fourth straight Europa League win for the Scottish champions

Celtic had booked their place in the round of 32 with two games remaining, and with Lazio beating Cluj in Rome, they will be seeded for the draw next month

"What pleases me is the 100 per cent record at home and we are unbeaten away," Lennon said afterwards

"We won all our games at home and that pleased me

It was important to keep momentum going and we played with freedom and real swagger

There was no complacency apart from the last 15 minutes which is totally understandable

"The visitors had the first sight of goal as Romain Del Castillo chopped onto his left foot to test Fraser Forster from distance, but the Celtic stopper was alert to the danger to keep out his well-struck drive

But Morgan, deployed in an unnatural position in Odsonne Edouard's absence, then produced a striker's finish to put Celtic in control

Greg Taylor, one of four changes to the side that beat Livingston 4-0 last weekend, combined well with Forrest down the left, and Morgan read the latter's cut-back to nip in front of Joris Gnagnon to net at the near post with a sweeping finish

The hosts might have doubled their lead moments later when Ntcham forced Mendy into a smart save low down to his right, while there was further good news as Lazio took the lead in Rome against Cluj thanks to Joaquin Correa's opener

By now, there was a carnival atmosphere inside Celtic Park as both sets of supporters joined in doing 'The Huddle' - but it was Lennon's side who were celebrating a second on the stroke of half-time

Scott Brown found the impressive Christie on the right, and the winger cut inside to embarrass Mendy with an early low finish to his left

Brown had been walking a tightrope during the first half after persistent fouling, and with the Celtic captain a booking away from a one-match ban, he escaped a caution after treading on Del Castillo

The Norwegian match official Espen Eskas missed the incident but would moments later book Brown for barging late into James Lea Siliki meaning he now misses the game in Romania against Cluj next month

Forster had been a virtual spectator for the best part of an hour, but he produced two brilliant saves to deny Rennes a foothold as first he kept out Flavien Tait's close-range effort from Sacha Boey's cross before reacting quickest to tip the rebound from Jordan Siebatcheu onto the post with his legs

Head coach Julien Stephan elected to field a very youthful Rennes side with the average age of his defence just 21, but here they were schooled by the dominant hosts as substitute Johnston added a sublime third with 16 minutes remaining, running onto a one-two with Ntcham before finding the bottom corner via the post

Rennes, who were already eliminated from the competition, have now lost four consecutive Europa League matches - their worst such streak in all European competitions since December 2005 - but they did score a late consolation as Hunou met Faitout Maouassa's cross at the near post to deny Celtic a clean sheet

In the absence of Edouard, this was an opportunity for some to play their way into Lennon's first-team plans, but it was Christie's direct running and trickery that caused Rennes the most problems, especially during the opening 45 minutes

The 24-year-old has been directly involved in four goals in five Europa League games this season (three goals, one assist)

The club voluntarily decided to close a section of the rail-seating area of Celtic Park after previous crowd incidents, but Christie ensured those in attendance were constantly on their feet

This was a strange night on a number of levels, but a hugely rewarding one for Celtic

The absence of the Green Brigade ultras - banished by the Celtic board after yet another UEFA fine - meant there was a huge green flag covering the standing section where one would have expected colour and noise

Morgan took his chance with aplomb

His last start was against Partick Thistle in September, and he had only played twice since

Not the most natural-looking front man, his movement caused the Rennes defence palpitations

The nightmare scenario for Celtic is what happens if Edouard gets injured; back-up is in short supply with Leigh Griffiths not yet fully fit and Vakoun Issouf Bayo out long-term

Lennon is targeting at least one new striker in January, but with a heavy workload coming up in December, Morgan has played his way into the manager's thoughts

Rennes' ineptitude - and numerous changes - made Celtic's task much simpler, but Lennon's team have become comfortable at dictating games at this level in Europe

Finishing top of the group should ensure an easier tie in the last 32, and the enticing possibility of a deep Europa League run into the spring

Celtic boss : "I don't know how big an achievement it is but it is a landmark night, we have never done it before either in Europa League or Champions League

"That is fantastic and what it means is we can possibly get a better draw for the last 32

"They had some milestones to achieve tonight

Could they go beyond 10 points, could they win the group, could they win 10 games in Europe and they answered all that

"The draw for the last 32 of the Europa League takes place on in Nyon, with proceedings set to start at 12pm, UK time

Celtic travel to face Ross County in the Scottish Premiership on Sunday

Coverage starts on at 11am with kick-off at noon

Rennes host Saint-Etienne on the same day in Ligue 1

null

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1,770

Olivier Ntcham scored a 95th-minute winner as Celtic registered their first-ever victory in Italy to beat Lazio 2-1 and qualify for the Europa League knockout stages

In a match that mirrored Celtic's dramatic 2-1 win over the Italians at Celtic Park, Ciro Immobile handed the hosts a lead (7) but Neil Lennon's side came charging back with James Forrest (37) and Ntcham (90+5) sending the 9,000 travelling Celtic fans delirious in Rome

A late Celtic winner had looked unlikely with Fraser Forster being forced into two brilliant stops in the closing stages to deny Lazio, who now are all-but eliminated from the competition with two games to spare after CFR Cluj beat Rennes 1-0

Since losing at Celtic Park, Lazio had won three games in a row - including beating AC Milan away from home for the first time in 30 years at the weekend - and Simone Inzaghi's side began full of confidence

Immobile - passed fit to play after limping off at the San Siro - took advantage of some slack Celtic marking on seven minutes to hand the Italians the lead

A ball to the back post found Immobile in acres of space and he ruthlessly fired past Forster from 10 yards

Lennon's men were struggling to find their rhythm as Lazio continued to carry the higher quality in forward areas but some last-ditch Celtic defending kept the score at 1-0

The good work from the Celtic back five reaped rewards on 37 minutes when Forrest produced a moment of quality to draw Celtic level

Sergej Milinkovic-Savic - a player who has been linked with Manchester United - gave the ball away deep inside his own half and Forrest picked up the ball on the angle in behind Francesco Acerbi before rifling a strike into the far corner

The goal lifted the belief within the Celtic camp and they threatened Lazio's goal after the break without creating clear cut opportunities, with Odsonne Edouard having an off night

Lazio sent on Luis Alberto midway through the half which did spark the hosts into life

An attempt straight from a corner by Alberto rebounded off the post before Forster came to the party to keep his team in it

Forster was called upon to make top saves from substitute Valon Berisha and Alberto before Celtic hit Lazio with the sucker punch in injury time

With Italian defenders nowhere to be seen, Ntcham was picked out by Edouard and he lofted a delicious finish over Thomas Strakosha to seal Celtic's place in the last 32 in extraordinary fashion

There's something about European nights against Lazio that brings the best out of the goalkeeper

Following on from a star performance in the corresponding fixture, Forster was again in top form especially in the final 15 minutes where he denied Berisha and Alberto with some world-class stops

"I am so happy and proud of the team

"Not just winning the game but the way they played the game, the character, the bravery and above all else, real quality

"It was a Titanic game again, a brilliant game to watch and it was a game we thoroughly deserved to win

"To come here and play as good as that; this team keeps setting new boundaries

We have qualified after four games

That is unheard of for Celtic in Europe

"It is amazing night, not just for me, the players, the board and obviously the magnificent support we had in the stadium tonight

"It is historic

It is a privilege for me to coach these players and work with my backroom staff who do an unbelievable job behind the scenes

"We are in a good place at the minute

It is job done as far as qualifying for the new year

"We have a lot of work to do domestically but it is an amazing night for the team and the club

"Celtic are back in domestic action on Sunday for a clash at Celtic Park with third-place Motherwell (3pm kick-off)

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1,771

Manchester United cruised into the Europa League knockout stages with two games to spare after a routine 3-0 victory over Partizan Belgrade at Old Trafford

Mason Greenwood's well-taken opener and a brilliant solo effort from Anthony Martial put United in control at the break, after they scored two first-half goals at home for the first time this season

Marcus Rashford continued his scoring streak when he rifled home his fifth goal in six appearances within four minutes of the restart

And, barring the loss of Scott McTominay to injury late on, it was comfortable from there on for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side as they secured their fourth consecutive clean sheet of the campaign to consolidate top spot in Group L and a place in the round-of-32

Partizan fought fire with fire in a frenetic start at Old Trafford that saw Martial and Umar Sadiq both have efforts ruled out for offside in the opening five minutes, but that was as close as the visitors would get as their strategy backfired and United strode towards the next round

Rashford wasted two chances to open the scoring inside the opening quarter of an hour, blazing wide and over the target, but made amends on 22 minutes when his through ball reached Greenwood in the area, and the 18-year-old brilliantly switched onto his left foot before firing past the wrong-footed Vladimir Stojkovic in the Partizan goal

And, after that classy finish, Greenwood had a hand in United's second as he charged down a clearance and diverted the ball into the path of Martial, who sensationally slalomed his way past three defenders before finishing off a fine solo effort with a toe-poke into the corner

United entered the break in front and in control and it took just four minutes for them to assert their authority again as Ashley Young cushioned a long diagonal into the path of Rashford, who added a third with a rasping left-footed drive at the near post

