EUROPA League
Nigeria’s trio looking to make history in Europa League as Rangers confront Eintracht Frankfurt
Rangers stand on the brink of glory in the Europa League, and five Africans are looking to create history with the Scottish giants.
Defenders Calvin Bassey and Leon Balogun and forwards Joe Aribo, Amad Diallo and Fashion Sakala could all be involved in Wednesday’s final against Eintracht Frankfurt.
Rangers saw off former European champions Borussia Dortmund and Red Star Belgrade in the knockout stages before overcoming RB Leipzig in the last four to set up a date with destiny.
Can either of the three Nigerians, the Ivorian or the Zambian be the man to end Rangers’ 50-year wait for a European trophy when they meet German side Eintracht in Seville?
Here, former Rangers and Scotland forward Steven Thompson assesses the impact the quintet have had on the Glasgow club’s bid for glory in Europe’s second-tier continental club competition.
Bassey maturing and finding consistency
Defender Bassey has started 12 of 16 games in the Europa League, either at left-back or centre-back. The 22-year-old, who is in his second season at Ibrox, made his Nigeria debut in March.
“This season, he’s made himself one of Rangers’ best players,” Thompson, 43, told BBC Sport Africa.
“His performances have been incredibly consistent. He has proven his versatility as well, playing some times at left-back and other times at centre-half where I actually think he looks more comfortable with his power, his pace, his composure on the ball and his strength.
“He has been such, such a big player this season, I’ve been so impressed. He’s matured so much I think he would probably be a lot of supporters’ pick for player of the season.
“The big issue for me is I think he’s been that good that I think there will be clubs undoubtedly looking at him because of his versatility, his athleticism and how consistent he has been.”
Balogun ‘never lets side down’
Centre-back Balogun has been a dependable defender since his move north from Wigan in 2020.
The 33-year-old has scored twice in the run to the final – in the group-stage win over Brondby and last-16 tie against Red Star Belgrade – but has found himself on the bench in recent knockout matches.
“Balogun has been in and out of the team this season, but he’s never ever let Rangers down,” Thompson said.
“More recently, we’ve been seeing Bassey in at centre-half and Borna Barisic at left-back now he’s rediscovered his form, so I’m not sure if Balogun will start the final.
“I would say it’d be more likely to be Connor Goldson and Bassey who are the centre-halves with Barisic left-back – but Balogun has had a very good season and has played over 30 games.”
Dynamic Aribo a fans’ favourite
Aribo joined Rangers from Charlton in 2019 and has become a key player, only missing one of their European outings in 2021-22.
“He started the season incredibly well and he’s a big fans’ favourite,” Thompson said of the 25-year-old Nigerian.
“He’s very good on the ball; creative, strong, dynamic. He’s put in some huge performances in Europe and been asked to play a number of positions.
“He’s been almost an ever-present in that Rangers midfield. He is such a threat and has had big moments in the Europa League run.
“There’s no doubt that he contributes a lot to the side. I do think he needs to up his numbers in terms of goals and assists.”
Sakala an ‘unpredictable’ forward
Zambian striker Sakala is still settling in Scotland following his switch from Belgian side KV Oostende at the end of last season.
He has chipped in with nine league goals – including a hat-trick at Motherwell and an equaliser in this month’s Old Firm derby at Celtic – but the 25-year-old has mostly been used as a substitute in Europe.
However, injuries to Alfredo Morelos and Kemar Roofe have seen him rise up the pecking order.
“Sakala still splits opinion a bit,” Thompson said.
“He is very, very raw, has got incredible pace, and is very, very direct. The big question mark is sometimes the final thing he does – but that comes with playing more games and gaining more experience.
“He’s very off the cuff. He’s got an unpredictability about him, and he can prove to be a dangerous player.
“If he doesn’t start against Frankfurt, then I’m sure that he will come on in the game and he can have a big impact, because of the attributes that he possesses.”
As for Diallo, the 19-year-old has not been used in Europe since joining on loan from Manchester United in January.
Thompson says the Ivory Coast international, who has scored two goals in his past three games, has shown “flashes” of his talent.
A chance to become ‘immortals’
In the club’s first European final since 2008, when Rangers were beaten by Zenit St Petersburg in the Uefa Cup final, Bassey and company are looking to emulate the side which lifted the European Cup Winners’ Cup in 1971-72.
A win over Eintracht offers the added bonus of direct entry into next season’s Champions League group stage – something Rangers last achieved in 2010.
“This team has an opportunity to immortalise themselves in Rangers history,” Thompson said.
“It’s not very often Scottish teams reach European finals, and it’s been a long time since a team’s won one [Aberdeen in the Cup Winners’ Cup in 1983].
“So it’s just such an incredibly huge game for the club and for the players. They would never have dreamt that they would be in this position at the start of this campaign but they’ve grown with confidence.
“There’s a real togetherness about this Rangers team. If they were to do it, that’s them with an indelible link in the history of the club.”
-BBC
Three first-half goals helped Manchester United put themselves on the cusp of the Europa League final on Thursday, with the Premier League side earning a 3-0 semi-final first leg win away at Athletic Bilbao.
In a raucous San Memes atmosphere, with supporters dreaming of a first-ever European trophy, veteran midfielder Casemiro arrived at the back post to give the visitors the lead 30 minutes in.
United, who are having a miserable season domestically, were given another boost five minutes later as Bilbao defender Daniel Vivian was sent off for fouling Rasmus Hojlund in the penalty area, and Bruno Fernandes converted the resulting spot kick.
