Europa League: Manchester United and Tottenham Secure Vital Wins
Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur emerged victorious in their Europa League matches on Thursday, alleviating some of the pressure from their struggling Premier League campaigns.
At Old Trafford, Manchester United narrowly defeated Scottish giants Rangers 2-1, thanks to a dramatic injury-time goal from Bruno Fernandes. The match had seemed destined for disappointment when Cyriel Dessers equalized for Rangers in the 88th minute, capitalizing on a mistake by United’s defense.
Earlier in the second half, United had taken the lead when Rangers’ goalkeeper Jack Butland inadvertently punched the ball into his own net.
United appeared to be facing another setback when a towering header from Matthijs de Ligt was controversially ruled out for a foul on Robin Propper, with VAR opting not to intervene. However, Fernandes saved the day and possibly secured United’s direct qualification to the last 16, blasting home the winner in stoppage time.
The Red Devils now sit fourth in the league phase, with one match remaining; a point against Romanian side FCSB next week should be enough to guarantee their place in the knockout stages. Meanwhile, Rangers are left languishing in 13th place.
Across the continent in Germany, Tottenham Hotspur also found joy, securing a 3-2 victory over Hoffenheim. Son Heung-min was the star of the night, scoring twice to help ease the mounting pressure on manager Ange Postecoglou, whose team has faltered in the Premier League with seven losses in their last nine outings.
The win marks a crucial step for Spurs, who are currently in sixth place in the revamped league phase, just behind Lazio and Eintracht Frankfurt.
Tottenham got off to a blistering start, with James Maddison netting a stunning opener just four minutes into the match. Richarlison, making only his second start of the season, had a chance to double the lead but was denied by Hoffenheim goalkeeper Oliver Baumann. Maddison then turned provider, setting up Son for a second goal that deflected off a defender and into the net.
Despite a spirited response from Hoffenheim, who pulled one back through Anton Stach before Son secured the win with a well-placed shot. David Mokwa’s late goal for Hoffenheim added to the tension, but Tottenham held on for the crucial three points.
With both teams finding their form in Europe, they now look forward to their final league phase matches next week, where victories will ensure direct qualification to the knockout stages.
Mario Gila struck on five minutes, and Lazio pressed their advantage after Aihen Muñoz’s 30th-minute dismissal, captain Mattia Zaccagni and Taty Castellanos making it 3-0 by the break.
Ander Barrenetxea pulled one back late on for the Spanish side. The Biancocelesti are now three points clear at the top of the standings, and are certain of a top-eight finish and direct passage to the round of 16.
Latvia’s RFS pulled off the shock of the night by beating Ajax 1-0, but can no longer reach the play-offs.
Troy Parrott’s 80th-minute finish gave AZ Alkmaar a 1-0 success against Roma, while Ayoub El Kaabi’s fifth goal of the campaign for Olympiacos handed hosts Porto a fourth successive defeat in all competitions.
Norwegian champions Bodø/Glimt sparkled in adversity, winning 3-1 at home despite conceding first against Maccabi Tel-Aviv. It was the third time in this league phase that they have come from behind to take three points.
Meanwhile, Romania’s FCSB were a goal down inside a minute at Qarabağ but still ran out 3-2 winners.
Istanbul staged Europa League games on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Dynamo Kyiv earned their first point of the league phase with a 3-3 draw at Galatasaray, then Beşiktaş beat Athletic Club 4-1 in Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s first match in charge. Fenerbahçe were held to a 0-0 draw by Lyon on Thursday.