The Partizan goal was at the mercy of Solskjaer's side, as Young and Fred went close with free-kicks, and United would have added to their tally had they maintained their level of intensity to the finish

But with qualification secured, Solskjaer took the opportunity to hand James Garner his first home senior appearance as United withstood the loss of McTominay to close out a morale-boosting night under the lights at Old Trafford

Man Utd boss : "I'm very pleased with all of those finishes, all three goals were high class

Of course, we should have had a few more, but the first one settled us down

"Mason showed great composure; with the goalkeeper going down, he changed his mind and I was very happy with that

Anthony's was probably the skill of the night and then I was very pleased Marcus scored with his left foot

He'll need more goals on his left because he is in that position often and he can go both ways

"Marcus got in some great positions, made some great runs onto some great passes, the goalkeeper made some saves and the other times he didn't hit the target, but the goal he scored will give him loads of confidence

"'Objective achieved for Solskjaer, three goals enough to seal knock-out football in the Europa League but Partizan Belgrade offered precious little resistance

In fact their fans were more impressive than the players they roared on in temperatures that had the travellers from Belgrade wrapping up

'For Solskjaer, goals for his starting front three will be a welcome boost

United sat back after Rashford's thunderous second-half strike but with so many injuries, the hope is that McTominay limped off with a sore one rather than a more serious complaint

'United are the only side not to have conceded so far in this season's Europa League and Solskjaer has the opportunity to experiment and rest in the remaining two group games

'Old Trafford may have been almost empty by the time the final whistle went but this was a night when the ship was steadied again

Brighton's visit on Sunday, though, promises to present far more treacherous waters for Manchester United to navigate

'United host Brighton in the Premier League on Sunday at 2pm

Matchday 5 of the Europa League sees United travel to Astana and AZ Alkmaar host Partizan on November 28

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1,772

A lacklustre Arsenal were held to a 1-1 draw by Vitoria in the Europa League on Wednesday after Bruno Duarte scored a 91st-minute equaliser

It was the perfect revenge for Vitoria, , as they claimed a deserved point - their first of the current campaign - when Duarte acrobatically found the net

Arsenal had failed to have an effort on target until the 80th minute when Shkodran Mustafi nodded home from another Nicolas Pepe free-kick to put the visitors ahead, but, until that moment, Unai Emery's side had looked devoid of any attacking intent

Despite a below-par performance in Portugal, Arsenal remain top of Group F on 10 points and can qualify for the last 32 on Thursday if second-placed Eintracht Frankfurt beat third-placed Standard Liege

Despite the point, Vitoria remain bottom of the group and can no longer qualify for the knockout stages

Vitoria made a strong start at the Estadio D

Alfonso Henriques

Inside eight minutes, Pepe produced a thunderous strike from 25 yards which had Emiliano Martinez stretching, but it crashed onto the post before going wide

The Arsenal goalkeeper then made two wonderful saves, getting a strong hand to Marcus Edwards' effort before pushing away a flicked header from Edmond Tapsoba

Arsenal's only shot of the half came in the 22nd minute

Bukayo Saka got to the by-line before lifting the ball into the area for a waiting Rob Holding, but he could only direct his effort over the bar

Not long after, Vitoria went close again, but Davidson just curled a shot from range past the post

After a dismal first half, Arsenal were put under pressure early in the second

Former Tottenham youth product Edwards - who scored the first goal at the Emirates two weeks ago - breezed past Dani Ceballos down the right before pulling the ball back into the middle of the area

However, Sokratis was there to make the clearance

Just past the hour mark, the Gunners had another sight of goal

Nicolas Pepe whipped a corner into the area, with Mustafi meeting it, but his header just flashed over the crossbar as Arsenal's wait for an effort on target continued

The game looked to be meandering towards a dull goalless draw until Mustafi popped up with an unexpected Arsenal goal in the 80th minute

It was Nicolas Pepe and his free-kicks to the rescue once again as he floated a delivery towards the back post, with the defender running away from his marker before rising high to head home

But Vitoria hit back in the first minute of five added on

It was another easy run for Edwards down the right, getting past Holding, before standing the ball up at the far post

Rochinha then headed it back across the area for Duarte, who acrobatically swung the ball goalwards, bouncing it over the head of Mustafi and into the far corner

Vitoria could well have scored the winner too as they continued to pummel the Arsenal box with just minutes to play, but Mustafi managed to see a shot just wide, while Rochinha's powerful hit just missed the target

It was another impressive performance from the former Spurs youth player, this time facing his old north London rivals on his own turf

with his mazy runs and he caused issues on the right-hand side, especially in the second half

He had a hand in the equaliser too, getting past an admittedly weak Arsenal defence like they were not there before his cross was nodded back down for Duarte's fine finish

He will have caught a few eyes in Europe over the last two games

Arsenal manager : "I think we worked hard and fought against a team who were very strong defensively, and very organised

They played against us with 100 per cent motivation and also with their supporters

"Our objective this evening was also to keep a clean sheet because we need to improve defensively and be strong in that moment

We are using each match to achieve that

We didn't do that this evening against Vitoria, but we are going to take that challenge against Leicester

"In this competition we are taking good results, scoring a lot of goals and not conceding a lot of goals

We use each match to improve and achieve points in each competition

"We're a little disappointed for the result, but our objective is to be first in the group and we have 10 points and we are first

We are going to play the next two matches to make sure of that position, and now we are going to prepare for Leicester on Saturday

"Arsenal will be back in Premier League action when they travel to Leicester on Saturday evening, (kick-off 5

30pm)

Their next Europa League outing will be on Thursday November 28 when they host Eintracht Frankfurt

Vitoria will host Braga in the Portuguese Primeira Liga on Sunday before facing Standard Liege at home in their next Europa League game, also on November 28

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1,773

Alfredo Morelos scored one and made another as Rangers took a big step towards Europa League progression with a 2-0 home win over Porto on Thursday night

After a cagey first half which the Portuguese visitors had the better of, Morelos' clinical finish on 69 minutes put Rangers in front, before he set up Steven Davis for a second shortly afterwards

Steven Gerrard's side never looked troubled after that, and the result completed a memorable night for Scottish football, coming two hours after

Rangers travel to Rotterdam to face Feyenoord in three weeks' time, knowing a win will confirm their place in the last 32 alongside the Scottish champions - and they host group leaders Young Boys on Matchday 6

This Group G match had always seemed pivotal to Rangers' chances of guaranteeing European football after Christmas

Confidence was high after a promising draw in Portugal two weeks previously, where Gerrard felt his team had weathered the best Porto could throw at them

The omens certainly promised much

Rangers were averaging three goals a game at Ibrox this season, and no Portuguese team had ever won here in European competition, but Porto started confidently

Glen Kamara had to clear a flick by Pepe off the goal line with McGregor beaten inside four minutes

Rangers struggled to handle Porto's high press in the first half as passes went astray, with Borna Barisic and Filip Helander both looking nervous

Morelos and Ryan Kent, dropping deep as they attempted to find space, had little to feed on; Kent's wild shot over the bar was Rangers' only attempt on goal in the first half hour

Allan McGregor made a magnificent save from Ivan Marcano's header on 34 minutes, though the defender was flagged offside, as Porto continued to press

It had become a battle of the midfield playmakers, as the visitors' game-plan running through captain Danilo Pereira, sitting in front of the back four, while Rangers looked for Davis to thread through-balls in behind the full-backs

It was his pass that played in James Tavernier just before half-time, but Brandon Barker slashed the cutback well over

Porto lost defensive stalwart Pepe shortly after the restart to a knee injury, with winger Luiz Diaz - a goal-scorer against Rangers in Portugal a fortnight ago - on in his place

His departure seemed to galvanise Rangers, who began to take control

Kent had become more prominent - first, fizzing a shot across goal, and then forcing 'keeper Agustin Marchesin to save low at his near post

Porto still carried a threat on the break, and Connor Goldson had to be alert to hook away Wilson Manafa's goal-bound effort, but Rangers took the lead through a familiar source

Ryan Jack's cross from the right found Morelos in space on the edge of the penalty area, and the Colombian took just two touches with his left foot - one to control the ball, and the other to hammer a shot past Marchesin into the far corner

It was a goal of the highest quality from a striker at the top of his game

Four minutes later, Morelos stretched the Porto defence into the corner before finding Davis, who extended Rangers' lead with a low 20-yard strike that took a wicked deflection off Marcano

Ibrox rocked in delight

Substitute Ze Luis' header was the closest Porto came to threatening McGregor's goal as Rangers closed the game out comfortably

One more positive result in Group G, and they can look forward to European football after Christmas for the first time since 2011

Rangers visit Livingston on Sunday, live on from 2

30pm; kick-off at 3pm

Porto will look to bounce back with a trip to sixth-placed Boavista on Sunday at 9pm

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1,774

Raul Jimenez's late header saw Wolves beat Slovan Bratislava 1-0 to put Nuno Espirito Santo's side within touching distance the knockout stage of the Europa League

The home side made up for Ruben Neves' missed penalty six minutes into the second half to claim a vital three points, in a match which saw Slovan defender Kenan Bajric suffer a horrific-looking head injury

However, Wolves were made to wait until the second of 12 minutes of injury time at the end of the game to take the lead as club-record signing Jimenez headed home Adama Traore's inviting centre

