EUROPA League
LIVE COVERAGE: EUROPA CUP – BAYER LERKUSEN 1-0 RANGERS; SEVILLA 2-0 ROMA
SEVILLA 2-0 ROMA
The referee ends the second half.
90’+ 10
Red card
The 24-year-old Mancini (Roma) is sent off after a VAR review, following a clash withL. de Jong.
FULL TIME: BAYER LERKUSEN 1-0 RANGERS
The referee ends the second half.
Leverkusen cruise into the UEFA Europa League quarter-finals, where they will face Inter Milan on Monday. A creditable European campaign for Rangers ends in defeat after Leverkusen produced the goal they had threatened in the first half through Diaby’s unstoppable finish six minutes after the break.
BAYER LERKUSEN 1-0 RANGERS
On aggregate, Rangers are 4-1 down
GOAL! Bayer Leverkusen 1-0 Rangers
Going from bad to worse for Rangers
And that will probably be all she wrote for Rangers’ European campaign this season
2nd Half Resumes
BAYER LERKUSEN 0-0 RANGERS
SEVILLA 2-0 ROMA
47 min: Rangers are coming forward in more numbers straight away, but Morelos hasn’t been up to standard so far. Is he thinking about that potential move away already? Can Aribo and co score three unreplied goal?
Half time: SEVILLA 2-0 ROMA
- Sevilla lead through fine Reguilón effort
- Koundé also hits bar for Los Blanquirrojos
- Reguilon 22nd minute
- En-Nesyri 44th minute
Half-time verdict, Rangers: The reality is the visitors need goals – three without reply, to be precise – to turn this tie around, so at some point in the second half they are going to have to take a gamble to get an opening goal that would make this second leg interesting.
Half-time verdict, Rangers: The positive is that Rangers haven’t conceded. At times, the pace of Kent and Barker in the wide areas has caused a degree of discomfort among the hosts’ rearguard.
Gooooal!
44 MIN En-Nesyri (Sevilla) scores!
Just as Roma were starting to settle, they suffer the sucker punch. More worrying defending, and a ruthless Sevilla are two to the good
SEVILLA 1-0 ROMA
22 MIN – Reguilón (Sevilla) scores!
BAYER 0-0 RANGERS
13th MIN. Good quick passing from Rangers, and it comes to Nigeria-born Aribo on the edge of the box but his first touch takes it beyond his reach and Leverkusen get it away
The stage is set for four sets of Europa Cup encounters. Follow the live coverage as we bring you updates. Two of the matches are currently on
SUMMARIES
BAYER LERKUSEN VS RANGERS
- Leverkusen host Rangers with a 3-1 1st leg advantage
- Postponed from 19 March due to COVID-19
- Rule changes introduced for this season
- Winner to face Inter in quarterfinals
SEVILLA VS ROMA
- One-off tie takes place in Duisburg
- Postponed from March due to COVID-19
- Winner to face IWolves/Olympicos in quarterfinals
EUROPA League
Maccabi Tel Aviv refuse away tickets for Aston Villa Europa League match

Israeli club Maccabi Tel Aviv will not accept any away fan tickets for their Europa League match at Aston Villa next month, even if local authorities reverse the decision to ban their supporters, they said on Monday.
The ban followed safety concerns raised by British Police, who cited potential protests outside Villa Park, following demonstrations at Israel’s recent World Cup qualifiers in Oslo and Udine.
“From hard lessons learned we have taken the decision to decline any allocation offered on behalf of away fans and our decision should be understood in that context,” Maccabi said in a statement.
“We hope that circumstances will change and look forward to being able to play in Birmingham in a sporting environment in the near future.”
Aston Villa announced the decision last week, saying they were following instructions from the Safety Advisory Group (SAG), who are responsible for issuing safety certificates for games at Villa Park.
West Midlands Police described the match as high risk, past incidents, including violent confrontations and hate crime offences involving Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters ahead of a November 2024 game in Amsterdam.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar described the announcement as “shameful”.
Villa are third in the Europa League standings while Maccabi Tel Aviv are 30th after two rounds.
-Reuters
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
EUROPA League
Palace lose appeal against Europa League demotion at CAS

