EUROPA League
FULL TIME: MAN UNITED 1-0 COPENHAGEN – EUROPA LEAGUE QUARTER-FINAL ACTION FROM GERMANY
Full-time: Manchester United 1-0 Copenhagen
Manchester United have qualified for the Europa League semi-finals! Bruno Fernandes scored in extra-time from the penalty spot after relentless pressure from United. Credit to Copenhagen, who did not go down without a fight.
113mins: Manchester United 1-0 Copenhagen
Jesse Lingard is coming on for Marcus Rashford. The winger appeared to be feeling his groin slightly in the last few minutes.
111mins: Manchester United 1-0 Copenhagen
United look to be really comfortable seeing this match out. Bruno Fernandes almost slots Anthony Martial in but the pass it slightly over hit.
2ND HALF OF EXTRA TIME IS ON
106mins: Manchester United 1-0 Copenhagen
Back underway for the final 15 minutes of action. United appear to be in the driving seat but a Copenhagen equaliser would see us head to a penalty shootout. 106
105mins: Manchester United 1-0 Copenhagen
Manchester United almost get a second as Fernandes tests the goalkeeper once again. United really searching for that second goal.
104mins: Manchester United 1-0 Copenhagen
Juan Mata can’t keep his first-time effort down after some more great play from Anthony Martial.
100mins: Manchester United 1-0 Copenhagen
That was a special move from Anthony Martial. The forward takes it past several defenders and backheels the ball to Juan Mata, who can’t quite find the finish. Superb stuff from the Frenchman.
94mins: Manchester United 0-0 Copenhagen
PENALTY TO MANCHESTER UNITED! After Anthony Martial misses and absolute sitter, he is then fouled moments later to win a penalty for United.
94mins: Manchester United 0-0 Copenhagen
PENALTY TO MANCHESTER UNITED! After Anthony Martial misses and absolute sitter, he is then fouled moments later to win a penalty for United.
Mata on
Juan Mata is on for the extra period, replacing Mason Greenwood as we get extra time off to a start.
91mins: Manchester United 0-0 Copenhagen
Manchester United kick us off in extra-time as they try and find that moment of magic. Juan Mata has come on for Mason Greenwood.
Full-time: Manchester United 0-0 Copenhagen
Extra-time it is. Who would have thought this before kick-off? United hit the woodwork, had penalty appeals, twp goals rules out by VAR but need an extra 30 minutes to try and break down Copenhagen.
90mins: Manchester United 0-0 Copenhagen
Aaron Wan Bissaka flashes the ball across the goalmouth but no-one in Red is there to tap it in. Extra-time is looking like a real possibility.
87mins:A bit of room opens up for Fernandes but he takes too long and his strike is blocked.
This now looks more like we’re going to be heading into extra time unless someone can conjure up something in the dying minutes.
85mins: Manchester United 0-0 Copenhagen
HUGE CHANCE! Anthony Martial fires a curling effort towards the top right corner but his shot is stopped by a terrific save!
Falk hares down the right and cuts inside. He schools Williams with a clever backheel and hits the deck.
The referee was right in line and waves his finger, and VAR agree – no penalty.
82mins: Manchester United 0-0 Copenhagen
Big penalty call for Copenhagen! Varela cuts inside of Brandon Williams and it looked like he was tripped by check is over
77mins: Manchester United 0-0 Copenhagen
This game starting to look really stretched now.
The heat must be sapping the energy of both teams.
Subs could prove crucial as gaps begin to appear, but who will make it count?
The Danes still looking dangerous with just over 15 minutes left. Rasmus Falk has been the key to Copenhagen’s creativity in attack and former Sunderland man Bryan Oviedo has his shot blocked.
71mins: Manchester United 0-0 Copenhagen
Fred comes off for Nemanja Matic and Eric Bailly makes way for Victor Lindelof.
SAVE!
70min:Johnsson denies Fernandes this time as he pushes the dipping shot into the air.
Pogba gets a crack soon after but the keeper is down to save.
There simply has to be a good soon, surely…
69mins: Manchester United 0-0 Copenhagen
CHANCE! Bruno Ferandes somehow shoots with more venom than last time as he tests the goalkeeper. This match is really end-to-end now.