As a result, Wolves now need just a point to qualify with still two matches left to play in Group K

Despite playing their 23rd match of the season, the hosts started at a lively pace, with Traore causing the visitors no end of problems with his buccaneering and penetrative runs down the right

From one such early dribble, Pedro Neto spurned a glorious opportunity to volley his side in front, before the increasingly busy Dominik Greif had to be alert to keep out Joao Moutinho's deflected drive

However, apart from another smart stop from Greif to turn behind Jimenez's low shot, Wolves struggled thereafter to impose themselves on tactically disciplined opponents, who themselves were a threat on the break

But just after half-time, the hosts were given a wonderful chance to take the lead after Slovan captain Vasil Bozhikov clipped Neto's heels, although there was some doubt as to whether the foul took place in the area or just outside

Without VAR, which is only introduced in the knockout phase of the competition, referee Bas Nijhuis pointed to the spot, although the subsequent delay while Neto received treatment may have affected Neves, whose penalty was placed too close to Greif

And that miss seemed to knock the Wolves players' confidence, as did the late head injury to Slovan centre-back Bajric, who required almost 10 minutes of treatment after being accidentally kicked in the head by Jimenez as the striker attempted an overhead kick

But the Mexico international regathered his composure to rise highest and power home a far-post header - his fourth in five and 12th so far this season - after being picked out by Traore's inch-perfect cross from the right

"We had to be patient but I thought we played well and created a lot of chances," said Nuno

"We combined well and dominated against a good team, they are an organised team

If you allow space to them then it is difficult

Good team and good players and a good coach

"It took time but it was a fantastic moment for the team

We were pushed on by Molineux so it was good for everyone

"The pacy winger has been in sparking form of late and he continued that with another impressive display to help his team beat Slovan on Thursday night

The Spain wide man caused the Slovaks no end of problems with his direct running down the right wing, creating one wonderful early opening that Neto spurned

And it was from another of those clever dribbles that Wolves finally made the breakthrough in injury time as his inviting cross was headed home by Jimenez

Wolves take on Aston Villa at Molineux in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon (2pm), with the game being shown live on Sky Sports Premier League

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1,775

Alfredo Morelos was once again Rangers' hero after the Colombian's strike earned the visitors a 1-1 draw at Porto in the Europa League

Rangers fell behind to Luis Diaz's 36th-minute wonder goal, only to draw level thanks to Morelos's well-taken effort a minute before half-time, the forward's 16th goal of another productive season

Despite both sides creating further openings, they had to settle for a point apiece at the Estadio Dragao, a result that moves Steven Gerrard's team up to second in the Group G standings at the halfway stage

As expected, the hosts started on the front foot in northern Portugal and were unlucky not to go ahead when Ze Luis met Alex Telles's cross from the left with a powerful header, only for the ball to hit the outside of the post

Porto did go ahead nine minutes before the break, though, and what a goal it was too

Ryan Jack carelessly handed the ball straight to Diaz on the left edge of the area, although the Colombia international still had much to do to find the back of the net

However, the forward showed incredible technique to power an unstoppable drive into the top right-hand corner of the goal, giving Rangers goalkeeper Allan McGregor absolutely no chance

Not that the visitors were behind for long as after a neat exchange of passes down the left wing between Jack and Borna Barisic, the left back's inch-perfect cross found the unmarked Morelos in the box

The in-form striker kept his cool to score for the 10th time already in Europe this season

Both sides will wonder how they did not score again in the second half, with Morelos denied by an incredible point-blank stop from Porto's Agustin Marchesin, while McGregor had to be at his best to keep out substitutes Francisco Soares and Bruno Costa late on

But a second straight Europa League defeat at the death would have been harsh on Gerrard and Co

"I'm very proud of the players," Gerrard said

"The performance was outstanding

We at least deserved to take a point

"I thought our structure and organisation was brilliant, so I need to pay respect to all my staff who have worked so hard to do that this week

But even more so to the players because they have gone out, they have all maxed out, in and out of possession, and carried out the game plan really well

"That's the level we need to try and bottle, certainly if we want to get out of this group

That performance gets us something in Feyenoord if we can match that, and the home games will be very important

"I think that was our best performance in Europe for large parts

If we can find that consistently we'll push this group right to the wire

"Maybe if Alfredo scored the header and we won 2-1 then for sure it would be the best but I don't want to be sitting here as Rangers manager saying it's our best performance when we have only taken a point

Because we have to remember we are Rangers and we came here to try and win the game

""A fantastic result

It is a very difficult place to go and they were well worth the point," said the former Rangers and Scotland striker

"I still think Steven Gerrard will be ranging about losing that last-minute goal against Young Boys the last time as Rangers would have been top of the group if they had just have held out and managed to come home from Switzerland with a draw

But they obviously lost

"The giant centre back - recalled by Steven Gerrard - produced a commanding and near-faultless display at the back to help Rangers leave northern Portugal with a hard-earned draw on Thursday

In particular, the Sweden international kept Moussa Marega in check for most of the match, which is no easy feat, with two vital interceptions either side of half-time preventing the Porto frontman from a getting a clear sight on goal

And judging by this performance, you can see why the Rangers boss bought the player from Bologna last summer

Rangers travel to Motherwell in the Scottish Premiership on Sunday, with that match kicking off at 3pm

Meanwhile, Porto host Famalicao at the Dragao in the league on Sunday (5

30pm)

null

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Marchesin

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Pepe

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Marcano

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AlexTelles

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Otavio

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Uribe

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DaniloPereira

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Diaz

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Marega

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ZeLuis

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BrunoCosta

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Nakajima

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McGregor

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Tavernier

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Goldson

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Helander

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Barisic

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Barker

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Jack

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Kamara

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1,776

Manchester United took a significant step towards the Europa League knockout stages as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer picked up his first away win as the club's permanent manager with a 1-0 victory at Partizan Belgrade

Scott McTominay headed wide and Jesse Lingard hit the post for United, who broke the deadlock three minutes before half-time through Anthony Martial's penalty after Brandon Williams was brought down in the penalty area by Nemanja Miletic

Partizan posed more of a threat to United in the second half as they went in search of an equaliser but referee Javier Estrada waved away two penalty appeals, while Umar Sadiq, who hit the post in the first half, shot wide of the target

Late on, United needed Sergio Romero to keep out former Arsenal forward Takuma Asano's header, while Bibras Natkho's shot flashed inches over the crossbar as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side held on to take what could prove to be a crucial three points

Victory sees United move three points clear of Partizan at the top of Group L ahead of the return meeting between the two sides at Old Trafford on November 7, where a win would see Solskjaer's side qualify for the knockout stages

After an even opening at the FK Partizan Stadium, United created the first real opportunity of the game when Juan Mata's free-kick picked out McTominay at the far post in the 15th minute

But with the goal at his mercy, the Scottish midfielder headed into the side netting

United had another glorious opportunity in the 37th minute when Aaron Wan-Bissaka's tackle and pass set up Lingard, whose shot beat Vladimir Stojkovic but the ball rebounded off the upright and away to safety

It was Partizan's turn to rattle the woodwork three minutes later as Sadiq's powerful right-footed shot evaded the dive of Romero and crashed back off the post before Asano steered another effort wide for the hosts

However, with the pressure starting to build on visitors, Williams was brought down in the penalty area by Miletic and Martial stepped up to send the goalkeeper the wrong way and up to mark his return from injury with a goal

Partizan started the second half with intent and they wanted a penalty of their own when Seydouba Soumah went down following a tangle of legs with Phil Jones

However, on this occasion the Spanish referee waved away the appeals, much to the disappointment of the home crowd

There were further appeals from the hosts when the ball appeared hit Williams' arm in the penalty area in the 67th minute following Miletic's header, but again the referee let play continue

Partizan continued to push for an equaliser and United needed Romero to preserve their lead as the Argentine kept out Asano's header before Natkho curled the ball just beyond the top corner as United held on

Williams was a ball of energy throughout, charging up and down the left flank

The 19-year-old - only making his second senior start - won the penalty for the only goal of the game with a brave, surging run, making him the youngest United player to win a penalty since Adnan Januzaj (at 18 years and 266 days) against Norwich in the League Cup in October 2013

He displayed the intent and maturity needed to step up to first-team level

()"It's a good result for United, they haven't conceded a goal yet in the group either," said the former Rangers and Scotland striker

"But this is the Europa League, it's Manchester United

This competition gives them the best chance to get into the Champions League next season but domestically it's got to be a lot, lot better

"The worrying thing for me is they've had to spend a fortune to bring those young guys like Wan-Bissaka and Daniel James in

"Manchester United travel to Norwich in the Premier League on Sunday; Kick-off 4

30pm, before travelling to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea in the Carabao Cup fourth round, live from 7pm on ; Kick-off 8pm

Partizan and United resume their Europa League campaigns against each other on November 7 at Old Trafford; Kick-off at 8pm

null

<PAD>

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Natcho

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Zdjelar

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Ostojic

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Urosevic

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Stevanovic

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Romero

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Jones

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Maguire

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Rojo

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1,777

Wolves came from behind to win 2-1 away to Slovan Bratislava to move up into the qualification spots in Europa League Group K

