Europa League: Sevilla hold Man United at Old Trafford; Feyenoord earn slim advantage over Roma
Two late own goals helped six-time winners Sevilla shock Man United at Old Trafford as they mounted a two-goal comeback to rescue a draw. The hosts started brightly and had the ball in the net in the opening 30 seconds, but Jadon Sancho’s effort was ruled out for offside.
The speed with which United broke for that gave Sevilla a warning of what was to come. With 14 minutes gone a neat passing move culminated in Bruno Fernandes’ slide-rule pass picking out Marcel Sabitzer on the edge of the area. The Austrian international controlled it superbly with his right foot, before rifling a left-footed strike that deflected off Marcão and looped into the net.
Seven minutes later and the midfielder had doubled his, and the Red Devils’ tally on the night. Anthony Martial, making his first start in three months, was instrumental in the home side’s quick counter, eventually providing the defence-splitting pass for Sabitzer to advance and coolly place his shot out of reach of the advancing Bounou.
The visitors rarely tested David de Gea in the first half, but Tanguy Nianzou’s powerful header from an Ivan Rakitić corner just before the break found the goalkeeper in excellent form.
Erik ten Hag’s men were unable to replicate their first-half intensity after the break but could have added a third shortly after the hour, Antony’s spectacular strike after cutting in from the right cannoning back off the post.
Sevilla burst into life late on and halved their deficit when substitute Jesús Navas sent in a low centre that struck Tyrell Malacia and then De Gea on its way into the roof of the net.
The introduction of top scorer Youssef En-Nesyri had given the visitors an outlet in the penalty area, the substitute brilliantly denied by the home goalkeeper moments later.
Sevilla kept coming and Lucas Ocampos’ high, hanging ball from the right in added time was perfect for En-Nesyri to attack. The Moroccan international’s powerful header deflected off the unfortunate Harry Maguire and wrong-footed De Gea, giving the visitors an unlikely draw to take back to Spain.
Mats Weiffer’s long-range volley gave Feyenoord a 1-0 advantage, edging to victory against a Roma side who lost key players to injury and twice hit the woodwork from Lorenzo Pellegrini’s penalty and Roger Ibañez’s deflected header.
These sides were separated by the only goal of last season’s inaugural UEFA Europa Conference League final, and a tight, tense encounter developed again during the early stages at a boisterous De Kuip, where the unfortunate Paulo Dybala was forced off with an early injury for the visitors.
Neither goalkeeper was troubled until Feyenoord’s Mats Wieffer was adjudged to have conceded a penalty two minutes before the break. Lorenzo Pellegrini fired his spot kick beyond the dive of Justin Bijlow and against the goalkeeper’s right-hand post, the ball bouncing away to home relief.
Pellegrini was replaced by former Feyenoord midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum at the break, but it was the home side who took the lead within ten minutes of the restart. Wieffer drilled a volley from distance past Rui Patrício, the chance created by Oussama Idrissi’s electric run.
Fortune was not kind to Roma, who lost Tammy Abraham to a shoulder injury before hitting the woodwork again when Roger Ibañez’s header was diverted against the underside of the bar and out by Idrissi. Feyenoord exacted a measure of revenge from last season’s disappointment, yet Roma will feel more twists await in this tie.
Florian Wirtz’s superb finish earned Leverkusen a 1-1 draw with Union Saint-Gilloise after Victor Boniface had given the visitors the lead at the BayArena.
There were plenty of opportunities at both ends in a goalless but entertaining first half in Leverkusen. Wirtz dragged a shot narrowly wide for the hosts at one end, before Boniface was denied by a superb one-handed save from home goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky at the other.
Jonathan Tah inadvertently deflected Teddy Teuma’s inswinging corner onto his own crossbar as the visitors continued to trouble the Leverkusen back line, but the home side regained their grip on proceedings towards the end of the half. Piero Hincapie flashed a header wide at the far post, before Moussa Diaby drilled a low effort off target in stoppage time.
The deadlock was finally broken six minutes after the restart. Teuma showed skill and composure on the edge of the area to tee up Boniface, who curled the ball around Edmond Tapsoba and past Hradecky to put the visitors ahead.
Undeterred, Xabi Alonso’s team continued to attack in numbers and were rewarded with seven minutes remaining. Substitute Sardar Azmoun shrugged off his marker on the edge of the area before laying the ball off to Wirtz, who calmly found the far corner to deny the Belgian outfit a memorable victory.