67mins:Copenhagen work their way in – a chance to score here.
It falls to ex-Everton man Brian Oviedo whose only just come off the bench, but Bailly again turns saviour with a last-ditch block.
This game is hanging on a knife edge.
66mins:Bailly is next to go in the book as he thwarts a Copenhagen breakaway. Looked soft but United now have both centre-backs on a yellow.
65mins: Manchester United 0-0 Copenhagen
UNITED HIT THE POST AGAIN! Bruno Fernandes lets a wicked strike go from range and it somehow stays out! Is it going to be one of those nights for Solskjaer’s side?
62mins: Manchester United 0-0 Copenhagen
CHANCE! Marcus Rashford should have done better as he found himself one-on-one but could not connect with Fernandes’ cross. Copenhagen counter attack but can’t test Sergio Romero.
57mins: Manchester United 0-0 Copenhagen
A second offside goal for Manchester United! Mason Greenwood flashes a strike against the post and Marcus Rashford pounces on the rebound but was offside. Painful for United.
55mins: Manchester United 0-0 Copenhagen
United are really pushing for the opener. Anthony Martial almost wriggles free inside the box, minutes later Bruno Fernandes is almost found one-on-one and Fred tried his luck from the edge of the box shortly after.
Half-time scores
Manchester United 0-0 Copenhagen
Inter Milan 2-1 Bayer Leverkusen
VAR overrules
Greenwood has the ball in the back of the net but it’s disallowed by VAR.
The youngster had raced in behind the defence before striking the ball off their foot of the far post and in.
But he had edged slightly offside in the build-up and it’s rightly overturned.
GOOOAAL!!!!!
45mins: Manchester United 1-0 Copenhagen
GOAL! Mason Greenwood scores for United! His 18th of the season. He pulls away from the defence and brilliantly uses the inside of the post to put it in the back of the net.
44TH MIN. United are pushing to try and break down Copenhagen’s structured defence. Anthony Martial almost scores from close range and Marcus Rashford fizzes and effort at goal just moments later. Just a few minutes left before the break.
34TH MIN STILL 0-0
Corner for United. Greenwood cuts in and hits one but it cannons off the head of a Copenhagen defender.
Fernandes swings it in but it’s headed clear again without challenge from a red shirt.
Fred launches the ball back in with Rashford chasing but he can’t quite get there.
United have shaken off those early cobwebs it seems.
31mins: Manchester United 0-0 Copenhagen
A great cross from Marcus Rashford almost finds Anthony Martial who is stretching. They have to get their front three on the ball more.
Penalty?
The referee looked to have pointed to the spot there as United came close to scoring.
Maguire helped the ball back across goal and Greenwood went down in the box.
Fernandes was following in behind and his header was tipped over by the keeper.
And despite the confusion the official actually gives Copenhagen a free-kick for an earlier offside.
17mins: Manchester United 0-0 Copenhagen
Manchester United meanwhile are somehow still drawing! Copenhagen had another golden chance as a mistake at the back let in Mohamed Daramy. Some last ditch defending is enough but this has not been a good start from Solskjaer’s side.
14mins: Manchester United 0-0 Copenhagen
CHANCE! Copenhagen almost take a shock lead as the ball finds Mohamed Daramy a few yards out but he messes up his lines for a simple tap-in. A huge warning sign for United. Meanwhile, Aaron Wan-Bissaka is down with an injury.
3mins: Manchester United 0-0 Copenhagen
The Danes get off to a fast start with some good possession around United’s box. However, they deal with the pressure and look to get more settled in the opening moments. United win a corner.
Kick-off: Manchester United 0-0 Copenhagen
Manchester United get us underway.
Manchester United are about facing Copenhagen in one of the quarter final matches of the Europa League hoping to repeat their victory of the competition three seasons ago,
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side breezed past LASK in the last round with a 7-1 victory on aggregate. The Red Devils are heavy favourites to make it to the final four, as they face a Copenhagen side who knocked out Turkish Superlig champions Istanbul Basaksehir in the Round of 16.
Meanwhile, two potential favourites to win the Europa League battle it out as Inter Milan face Bayer Leverkusen. The Serie A side are in red hot form losing just one of their last 15 competitive matches whilst Leverkusen comfortably beat Rangers to earn their place in the final eight.