Romain Saiss' long-range shot and Raul Jimenez's penalty turned the game around in the second half as Slovan lost for the first time in their new stadium, ending a 33-game unbeaten run

Wolves even survived a late red card for substitute Diogo Jota as they secured back-to-back away wins in the Europa League

It was the introduction of Adama Traore at half-time that turned the game in Wolves' favour after a poor first half played out in front of a strange atmosphere following UEFA sanctions

The game was originally supposed to be behind closed doors but local schoolchildren eventually made up much of the crowd and the youngsters got to see the home side go ahead in the 11th minute

Andraz Sporar had already given the defence a warning before beating Rui Patricio at the near post when his left-footed shot took a slight deflection off Wolves skipper Conor Coady

The best chance of an equaliser before the break fell to Willy Boly but his header from Joao Moutinho's free-kick went wide and that was about as good as it got until Traore came on

Slovan had no answer to his pace and several chances followed before Saiss attempted an ambitious shot from distance that bounced awkwardly for goalkeeper Dominik Greif

Wolves took the lead five minutes later when Vernon De Marco pushed Jimenez inside the box and the Mexican duly converted calmly from the resulting penalty

Jota was booked twice in a matter of moments late on to reduce Wolves to 10 men but they saw the game out to extend their unbeaten run in all competitions to seven games

What an impact from the substitute

The game was so open in the first half and it was crying out for his presence

Nuno recognised that and the switch of formation to 3-4-3 allowed Traore and Matt Doherty to double up down the right wing and wreak havoc

He changed the entire momentum of the match

"Everybody is happy, the first half was not so good but the second half was a very, very good performance," said the Wolves boss

"It's something that we have to analyse, why we required so much effort in the second half

"In the first half we didn't play so well, we conceded a goal and we cannot do that

""The squad isn't big enough to compete on two fronts, to attack at the level they really want to," said former Wolves goalkeeper Murray

"They've done really well so far, and obviously did well at Manchester City, getting the win there

"Now they need to keep building on it, and show that when they do well in Europe, they can then go and win in the Premier League too

"There is no rest for Wolves because they travel to Newcastle in Premier League action live on Super Sunday before facing Aston Villa in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday

null

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1,778

Two stunning late free-kicks from Nicolas Pepe sealed a dramatic 3-2 win for Arsenal over Vitoria in the Europa League

With Arsenal on the verge of a second defeat in four days, Unai Emery used his last change to bring on Pepe and it turned out to be a masterstroke as the Ivorian scored two sensational free-kicks in the 80th and 92nd minute to snatch a victory

Emery's side had struggled for long periods of the game and fell behind early when former Tottenham youth player Marcus Edwards scored inside eight minutes

Gabriel Martinelli (32) equalised with his third Europa League goal of the campaign but Arsenal were behind again four minutes later as Bruno Duarte (36) fired home for the visitors

But Pepe's late intervention maintains Arsenal's perfect start to the Europa League campaign as they remain three points clear at the top of Group F and while Vitoria came agonisingly close to registering their first point, they go back to Portugal empty-handed

Vitoria shocked the Emirates when, inside eight minutes, they took the lead

Victor Garcia made a wonderful run down the right before cutting the ball in for the waiting Edwards

He dummied Hector Bellerin and Kieran Tierney before sweeping the ball home from close range

It took Arsenal a while to recover but began to find their feet around the half an hour mark

Bellerin got away down the flank before cutting the ball in for the waiting Martinelli, but he could not make the right contact to send it goalwards

In the 32nd minute, Arsenal hauled themselves level

Tierney's pinpoint cross was met by Martinelli, who placed his header over the stranded Vitoria goalkeeper

But the parity did not last long

Four minutes later, Ashley Maitland-Niles got caught in possession by Davidson who drove into the box and struck a shot off the far post, but Duarte was there to hammer the rebound home and send Vitoria into the break in front

The visitors could have had a man sent off in the 57th minute as Garcia put his forehead onto Alexandre Lacazette's as the two squared up following the striker's initial foul

Lacazette went down clutching his face after the contact, but with the referee in full view of the incident, only a yellow was given to the Vitoria right-back

Arsenal struggled for creativity as the second half wore on, forcing Emery to roll the dice and bring on Pepe for Lacazette in the 74th minute and the Ivorian finally showed by he is the club's record signing

The hosts were awarded a free-kick in the 80th minute which Pepe lined up on the right

He then curled a sensational shot into the far corner to drag Arsenal back level

That was the spark the Gunners needed and as the fourth official indicated three minutes of added time, they won another free-kick, this time in a more central area

Anticipation fizzed around the Emirates as Matteo Guendouzi and Pepe stood over it and the Ivorian produced yet again, curling his effort into the top corner

It's unusual to give man of the match to a 74th-minute substitute but the fact of the matter is that without Pepe, Arsenal would have lost

They look devoid of ideas in attack against a well-organised Vitoria side, but they were saved by their £72m man

Both free-kicks were of the highest quality and he has clearly been perfecting his technique on the training ground

He needed a big moment for Arsenal and this is it

Now, he needs to take that confidence and shine in the Premier League

Arsenal manager "Every new player usually needs time for adaptation

Pepe is a very good player and we believe in him totally

"We are very happy for him and us because he has two goals and two set-pieces which are perfect

He was tired last week with set pieces and shooting on the training ground and I was expecting it when he was shooting

"He is improving and tonight he has two goals, which are important for us and for him

He's continued his process of adaption and quickly, he is better for us

"The second half we controlled the match better and we had good chances

null

I think we deserved to win, but Vitoria played well

There are more positive things than negative things and I want to take the positive things tonight for the next matches

"If we're being honest, up until now, Nicolas Pepe hasn't really shown why Arsenal spent £72m on him in the summer, a few bright moments aside

However, 19 minutes and two world-class free kicks could prove just the thing he and Arsenal need to jump start their season

Emery noted in his post-match press conference that Pepe had been practising his free kicks in training - and he got the pay-off

Arsenal had wasted set-piece after set-piece up until Pepe lined one up in the 80th minute

From the right flank, he curled a beauty of a free kick in at the far post to equalise, with goalkeeper Miguel Silva left standing with his hands on his hips

It was like Arsenal had two jump cables attached to their squad afterwards as they revved into high gear, with their play drawing another free kick in the final minute

The crowd were on their feet and the anticipation sizzled across the Emirates as Matteo Guendouzi and Pepe discussed tactics

The whistle blew, Guendouzi ran in front and Pepe produced a similarly jaw-dropping finish

It was never going to be Guendouzi's to take, really - the moment was perfectly set for another Pepe masterclass

Cue the rapturous celebrations as Arsenal finally made use of their advantages, avoiding a potential embarrassment and breaking Vitoria hearts, whose players and fans had been sensational throughout

Did Arsenal deserve to win? No, but Emery - who hailed the goals as perfect after the game - used all of his vast Europa League nous to see his team over the line

Pepe needed a standout moment to reintroduce himself to the Arsenal fans and this was it

The question is, what next? Only Pepe can answer that and despite his standout performance, he still has a way to go to prove why his is Arsenal's club record signing

While their Europa League campaign may be - for all intents and purposes - going well, Arsenal need to find some consistency in the Premier League and if Pepe can pick up where he left off on Thursday evening, it could be just the tonic

Arsenal will next be in action on Sunday as they welcome Crystal Palace in the Premier League (kick-off 4

30pm)

Vitoria will take on Sporting in Primeira Liga, also on Sunday (kick-off 8pm), which will be their first league game in nearly a month

Both teams' next Europa League game will be the reverse of this one as Arsenal travel to Vitoria, but it will be on Wednesday, November 6 rather than the traditional Thursday (kick-off 3

50pm)

This is because Vitoria's nearest rivals, Braga, are also competing in the Europa League and, with the two stadiums close together, Vitoria's fixture has been moved to ease the pressure in the local area

The early kick-off is also due to broadcasting rules meaning they cannot clash with the Champions League matches on the same day

null

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<PAD>

1,779

Christopher Jullien scored a dramatic 89th-minute winner as Celtic registered a huge Europa League victory over Lazio at Parkhead

Lazio arrived in Glasgow with a game plan and deservedly took the lead when Manuel Lazzari burst down the right with devastating pace, cutting inside and firing a rocket past Celtic goalkeeper Fraser Forster (40)

The Italians were happy to sit back and counter-attack but Joaquin Correa missed a huge chance to extend their lead after an hour - hitting the post - before Ryan Christie levelled things (67) with his left-foot shot beating Thomas Strakosh inside the box after a square ball from Odsonne Edouard

Celtic then stole victory at the death when centre-back Jullien smashed home a colossal header from Ryan Christie's corner, before Fraser Forster made a crucial 95th-minute save to seal the victory

The result means Celtic stay top of Group E on seven points, with Cluj in second on six points after they beat bottom-placed Rennes

Lazio, meanwhile, stay third having lost two of their three games

The build-up to the game had been overshadowed by fears of racism, with Lazio under the microscope after being punished for the racist behaviour of fans at the home tie with Rennes earlier in October

Given this scrutiny, the sight of in the hours up to kick-off did little to allay those fears, but inside Celtic Park the visiting support was drowned out by a wall of noise from a raucous home crowd