Crystal Palace’s appeal against UEFA’s decision to drop them from the Europa League to the third-tier Conference League was dismissed by the Court of Arbitration for Sport on Monday.
UEFA demoted Palace while allowing Olympique Lyonnais to play in the Europa League as, at the time of assessment on March 1, the Eagle Football Group were majority owners of Lyon while their chairman, John Textor, owned a controlling stake in Palace.
Nottingham Forest, who finished seventh in the Premier League last season, will replace Palace in the Europa League.
“After considering the evidence, the panel found that John Textor, founder of Eagle Football Holdings, had shares in CPFC and OL and was a board member with decisive influence over both clubs at the time of UEFA’s assessment date,” the CAS said in a statement.
“The panel also dismissed the argument by CPFC that they received unfair treatment in comparison to Nottingham Forest and OL.”
Palace did not respond to a request for comment. Club chairman Steve Parish told reporters on Sunday that if Palace lost the appeal, they would “have to look if there’s any steps after that.”
The club, who qualified for the Europa League as FA Cup winners, appealed against UEFA’s decision last month.
The appeal came days before New York Jets co-owner Robert Wood “Woody” Johnson completed the purchase of Eagle Football Holdings’ stake in Palace.
Textor has also resigned from Lyon’s board of directors with Michele Kang appointed chairwoman and president.
As both Lyon and Palace had qualified for the Europa League, the French club were allowed to keep their place because they had finished higher in their respective league. Lyon finished sixth in Ligue 1 while Palace were 12th in the Premier League.
“Olympique Lyonnais welcomes today’s decision by the Court of Arbitration for Sport confirming its participation in the Europa League,” Lyon said in a statement.
Palace, who won the Community Shield on Sunday , beating Liverpool in a penalty shootout, are set to play in the Conference League’s qualifying playoff round later this month.
-Reuters
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
EUROPA League
UEFA await Lyon relegation appeal before Palace Europa League decision

UEFA has decided to postpone its assessment of the multi-club ownership case involving Olympique Lyonnais and Crystal Palace until the French club’s relegation has been confirmed, European football’s governing body said on Monday.
The multi-club ownership regulations do not allow clubs under the same ownership compete in the same European competition, and American businessman John Textor holds a stake in both Palace and Lyon.
Palace qualified for the Europa League by winning the FA Cup last season while Lyon reached the competition by finishing sixth in Ligue 1 but have since been relegated to Ligue 2 by French football’s financial watchdog (DNCG).
Lyon are appealing the decision, which came following an audit of the club’s finances, and UEFA’s Club Financial Control Body will now await the outcome of the appeal before making its decision.
UEFA and Lyon reached a settlement agreement over the club’s breach of the financial sustainability requirements, and as part of the settlement, Lyon agreed to their exclusion from European competition should the DNCG confirm their relegation.
League of Ireland club Drogheda United lost an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport earlier this month over their exclusion from the Conference League, after falling foul of the multi-club ownership rules.
-Reuters
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
-
FIFA RANKING1 week agoNigeria Jumps Four Places in New FIFA Rankings; Stirs Optimism in Local Football Circles
-
Athletics3 days agoNigeria to Host First-Ever Africa Running Conference in Lagos
-
Nigerian Football6 days agoJay-Jay Okocha Call Turns NPFL Boss to Instant Celebrity in Madrid
-
CAF Champions League6 days agoRemo Stars Host Mamelodi Sundowns in Crucial CAF Champions League Showdown
-
Nigerian Football4 days agoTiger Street Football Tournament Heads for Grand Finale in Awka After Electrifying Weekend
-
CAF Champions League7 days agoTwo Decades After Their Defeat, Mamelodi Sundowns Return to Abeokuta
-
CAF Champions League6 days agoBlack Bulls Edge Rivers United 1–0 in CAF Champions League Clash
-
World Cup1 week agoFour Matches, Five Months, One Dream: Nigeria’s Grueling Route to the 2026 World Cup