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EUROPA League

Ajax seek Old Glory, Man U wants Record

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Ajax Amsterdam and Manchester United on Thursday night booked their places in the final of the Europa Cup.

Manchester progressed to the final after surviving a late scare by determined Celta while Ajax progressed on 5-4 aggregate despite losing 1-3 to French side, Lyon. Both sides are to meet in the final slated for Stockholm’s Friends Arena on May 24.

For Manchester United, they are aiming to become the fifth team after Ajax, Bayern Munich, Chelsea and Juventus to have won all three UEFA’s major club competitions – European Champions Clubs’ Cup, UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League and European Cup Winners’ Cup.

In the case of Ajax, this is their 25th campaign in the competition. This is the first time in 21 years since the Nigerian duo of Finidi George and Nwankwo Kanu inspired the club to European Cup victory in 1996.

Apart from the Europa Cup victory, both Manchester and Ajax as bonus incentive will seek the Europa Cup as automatic entry into the UEFA Champions League next season.

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This season is the third time in which the winners of the UEFA Europa League will gain automatic entry into the UEFA Champions League.

Both had met four times before in previous seasons. The first was in the 1976/77 UEFA Cup first round in which Manchester United overturned an away goal deficit and won 2-0 at home.

Next was the 2011/2012 UEFA Europa League round of 32 when each won the away clashes. Manchester United beat Ajax 2-0 in Amsterdam but surprisingly lost 1-2 at home.

 

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Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

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EUROPA League

Ten Hag urges ‘mad’ Man United to take out frustration on Porto

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Europa League - Manchester United Press Conference - Estadio do Dragao, Porto, Portugal - October 2, 2024 Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag during a press conference Action Images via Reuters/Peter Cziborra 

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag called on his players to use the frustration from their humbling defeat by Tottenham Hotspur as motivation to beat Porto in the Europa League on Thursday.

Following the 3-0 home loss to Spurs on Sunday, Ten Hag admitted his team’s mood could have been more positive.

“We are mad, mad with ourselves, especially when you lose a game like Sunday… but you have to deal with it. We are mad, and from the madness we have to get motivation,” Ten Hag told reporters on Wednesday.

“Always, when we are not winning we are disappointed and we are also mad with ourselves.”

United are 13th in the Premier League table and following a 1-1 draw with Dutch side Twente Enschede in the first Europa League match, Ten Hag said speculation about his job was inevitable.

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“This club wants to be back on top and it’s a long-term target. We talk every day. Every day we evaluate and review the process and where necessary we make our decisions,” he said

“Everyone has to take responsibility and that starts with me as the manager. But on the pitch we have leadership skills and they have to stand up.

“Every game for us is important and every opponent is 100% motivated. We have to be ready to compete and fight with them.”

The Dutchman said midfielder Mason Mount, who was not part of the squad that travelled to Porto, was dealing with two injury issues and that defender Luke Shaw should return to action following the October international break.

-Reuters

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EUROPA League

Man Utd take their domestic woes to  international scene

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Europa League - Manchester United v FC Twente - Old Trafford, Manchester, Britain - September 25, 2024 Manchester United's Diogo Dalot and Harry Maguire in action with FC Twente's Michel Vlap and Max Bruns Action Images via Reuters/Jason Cairnduff

Manchester United began their Europa League campaign with a 1-1 draw after they were held by FC Twente at a rainy Old Trafford on Wednesday, with a goal from Christian Eriksen being cancelled out by Dutch striker Sam Lammers.

The first half was a lively affair, with Twente’s Lammers making an early attempt that trickled past the post.

Eriksen put United ahead 10 minutes before the break, delivering a powerful curling shot into the top corner from inside the box.

Twente equalised in the 68th minute when Lammers produced a powerful finish past United keeper Andre Onana at the near post.

Joshua Zirkzee tried to get United in front again minutes later with a shot from an acute angle but were denied by a save from Twente keeper Lars Unnerstall.

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Bruno Fernandes came close to scoring for United in the final minutes with a curling shot toward the top corner, but the hosts struggled to break through Twente’s deep-lying defence, which seemed content to secure the away draw.

DIA DOUBLE FOR LAZIO

Boulaye Dia scored a double and Fisayo Dele-Bashiru added another in the first half to hand Lazio a comprehensive 3-0 win against Dynamo Kyiv in Hamburg.

Nice and Real Sociedad played out a 1-1 draw. Ander Barrenetxea put the Basque side ahead before Pablo Rosario scored the equaliser for Nice.

Elsewhere, Turkish champions Galatasaray claimed a 3-1 home win over Greece’s PAOK thanks to Abdul Rahman Baba’s own goal and strikes from Yunus Akgun and Mauro Icardi. Giannis Konstantelias scored for the visitors.

In an early match, Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt secured a 3-2 home victory against FC Porto thanks to a brace from Jens Petter Hauge, despite going down to 10 men in the 51st minute.

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-Reuters

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Ajax and Panathinaikos set UEFA record with 34 penalty kicks

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Ajax players cheer after winning the penalty shootout (13-12) during the 3rd qualifying round UEFA Europa League match between Ajax and Panathinaikos at the Johan Cruijff ArenA on August 15, 2024 in Amsterdam. - Credit: Olaf Kraak / ANP -

It took Ajax 34 penalties to beat Panathinaikos 13-12 in a marathon shootout on Thursday, setting a UEFA competition record after their Europa League third qualifying round tie ended 1-1 over two legs and extra time.

Ajax, who won 1-0 at Panathinaikos last week, conceded in the 89th minute in Amsterdam, leading to the shootout that broke the previous record of 32 attempts at the European U-21 Championship semi-final in 2007 where Netherlands beat England 13-12.

The world record for the longest shootout was set in May when Israeli third-tier clubs SC Dimona and Shimshon Tel Aviv took 56 penalties to resolve their semi-final promotion playoff tie.

Ajax keeper Remko Pasveer made five saves and scored on his own attempt to help the hosts win the shootout as Dutch international Brian Brobbey missed two penalties.

“Five is quite a lot, yes. I save a penalty every now and then, but I don’t think you often experience something as crazy as this,” Pasveer said.

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“Every time I thought we would do it. Brobbey behind the ball, we will do it. But he missed, while he always scores during training.”

Defender Anton Gaaei ultimately delivered the winning penalty for Ajax. The Eredivisie club will now face Polish side Jagiellonia Bialystok in the playoff round later this month.

-Reuters

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