Christie and Hatem Abd-Elhamed returned to the Celtic side after missing Saturday's 6-0 hammering of Ross County, but only five Lazio players were retained from the 3-3 draw with Atalanta, with captain Ciro Immobile among the substitutes

These changes perhaps contributed to the Italians' slow start, as Celtic flew at their opponents

James Forrest escaped on the right inside ninety seconds, and his cut-back found Edouard, but Bastos intervened at the crucial moment

Forrest and Mohamed Elyounoussi were profiting behind Lazio's wingbacks, as the Italians adopted a defensive back three

Christie too was prominent - his powerful shot from outside the box clipped the post with Strakoshka well beaten

Celtic's tempo was leaving Lazio gasping for air

Edouard broke at pace and fed Christie, who found Forrest, but the winger hesitated, and the chance was lost

Edouard then latched onto a glorious pass from Jullien, but Strakoshka raced off his line to clear

McGregor and Elyounoussi both had shots blocked, before Celtic were hit by a classic sucker-punch just before the interval

Lazio broke upfield with Milinkovic-Savic and Caicedo, whose pass played in Lazzari in acres of space, allowing him to the slam an unstoppable shot past Forster at his near post

For all of Celtic's possession and energy, they had been dealt a harsh lesson in the art of taking chances

Galvanized by their lead, Lazio started the second half brightly, as Celtic became sloppy in their passing

Twice Correa had the chance to slip Caicedo in on goal, but both times his final pass was wayward

Celtic were then nearly handed an equaliser on a plate after a defensive mix-up, but Christie's shot was scrambled clear

The game turned in Celtic's favour just after the hour mark, though not before another huge fright on the counter-attack

Acerbi denied Edouard with a last gasp tackle, and the ball was swiftly cycled forward to Correa, who slipped it past Forster, but off the near post

It was to prove a costly miss, as seconds later Edouard cut inside and found Christie, who swept the cross past Strakoshka

Parity at last, and no more than Neil Lennon's team deserved

Immobile came off the bench and immediately had two gilt-edged chances to put Lazio back in front

First, Forster brilliantly saved from point-blank range; moments later the Italy striker dragged a shot horribly wide after finding space between two defenders

Celtic drew breath, and then delivered the coup de grâce with two minutes left

After Brown's shot was deflected for a corner, Jullien rose unchallenged to meet Christie's cross and send Celtic Park into rapture

Lazio were stung, and in a frantic finale, Danilo Cataldi forced Forster into another fabulous save, but the points were secured, to leave Celtic looking good for European football beyond Christmas once again

Fraser Forster played a key role in Celtic's win, pulling off an unbelievable save in the 95th minute to secure three points rather than one

He stopped Lazio's super-sub Ciro Immobile from scoring soon after coming on too, with a stunning point-blank stop

With Lazio registering five shots on target to Celtic's two, Forster was a nuisance for the away side all game, and there was little he could do about the opening goal

Great performance from the 31-year-old

Neil Lennon insists Celtic's dramatic win over Lazio at Parkhead was an "epic night for players and club"

He said: "Lazio were superb

We started very well, the psychology changed when they scored and we needed to get support to Odsonne Edouard

"Against quality sides you need your goalkeeper to do well, and Fraser did that with two saves

He makes saves others can't make

"It was an epic night for players and club

Jullien was outstanding, a rock

I am absolutely delighted with his performance and Scott Brown, when we really needed him, was there to lead the team

""Odsonne Edouard is a top, top striker", former Rangers and Scotland striker Kris Boyd said

"James Forrest will now be a Celtic player for the rest of his days

He's settled, he's been terrific for a number of years now

"Callum McGregor, on the other hand, could go, him or Edouard could be the next ones to move

"Celtic travel to Aberdeen in the Scottish Premiership on Sunday, looking to keep their place at the top of the table, and return to Europa League action on November 7 with the reverse fixture against tonight's opponents Lazio

The Italian side also return to domestic action on Sunday, travelling to Fiorentina in Serie A

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<PAD>

CetlicmadetwochangeswithHatemAbdElhamedreplacingJeremieFrimpongatright-backandRyanChristiecominginforTomRogicinmidfieldafterservinghissuspensionLaziostrikerCiroImmobilewasrestedandplacedonthebenchwhileformerLiverpoolmidfielderLucasLeivareturnedfromsuspensioninsixchangesfortheItalians:Strakosha

False

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Lucas

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Elhamed

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Jullien

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Ajer

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McGregor

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Forrest

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Christie

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Ellyounoussi

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Edouard

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:Rogic

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<PAD>

1,780

Manchester United's alarming away form continued as they were held to an uninspiring 0-0 draw against AZ Alkmaar in the Europa League

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side failed to register a shot on target in the Europa League for the very first time as their winless run on the road stretched to a concerning 10 games

United were indebted to David de Gea for a string of second-half saves as they escaped with a point that leaves them second behind Group L leaders Partizan on goal difference, who they face on October 24

But that slight positive for Solskjaer was undone by the loss of Jesse Lingard to injury late on, leaving the United boss' attacking options further depleted ahead of his attempt to head off a gruelling run of away fixtures

"It's a good point away from home against a difficult opponent on a tough surface," summarised Solskjaer

Solskjaer made eight changes following Monday's draw with Arsenal

Left-back Brandon Williams made his first senior start while Mason Greenwood started in attack in a side with an average age of just over 24

The artificial surface at the Cars Jeans Stadion - AZ's temporary home while their stadium in Alkmaar is repaired after the roof collapsed - provided an early test for United's young side, but it was their inexperience that the Dutch side exploited

United nearly paid the price for some lapse defending from a corner on 11 minutes, but the linesman's flag bailed them out after Myron Boadu had glanced Fredrik Midtsjo's cross into the back of the net

Then, as the hosts grew in confidence, Oussama Idrissi then stung the palms of captain De Gea on the quarter-hour

It took half an hour for United to muster an attack as Diogo Dalot's brilliant cross from the right fell for Greenwood in the area, but his instinctive first-time shot was blocked by Ron Vlaar

But it wasn't long before AZ were back on the attack, Boadu spurning a glorious chance to open the scoring when he lost his footing and directed a tame header into the arms of De Gea, and the one-way traffic continued in the second period

As United retreated, Dani de Wit came within inches of converting Yukinari Sugawaga's whipped cross before Idrissi and Owen Wijndal tested De Gea with rasping shots from distance

Solskjaer turned to Marcus Rashford and Lingard on the bench and Rashford should have been awarded a penalty when Stijn Wuytens brought him down in the area on 80 minutes

Lingard nearly snatched an unlikely win as his instinctive first-time volley flashed over the bar with six minutes remaining, but that was all United could muster before the forward hobbled off, leaving Solskjaer's side with 10 men as they held on for a point in Holland

Man Utd manager : "It's a good point away from home against a difficult opponent on a tough surface

They beat Feyenoord 3-0 away the other day

We made many changes and I'm very pleased

Of course it should have been a win, I'm fed up talking about penalties we should have had, Arsenal on Monday and now

"You cannot get that decision wrong in football

The linesman looks straight at the tackle on Marcus and the defender wiped his foot off the floor

So it's a bad decision, unfortunately we didn't get it, but there is no point me complaining

There will come a point when these decisions go our way

"Manchester United travel to Newcastle on Renault Super Sunday, live from 4pm on Sky Sports Premier League; Kick-off 4

30pm

AZ and United resume their Europa League campaigns against Astana and Partizan respectively on October 24 at 5

55pm

null

<PAD>

Bizot

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Sugawara

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Wuytens

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DeWit

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Koopmeiners

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Stengs

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Lindelof

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Rojo

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Williams

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Fred

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<PAD>

1,781

Christian Fassnacht's last-minute strike saw Young Boys beat Rangers 2-1 in their Group G meeting in the Europa League

The visitors opened the scoring a minute before the break thanks to Alfredo Morelos' 14th goal in just 13 starts this season, taking his overall tally for the club to a hugely impressive 62 strikes in just 109 games

However, Gerrard's team were pegged back five minutes into the second half thanks to Roger Assale's close-range finish, before the Young Boys winger took advantage of James Tavernier's mistake to win it with the last kick of the match

As a result, instead of topping the group, Rangers drop to third after Porto's defeat at Feyenoord

In a first half low on quality and chances - perhaps because of the artificial pitch - it was the home team who spurned the best opening when in-form striker Jean-Pierre Nsame somehow managed to side-foot wide of a gaping goal from just three yards out after being found by Ulisses Garcia's clever header

And Rangers made their opponents pay for that miss when taking the lead against the run of play on the cusp of half-time

There appeared little danger as Borna Barisic looked to pick out Morelos's run down the left channel

That is until Young Boys defender Cedric Zesiger got too tight on the Colombian, who cleverly spun his man before advancing forward and keeping his cool to beat David Von Ballmoos with a neat finish at the near post

The hosts soon found themselves back on level terms, though, after Tavernier carelessly lost possession in the right-back berth, allowing Garcia to cross for the unmarked Assale to tap in from close range

However, with the clock ticking down and just 60 seconds left to play, the Swiss champions won it after the unfortunate Tavernier made a complete hash of his attempted clearance, giving Fassnacht a clear run on goal