The United fans high in the top tier were in dreamland moments later as captain Fernandes raced through to put the seal on a victory, and perhaps even the tie, before the interval.
Bilbao, who have the added incentive that the final will be hosted at their own stadium on May 21, could not muster a response in the second half with depleted numbers, leaving United to coast to the most unlikely first-leg success.
“Of course it’s a great start, to get a victory here and score three goals and with a clean sheet,” United defender Harry Maguire told TNT Sports.
“All the pressure will be on us, everyone will be expecting us to go through. We need to prepare properly, and if we do that, we’ll give ourselves a great chance.
“One foot in the final, but it’s not done.”
The Europa League has been somewhat of a haven for United this term, where they can forget the fact that they are on course for their worst-ever Premier League points haul this term.
United travelled to Bilbao as the only unbeaten team in any European competition, but were up against their toughest challenge yet, with Bilbao sitting fourth in LaLiga, possessing the meanest defence in the division.
The Bilbao players fed off the crowd’s energy early on, creating the better of the initial chances. Inaki Williams should have scored from a close-range header, while Victor Lindelof came to United’s rescue with a timely block on the line.
Casemiro, however, arrived right on cue to swing the momentum in United’s favour. Norwegian referee Espen Eskas, after consulting the pitch-side monitor, adjudged that Vivian had denied Hojlund a clear goalscoring opportunity and thus branded a red card and pointed to the spot.
The composure shown by Bruno Fernandes as he calmly stroked home the penalty, despite the ear-splitting whistles from the cantankerous crowd, was astounding. The whistles had barely died down when the United skipper raced onto Manuel Ugarte’s flick to add a game-clinching third.
To highlight the contrast between United’s domestic and continental campaigns, they have now scored more goals in their seven Europa League games in 2025 than they have in their 15 Premier League games this calendar year.
They have also won more games in the Europa League since Ruben Amorim took over as coach than they have in the Premier League.
Casemiro could have even added a fourth but saw his second-half header come out off the post.
The job, however, was done. United’s success means 133 teams have won the first leg of a UEFA Cup or Europa League knockout stage tie by three or more goals away from home, and all 133 have won the tie.
“The penalty and the red card conditioned the game. At 11 against 11, we were doing well,” said Bilbao coach Ernesto Valverde. “The penalty and the red card were too great a punishment.
“It’s very clear we have taken a very bad result into the second game, but we have to play it. We are not giving up. We know it’s an adverse situation and who we have in front of us.”
-Reuters
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EUROPA League
‘It’s hard to explain’ – Amorim dumbfounded by the difference between Man United’s fortunes at home and abroad
Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim admitted it is hard to explain how his team are enjoying such differing seasons domestically and in European competition, following the Premier League strugglers’ 3-0 win at Athletico Bilbao on Thursday.
United’s Europa League semi-final first leg victory in the Basque Country ensured they remain the only team unbeaten in European competition this season, in contrast to the fact that they are on course for a worst-ever Premier League points haul.
“It’s hard to explain,” Amorim said. “We have improved in the last games. I don’t look just at the results. We had some games that we won that we didn’t play well, and some games that we lost, but we played well. Sometimes you just need a little bit of luck.
Europa League – Semi Final – First Leg – Athletic Bilbao v Manchester United – San Mames, Bilbao, Spain – May 1, 2025 Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim REUTERS/Vincent West
“We can win this competition, and in the Premier League, we are just suffering game after game and trying to manage both things with some injuries. Sometimes it’s harder even for the players.
“I know that is hard to understand, but sometimes it’s the context, it’s the way we see things.”
Amorim was at pains to point out that United’s Europa League final spot is not secured, despite three first-half goals giving the visitors a healthy advantage going into next week’s second leg in Manchester.
After their surprisingly comprehensive success, 133 teams have won the first leg of a UEFA Cup or Europa League knockout stage tie by three or more goals away from home, and all 133 have won the tie.
“I think they have to think about the second leg,” Amorim added. “And they have to think more about the first 20 minutes than the rest of the game because the game is going to be tough.
“There is no away goals so anything can change, and that is my message to the players, and we have to think now about Brentford (at the weekend) and then the second leg.”
-Reuters
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Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim defended under-fire goalkeeper Andre Onana following the Cameroonian’s costly mistakes in his side’s 2-2 draw at Olympique Lyonnais in their Europa League quarter-final first leg on Thursday.
Onana allowed Thiago Almada’s free kick to squirm past him in the Groupama Stadium and was also at fault for Rayan Cherki’s last-gasp equaliser that denied United victory.
Since the start of last season, no Premier League club’s goalkeeper has made more errors leading to goals being conceded in all competitions than Onana.
“It can happen, if you play football, you play a lot of games, you can make mistakes,” Amorim said. “If you look at the season, I make more mistakes than them during these last games and these last months.
“The other thing is we have one more game to change everything and that should be our focus.
“The best thing is to look at the goals, all the actions that Andre had in the game, this is the best way to help any player, it’s to focus on the game, what happened, what we need to improve.”
United nonetheless remain unbeaten in this season’s Europa League — the only side to do so this term — after goals from Leny Yoro and Joshua Zirkzee put them on course for a potential victory.
The team, who are 13th in the English Premier League standings, still go into next week’s second leg in Manchester as favourites to book a spot in the last four.
“It was an entertaining game,” Amorim added. “We had some difficulty in the first half trying to press, because Lyon played in a different way. Then, in the middle of the first half and especially the second, we controlled the game.
“The second leg will be a different game. At home, our fans want us to press all the time.”
-Reuters
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