Here are the starting line-ups…
Man United XI: Romero, Wan-Bissaka, Maguire, Bailly, Williams, Fred, Pogba, Fernandes, Martial, Greenwood, Rashford.
Subs: De Gea, Fosu-Mensah, Lindelof, Mengi, Andreas, James, Lingard, Mata, Matic, McTonimay, Chong, Ighalo.
Copenhagen XI: Johnsson, Varela, Nelsson, Bjelland, Boilesen, Zeca, Stage, Biel, Wind, Falk, Daramy.
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.
“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
It is not yet certain for Manchester United if the struggling former giants will play in the Europa League despite winning the FA Cup.
The club will discover their Europa League fate after UEFA threaten relegation
They have been left concerned they could be relegated to the Europa Conference League after Nice, who Sir Jim Ratcliffe also owns, qualified for the Europa League
According to British publication, Mirror, Manchester United will be allowed to play in the Europa League after UEFA came to a decision on their future in the competition.
Though they finished eighth in the Premier League, Erik ten Hag’s side won the FA Cup. That win earned them automatic qualification to Europe’s second-tier competition for next season.
But there had been some doubt that they would be allowed to play in the competition after Nice also qualified.
The French side are also owned by Sir Jim Ratcliffe through his INEOS chemical company.They finished fifth in Ligue 1 in the season just gone and UEFA rules state that clubs owned by the same company are not allowed to play in the same European competition.
Normally, the team that finished lower in their respective league would be relegated to the Europa Conference League, in this case United.
But according to The Times, both United and Nice will be allowed to play in the Europa league next term. UEFA’s Club Financial Control Board is due to issue a ruling on multi-club ownership issues on Monday.
It is expected that the CFCB will give their approval to United playing alongside Nice, subject to certain conditions. They will also be warned that the upcoming campaign will be viewed as a transitional one and this leeway will not be given in future years.
The CFCB is also set to rule that Nice should be operated via a ‘blind trust’ by a panel approved by UEFA. It is a model that was used by AC Milan and Toulouse this season, with both clubs being owned by Red Bird Capital.
It is reported that a UEFA document on multi-club ownership says a blind trust would be a ‘temporary alternative… granted on an exceptional basis for the 2024-25 Uefa competitions’. It also states that UEFA’s multi-club ownership rule may be changed for future seasons.
INEOS only own 27.7 percent of United, but Ratcliffe has been handed control of the club’s football and business operations by majority owners the Glazer family. The British billionaire previously bought Nice in 2019.
Ratcliffe also owns Swiss Super League side Lausanne-Sport, though they have not qualified for a European competition for next year. The ruling around multi-club ownership also affects Manchester City.
Atalanta’s Europa League hat-trick hero Ademola Lookman admitted that he had to wait a while for success after years in and out of favour at different clubs but said it was “just the beginning” after he sank Bayer Leverkusen on Wednesday.
The Nigeria forward became the first person to score a hat-trick in a Europa League final in the 3-0 win, which handed the Bergamo club their first major trophy in 61 years and ended the German champions’ remarkable 51-game unbeaten streak.
“Maybe it could have come earlier, but it’s come now,” said the 26-year-old Lookman, who bounced around in England with Everton, Fulham and Leicester City and in Germany with RB Leipzig before settling in Atalanta two seasons ago.
“This is just the beginning. I hope for more nights like this and to just keep getting better and better,” he told a news conference.
Lookman, who was a youth international for England, credited the Atalanta coaching staff and leadership of manager Gian Piero Gasperini for his revival. Since arriving at the club, he has scored 30 goals in 76 matches.
He pointed in particular to Gasperini’s belief in attacking football that has helped him to flourish.
“The first conversations I had with him made me look at football a lot different. It made things simple. It allowed me to play my game in a different light. I’m very grateful to him,” he said.
Asked if he would have imagined such a night in his wildest dreams while starting out as a teenager at Charlton Athletic, Lookman responded: “Probably yeah.”
“I’ve always had the confidence in my ability to create, to score goals, to help my team mates. In the past two years I’ve been able to take my game to a whole new level,” he said.
-Reuters
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