And from a tight angle, the Switzerland international beat Allan McGregor at his near post with a low drive to send most of the 26,000 crowd at the Stade de Suisse into delirium

"We were a VAR away from taking a point from that match

We should have had a second yellow card for [Frederik] Sorensen, because he has booked Alfredo for exactly the same incident

I believe they should have gone down to 10 men

"The 'keeper has pulled off a world-class save when we could have gone 2-1 up and the referee has missed a blatant penalty, so we are a VAR away from either winning the game and if not, drawing it

"I am frustrated for the players, who have given a lot for the team, but we have gifted them two gifts, so we need to learn from this and cut out individual errors because we have lost two games this season from individual errors

"The forward was at his mischievous best in Switzerland, keeping the Young Boys defenders on their toes throughout the 90 minutes

The Colombia international did brilliantly to turn his man, before finishing expertly for his side's opener and on another night, he may have won a second-half penalty after a clash with Garcia

And with nine goals to his name already in this competition, including qualifying, the frontman is once again proving why he is Rangers' most valuable player

Rangers take on Hamilton at Ibrox in the Scottish Premiership on Sunday afternoon

null

<PAD>

Ballmoos

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Aebischer

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Lustenberger

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Assale

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Nsame

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Ngamaleu

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Lotomba

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McGregor

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Tavernier

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Helander

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Goldson

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Barisic

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Kamara

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Arfield

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Jack

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Davis

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Ojo

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Stewart

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<PAD>

1,782

Willy Boly scored a 93rd-minute winner for Wolves as they grabbed their first Europa League victory, beating Besiktas 1-0 in Istanbul

Both sides lost their opening Group K games two weeks ago and have won just one league match so far domestically, and it showed in a game that lacked finishing quality

But ultimately, Wolves put in a classic away performance, keeping Besiktas at bay for much of the game before scoring a late winner as Boly turned the ball home late on

Wolves move off the bottom of Group K and into third, one point behind Braga and Slovan Bratislava, who drew in Group K's other game on Thursday

Besiktas are now in fourth as their dismal start to the season continues

The first half was not blessed with chances, and it took until the 28th minute for either side to test the goalkeepers

It was Liverpool loanee Loris Karius who got down low to make a save, keeping out a Pedro Neto cross that took a nick off Domagoj Vida on the way through

Not long after, Jeremain Lens twisted and turned past Jonny on the right before firing in a cross, but Caner Erkin sent it firing well over the crossbar

Besiktas piled on the pressure as the game headed towards the break, and Conor Coady almost scored a calamitous own-goal, but diverted a Besiktas corner onto the post

Dorukham Tokoz tried to net the rebound, but skied it over the crossbar

Willy Boly showed some wonderful defending with a minute to play as he stopped Mehmet Umut Nayir from converting a fizzing Erkin cross, allowing Rui Patricio to pounce on the loose ball

Besiktas had two early second half efforts to test Wolves' resolve

The first was a wonderful, curling shot from Erkin that landed into the hands of Patricio

Boly then showed more superb defensive qualities as he got ahead of Nayir to clear a Lens cross after the former Sunderland forward made a sensational forward run

Wolves had their best effort of the second half in the 55th minute

Joao Moutinho delivered a wonderful free kick, but Raul Jimenez could only direct his header over the crossbar

Karius made a wonderful save from a long-range 12 minutes later, after a curling effort from Romain Saiss as Wolves enjoyed a good spell in attack

The visitors turned up the pressure as they searched for a winner, and had a goal ruled out for offside in the 89th minute

Karius saved Leander Dendoncker's initial shot but Saiss was waiting at the near post to poke the ball home - but the linesman's flag was raised

However, replays showed he was onside - but with no VAR in the Europa League group stages - the goal could not be reviewed

Wolves finally made the breakthrough in the third minute of four added on

Ruben Neves floated a wonderful ball over the top and picked out an unmarked Boly, who took a touch before turning and firing past Karius and sealing a first Europa League win for the Premier League side

Wolves manager said: "It was good

In the end we were happy

I think the boys worked very hard

Through all the game we were competitive, believing until the end and we got this moment of Boly that gave us a good victory in a tough, tough stadium

Besiktas are a good team, they pushed us, but we were organised, so I'm happy for the boys

"We have a lot of things to improve

OK, we won, but the performance must be better

It's about how we do our things, how we play, how we grow, all these things

How the players did, why some of them didn't perform so well, we must find the why, this is my obsession

"They [the players] are already recovering because Sunday we play

It was two minutes of celebration only

We are already preparing for the next one

We have a long season, Thursday, Sunday, it doesn't stop

"Wolves had to defend well in Istanbul and Boly was a huge part of that

On more than one occasion, he got ahead of the Besiktas dangermen to cut out passes and made some wonderful blocks

He also set off attacks from the back and ultimately, he won it for Wolves

It was a well-taken goal for a defender, taking a great touch before slotting home

It wasn't his only chance in the game either, having headed a glorious chance just wide earlier on

But he scored when it mattered and is the hero of the hour

Next up for Wolves is a trip to Manchester City in the Premier League on Sunday ahead of the international break

Their next Europa League outing will be on Thursday 24 October as they travel to Slovan Bratislava in Slovakia, which is due to be played behind closed doors

Besiktas will also take on Alanyaspor in the Turkish Super Lig on Sunday before hosting Braga in their next Europa League game

null

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Ljajic

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Lens

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Nayir

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Patricio

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Saiss

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Coady

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Jonny

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Moutinho

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Neves

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Neto

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<PAD>

1,783

Gabriel Martinelli scored two goals and set up another as a youthful Arsenal side turned on the style to thrash Standard Liege 4-0 in their Europa League Group F meeting at the Emirates Stadium

Teenager Martinelli, a £6m signing from Brazilian side Ituano during the summer, opened the scoring with a superb header after 13 minutes and netted his second with a low, curling finish just three minutes later, making it four goals from two games following his double against Nottingham Forest in the Carabao Cup

Joe Willock hit Arsenal's third with another curling finish (22) before Dani Ceballos completed the scoring in the second half when he poked a Martinelli cross over the line for his first goal for the club (57)

Unai Emery's side missed a series of chances to extend their lead in the closing stages, but the victory is another significant step towards the Europa League knockout stages following the 3-0 win over Eintracht Frankfurt in their opening group game

Arsenal were dominant right from the start, pushing the visitors back and directing most of their attacks down their left flank, where Kieran Tierney, making only his second appearance for the club following his £25m arrival from Celtic, produced a string of dangerous crosses

It was from one such cross that Martinelli scored the opener, darting across his marker at the near post and glancing a superb header high into the net after Shkodran Mustafi's cross-field pass had found its way to Tierney

Arsenal's next two goals came from the same area

For their second, Martinelli beat Standard Liege defender Zinho Vanheusden to a Reiss Nelson cut-back and controlled the ball smartly before shifting it onto his right foot and curling a low finish beyond the goalkeeper

Willock volleyed another Tierney cross over the bar from close range soon after that, but the academy graduate did not have to wait long to add Arsenal's third, controlling Nelson's deflected shot and dispatching a composed finish into the corner for his third goal of the campaign

Arsenal were unfortunate not to be awarded a penalty when Standard Liege goalkeeper Vanja Milinkovic-Savic brought down Nelson shortly before half-time, but they were celebrating their fourth just 12 minutes after the break when Martinelli's delicate centre was forced home by Ceballos

Arsenal threatened more goals after that, with Martinelli going close to a hat-trick on a couple of occasions and Emery also sending on Nicolas Pepe and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from the bench, but the visitors, who offered almost nothing going forward, just about held out

Martinelli's brilliant start to life at Arsenal continues

The Brazilian was not expected to feature prominently this season having only turned 18 in June, but this outstanding performance might just tempt Emery into using him in the Premier League too

His goals were expertly taken and his assist for Arsenal's fourth was arguably even better, as he latched onto an Ainsley Maitland-Niles through-ball and dug out a delightful cross from the byline which would have dropped over the line even without Ceballos' intervention

Martinelli was a constant threat and Emery will be just as encouraged by the defensive side of his performance

The teenager was full of running, forcing Standard Liege defenders into mistakes on the ball and setting the tone for an energetic Arsenal performance

Arsenal manager : "To have six points after the two matches, it's really important

We can take confidence

We were consistent over the 90 minutes and we can take a lot of positivity from tonight's game

"The players, when they did all they can like tonight, it is perfect

We did a lot of good, we can analyse to continue to improve

It's a fantastic victory

"Arsenal return to Premier League action at home to Bournemouth on Sunday

You can follow the game with the live blog from 1pm; Kick-off 2pm

Their next Europa League game comes at home to Portuguese side Vitoria Guimaraes on October 24

null

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Nelson

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Martinelli

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Pepe

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Guendouzi

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Milinkovic-Savic

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Vojvoda

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Vanheusden

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Laifis

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Gavory

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Boljevic

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Bastien

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Climirot

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Lestienne

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Edmond

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Carcela-Gonzalez

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1,784

Goals from Odsonne Edouard and Mohamed Elyounoussi saw Celtic ease to a 2-0 Europa League Group E home win over Romanian side CFR Cluj

Neil Lennon's side took a deserved 20th-minute lead on Thursday night when Callum McGregor released Boli Bolingoli, whose cross was met by the head of Edouard

As the rain lashed down in the second period, James Forrest found Elyounoussi who fired into the bottom corner via a deflection to double the advantage

With Lazio coming from behind at home to beat Rennes 2-1, Celtic's win sees them move top of the group with four points ahead of a mouthwatering double-header with the Italian side

Seven weeks ago, Celtic were shocked in Glasgow by the very same Cluj side as a 4-3 Champions League defeat and miss out on Europe's elite club competition for a second season running

Ahead of their Europa League meeting, and urged his side to start the game on the front foot to cast aside any lingering fears of history repeating itself

After a succession of corners that saw Christopher Jullien cause havoc in the Cluj box, Edouard deservedly broke the deadlock to send the home fans into raptures

Cluj were always a threat on the counter in the opening period but Fraser Forster was rarely troubled after the break

Celtic completely controlled the second half and as well as Elyounoussi's goal, they should have been further out of sight as Forrest, Christie and Edouard had further opportunities

In the end, the revenge was sweet, but more importantly, the three points even sweeter as Celtic finished the night in pole position at the top of the group

Celtic boss said: "We were outstanding, the only disappointment was that we didn't win the game by more

"We looked really strong and thoroughly deserved the win

From one to 11, I thought we were very good against a very good side

"We have to be really satisfied by the performance and topping the group

I think there is more to come

"Celtic striker Edouard may get the plaudits for scoring Celtic's opening goal and producing a polished performance but Ryan Christie excelled in the number 10 role

The tireless Christie covered almost every blade of grass in the attacking third of the pitch and linked up superbly with Edouard and the lively Forrest, particularly in the second half

Furthermore, Christie was also on hand to make defensive contributions too when Romanian club Cluj ventured forward

It's been 51 days since their Champions League exit at the qualifying stage by the Romanian outfit, which gave this game an interesting sub-plot

Cluj themselves dropped into the Europa League and by a quirk of fate were reunited with Celtic

From the off the home team were out to prove a point and even though the main focus and motivation was on three points, you could tell the players wanted to put on a show

Celtic dominated almost from start to finish, the player were up for it and so were the crowd

It is hard to believe Celtic lost 4-3 to Dan Petrescu's men on August 13th

In truth it could have been more for Neil Lennon's team, who now top the group and Lennon was rightfully delighted post-match after watching a dominate display by his team

He had to take criticism after his team selection in the previous meeting but this is the sort of occasion he relishes and with a double header against Lazio to come, he will be happy with how his team have started their Europa League campaign

Celtic might still have some regret about the one that got away against Cluj in the summer but they proved a point and gained three

Celtic travel to Livingston on Sunday (kick-off 12pm) for a Scottish Premiership game live on

Their next Europa League match sees them host Italian side Lazio on Thursday, October 24 (kick-off 8pm)

null

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Edouard

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Hayes

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Burca

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Camora

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Bordeianu

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LuisAurelio

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Deac

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Rondon

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Paun

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Culio

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1,785

Bukayo Saka scored one and set up two goals as Arsenal bounced back from their capitulation at Watford by kicking off their Europa League campaign with a commanding 3-0 victory over 10-man Eintracht Frankfurt

Eighteen-year-old Saka laid on the opening goal for fellow academy graduate Joe Willock on 37 minutes, with the 20-year-old's deflected effort looping over Kevin Trapp and in off the crossbar

And, after an inspired goalkeeping performance from Emiliano Martinez, Saka settled a frantic game in Arsenal's favour, curling a sumptuous effort into the bottom corner six minutes after Dominik Kohr was sent off for a second bookable offence

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang then got in on the act, slotting home after gathering Saka's through pass as Arsenal's bid to go one better than their defeat in last season's final got off to the perfect start

Eintracht last lost at home in Europe in 2006 and started brightly as they looked to extend that 16-game unbeaten, with Djibril Sow arrowing an early shot at Martinez, who was making his first Arsenal appearance since December

But Arsenal would go on to create the best chances in a frenetic first half, the first of which saw Saka cross for the late-arriving Lucas Torreira, who fired high over from eight yards with the goal at his mercy

The lively Filip Kostic tormented Calum Chambers and peppered the Arsenal defence, but Martinez was more than a match for the Serb's drive, before Willock and Emile Smith Rowe squandered glorious chances to give Arsenal the lead

But the Gunners eventually converted one of their chances as Saka slipped Willock into space down the left, and he cut inside to release a shot that deflected off Eintracht captain David Abraham, over Trapp and into the back of the net via the woodwork

Martinez preserved Arsenal's lead at the break with a fine stop to deny Andre Silva, while Bas Dost steered a free header wide within minutes of the restart as Frankfurt mounted a second-half rally

Arsenal would almost immediately create a chance of their own as the end-to-end nature of the first period continued, but Martin Hinteregger's last-gasp challenge prevented Aubameyang from doubling the visitors' lead after Willock's neat through-ball

Gunners captain Granit Xhaka came within inches of scoring a fortuitous second when Trapp misread the flight of his whipped free kick and watched it cannon against the crossbar

Trapp kept Frankfurt in the game with saves to deny Willock and Saka, who was fouled by Kohr on 79 minutes, a challenge which yielded a second booking for the midfielder

And Saka dusted himself to leave Frankfurt with a mountain to climb with a brilliant curler before Aubameyang put the icing on the cake with the Gunners third late on

Arsenal have a number of promising talents on their hands, but this young man may just be the pick of the bunch

Martinez was superb in goal but Saka's youthful exuberance was a constant thorn in Frankfurt's side

His stunning first senior goal for the club will live long in the memory, as will the two assists he threw in for good measure

Arsenal head coachon the performance of his young players: "Their performance tonight was good and they deserve it

"Maybe with [Saka's] goal, with his performance, but also in the match taking confidence, finishing really strongly physically

"And also with Emile [Smith Rowe], after his injury tonight he played for the first time this season and he worked well

Willock also, progressively he was feeling better and with a good performance

" "There's a group of young players at Arsenal that trust each other and are comfortable in their own skin with each other

The manager has realised that he can use them

The boy Saka looks a special player to me

He could be a superstar

"He wants to score goals and is upset when he doesn't, likes to assist, and there's a lot of really nice things about what he's got

But is he going to get in? This is the trouble

They've spent £70m on Nicolas Pepe, who hasn't done a lot so far

I'm tempted to give him 20-25 minutes and see how he gets on

"There's a lot of really good ingredients at Arsenal, but we've seen this before, and then when it comes to the crux and the team is under pressure, the manager's retreat is to put the experience in

"Arsenal host Aston Villa in the Premier League on Sunday; kick-off 4

30pm

The Gunners resume their Europa League campaign against Standard Liege at the Emirates on October 3; kick-off 8pm

Eintracht, meanwhile, host Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga on Sunday; kick-off 5pm

null

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Silva

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Luiz

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<PAD>

1,786

Mason Greenwood spared Manchester United's blushes with his first goal for the club as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's youthful side edged past Astana 1-0 in the Europa League at Old Trafford

It took United, who made nine changes from the side that beat Leicester last weekend, until the 73rd minute to break the deadlock with Greenwood opening his account in fine style on just his second start for United

The 17-year-old showed exactly why , emphatically finishing into the bottom corner to ensure United, who also handed starts to Tahith Chong, Angel Gomes and Axel Tuanzebe, started their European campaign with a win

Victory sees United move to the top of Group L after matchday one following Partizan Belgrade's 2-2 draw with AZ Alkmaar

United, who named their youngest European line-up since 2012, started brightly and they were inches from taking the lead in the third minute when Fred's powerful strike clipped the top of the crossbar

Marcus Rashford could have had a hat-trick in the first-half but the England forward was denied on more than one occasion by Astana goalkeeper Nenad Eric

After the break United were on the front foot again but they could not make their dominance tell as neither Greenwood or Chong could turn in Marcus Rojo's teasing cross at the far post

Minutes later the ball fell kindly for Greenwood just outside the six-yard area but the youngster's shot was superbly blocked by the outstretched boot of Ivan Maevski as the frustration continued to build around Old Trafford

Solskjaer eventually turned to Jesse Lingard and Juan Mata in place of Chong and Gomes as an embarrassing result loomed, but it was Greenwood who saved the day for United 17 minutes from time

Creating space for himself in the penalty area, he powerfully struck the ball into the bottom corner in front of the Stretford end to hand United all three points, and you could sense the relief all around Old Trafford

"When you don't score in the first half from four or five massive chances, you're always wondering if it's one of those nights that you're going to get punished for being sloppy

"But then again their keeper did well, he made some fantastic saves

I didn't feel confident that we're going to win the game until the referee blew his whistle

"So, I don't think we played the last 10-15 minutes out well after we scored and that's something these boys need to learn as well

"Manchester United striker Marcus Rashford: "Me being in his shoes in the past, I know how he feels

Even more important, that was the goal that won us the game, that's what everyone should be talking about

"He's been doing well since he joined the first team and there is 100 per cent more to come from him

I'm sure he is excited and everyone else is excited as well

"Manchester United travel to West Ham on Renault Super Sunday - live from 1pm on Sky Sports Premier League; kick-off 2pm

United's next Europa League tie is away to AZ Alkmaar on Matchday 2 of the Europa League on October 3; kick-off 5

55pm

null

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Greenwood

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Rashford

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<PAD>

1,787

Wolves' disappointing start to the new season continued as they were beaten 1-0 at home to Braga in their Europa League group stage opener

The West Midlands club made a losing return to major European competition for the first time in 39 years after Ricardo Horta's 71st-minute match-winning strike

Patrick Cutrone and Leander Dendoncker both had chances to give Nuno Espirito Santo's side the lead at Molineux before Horta struck his fifth goal in four appearances in this year's competition

Wolves join Besiktas on zero points in Group K after the Turkish giants were beaten 4-2 by Slovan Bratislava in Thursday night's other game

Espirito Santo's side, who had won all six of their Europa League qualifiers, paid the price for another individual error as Ryan Bennett's slack pass was pounced upon by Wanderson Galeno before Horta produced a clinical finish at Rui Patricio's near post with 19 minutes remaining

Wolves failed to register a shot on target during the opening 45 minutes in a contest that was short on incident

Bennett, on his return to the Wolves side, made an important block to deny Fransergio before Braga felt they were denied a penalty when Galeno went down inside the box after minimal contact from Conor Coady, much to the chagrin of visiting head coach Ricardo Sa Pinto

The hosts ended the first half strongly and should have taken the lead when Cutrone collected Matt Doherty's pass from the right in between the two Braga centre-backs Bruno Viana and Pablo Santos, but the Italian dragged his shot wide

Wolves, who last competed in Europe during the 1980/81 UEFA Cup, forced Braga goalkeeper Matheus Magalhaes into a first save just six minutes into the restart as Dendoncker was found by Jonny Otto's low cross, but the Belgian was denied from point blank range

Moments after referee Jakob Kehlet had booked Nuno Sequeira for simulation inside the Wolves box, the Portuguese side were gifted the game's opening goal as Bennett's wayward pass was intercepted by Galeno who picked out Horta for a composed finish

Braga negotiated the closing stages through good game management, with Matheus denying Ruben Neves from distance and they secured all three points after Raul Jimenez saw his near post header flash wide in the final minute of stoppage time

"We realise the situation that we are in

This is important

We face the reality and the reality says we not performing well so we have to analyse it and find solutions in the team to improve

"This is what we have to do, we have to come strong on Sunday, we must react immediately

"We have to take decisions and find solutions for the team because we have to come out of this situation and improve our performance so we can bounce back

"We have to analyse and see what's wrong with the team

Let's work on that aspect as a team

We are all disappointed

We didn't allow many chances and they had one chance and scored

That's the history of the game

The boys worked hard but this is football

"There was plenty of fanfare and fireworks as Wolves sought to regain form in a competition that has served them well so far this season during the qualifiers, but in Braga, Espirito Santo's men came up against a team who have a love affair with this competition

The Portuguese side reached the final in 2011 and have won two of their last three European away games in England, but in Horta they have the most in-form forward in this year's competition

Willy Boly had done well to keep him relatively quiet for 71 minutes, but he was always seeking to bring in his team-mates and took his fifth goal of the season brilliantly

Wolves travel to face Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Sunday - kick-off is at 2pm

Nuno's men travel to face Besiktas in their next Europa League assignment on October 3, kick off at 5

55pm

null

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<PAD>

1,788

Wales qualified for their first World Cup since 1958 after edging past brave Ukraine 1-0 courtesy of an unfortunate own goal from Andriy Yarmolenko

Played in an emotional atmosphere in Cardiff, Yarmolenko's header past his own goalkeeper from a Gareth Bale free-kick in the 34th minute proved the decisive moment

Wales, usually so reliant on Bale and Aaron Ramsey, had their goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey to thank

He wrote himself into Welsh football folklore with a performance of incredible defiance up against a Ukraine side that gave everything

The pick of his nine saves came late on when clawing away an Artem Dovbyk header that was heading for the top corner

Such was his brilliance, Ukraine's nine shots on target were the most by a team without scoring during a game in the 2022 European World Cup qualifying campaign

It was a cruel way for Ukraine's qualification effort to end with Olexandr Petrakov's side, who beat Scotland in the playoff semi-final, again showing a level of football which would have certainly merited a place in November's 32-team tournament

Wales had their chances to wrap up the game too as Brennan Johnson rattled a post and Bale was denied by Georgiy Bushchan, but this was a performance all about their relentless rearguard which has now kept 12 clean sheets in their last 19 home internationals

Robert Page's men can now can start planning for Qatar where they have earned a place in Group B with England, USA and Iran

"There were faces of disbelief in the crowd

Were they dreaming? They can pinch themselves all they want

This wasn't a dream

Wales are going to the World Cup after a remarkable football match with a team that also deserve to grace the World Cup

"Ukraine threw everything they had at Wales for their country

But Wales - led by Ben Davies and the unbeatable Hennessey - repelled it all in one of the grittiest defensive showings you are ever likely to see on the international stage

"And boy did the home fans and their players celebrate

Iconic Welsh singer Dafydd Iwan took the microphone at full-time to sing 'Yma o Hyd' - a song the players and fans have adopted as their second anthem

To feel the emotion, joy, relief and beauty of a country coming together to sing as one was a privilege to behold

"A spine-tingling occasion

"Managers are defined by their decision making

On an absolutely gigantic night for his career, Page made the right one by keeping with Hennessey in goal

Danny Ward has had the No 1 jersey for the last two years but Hennessey stepped in to cover for the semi-final victory over Austria and, despite not playing a domestic club game since January 2, he was ready

And boy did he need to be

When a team has 22 shots on goal and create an expected goals total of 1

91, the opposition team need their goalkeeper to be inspirational

Ukraine's attack peppered Hennessey with quality attempts but he stood strong, making nine saves in total with two standing out in the second half when Ukraine were banging on the door in front of their fans

The first was with his legs to deny Viktor Tsygankov from close before somehow Roman Yaremchuk fluffed the rebound, and the second save will go down in Welsh football history, denying Dovbyk with a one-handed save

Hennessey said: "It's absolutely incredible, not just for me but everyone who's been on this pitch tonight, the lads who didn't get on, the staff, everyone

"It was probably my best game in a Wales shirt, at such a key stage obviously

You have to give credit to Ukraine who are a fantastic team, but I'm absolutely buzzing

"We've got a good generation, young lads, older lads who have been there, even the members of staff

They've been fantastic and fully deserve it

""The result is the greatest result in the history of Welsh football

We're ecstatic, we're going to a World Cup

"It's what dreams are made of, it's what we've been working towards since we first came here

"I'm speechless, we're so happy, we did it for all our amazing fans and words can't describe how I'm feeling at the moment

"It was a difficult game, I haven't done so much over the last four weeks because of my back spasm, it was tough to get through the game but the most important thing was to get through

"Wales must now turn their attention to three Nations League fixtures this month

Page's side face the Netherlands on Wednesday and Belgium on Saturday - with both matches kicking off at 7

45pm in Cardiff - before facing the Dutch again, this time in Rotterdam at 7

45pm on June 14

Ukraine also have three Nations League matches, starting with a trip to Dublin to face the Republic of Ireland on Wednesday, with kick-off at 7

45pm

Ukraine then have 'home' matches against Armenia on Saturday (2pm kick-off) and the Republic of Ireland on June 14 (kick-off 7

45pm)

The games will be held in Lodz, Poland, due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine

The 2022 World Cup in Qatar kicks off on at the Al Thumama Stadium when l take onthe in Group A followed by hosts against at the Al Bayt Stadium

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Moore

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Wilson

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<PAD>

1,789

Wales moved one step closer to their first World Cup since 1958 as Gareth Bale stole the show in a 2-1 win over Austria in the play-off semi-final

Bale scored both of Wales' goals - the first a quite majestic free-kick from 25 yards on 25 minutes that flew into the top corner before smashing home a clinical second on 51 minutes

Marcel Sabitzer gave the home fans a nervy last quarter to endure when striking home a deflected effort but Bale's decisive double was enough to keep the World Cup dream alive

Wales are attempting to qualify for a third major tournament in their last four attempts, however, they have not reached World Cup for 64 years, failing in their last 15 attempts to qualify

A World Cup play-off final against Scotland or Ukraine awaits Wales now, although this has been put on hold until June because of the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine

What is certain is that Wales will be involved in next Friday's World Cup draw, so they will know their potential path and opponents

"You're just to be good to be true, can't take my eyes off of you," rang out at the Cardiff City Stadium at full-time

A very apt backdrop as Bale led the celebrations around the pitch

Bale came into the game with doubts over his fitness after missing Sunday's El Clasico between Real Madrid and Barcelona

He also knew that, with his 33rd birthday fast approaching, this year's World Cup acts as the last chance of him appearing on football's biggest stage

The same could be said for Aaron Ramsey, who machine-like in the midfield

Bale has not even played 100 minutes of football since August - most would assume he's been on the golf course

They would be wrong

He has been practising his free-kicks, in appreciation that an opportunity like the one with 25 minutes on the clock would present itself to him

He was ready to deliver