EUROPA League
Man United ‘can beat anyone’ after landing Barcelona scalp, says ten Hag
Manchester United should fear no one in their quest to win four trophies, said manager Erik ten Hag after beating Barcelona 2-1 on Thursday to progress to the last 16 of the Europa League 4-3 on aggregate.
Robert Lewandowski’s early penalty had given Barca the perfect start at Old Trafford.
But the La Liga leaders – who dropped down to this competition from the Champions League – were again undone on the European stage as Fred equalised early in the second period before Antony clinched the win.
“It was a magnificent night. I think it is brilliant when you can beat Barcelona, eight points ahead of Real Madrid in La Liga,” said ten Hag, who has remarkably transformed United’s fortunes in his first season in charge.
“This is another step because when you beat Barcelona, your belief can be really strong because you are then able to beat anyone.”
The fact that two of the continent’s giants were clashing at this early stage of Europe’s second-tier competition was evidence that both have fallen on harder times in recent years.
But United are riding the crest of a wave as they remain in the hunt for trophies on four fronts.
The Red Devils could end a six-year wait for silverware when they face Newcastle in the League Cup final on Sunday. They are third in the Premier League, and also have an FA Cup fifth-round clash with West Ham to come.
“I think we have some great personalities in this team,” added ten Hag.
“Everyone has such a strong belief in this team, you can see it. With the subs they bring energy and quality, they bring a different dynamic in games.”
But the reality that United’s reward on Thursday is merely a place in the last 16 of the Europa League shows there remains a long way to go to rediscover their past glories on the continental stage.
However, momentum is building under ten Hag. For a long time since former manager Alex Ferguson’s departure in 2013, Old Trafford lost its aura as an intimidating destination for visiting sides.
But no one is looking forward to a trip to the Theatre of Dreams with United now unbeaten in 18 games in all competitions at home.
Barcelona joined the list of big names – Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City – beaten on United’s home soil in recent months.
Embarrassing defeats to Brighton and Brentford to begin ten Hag’s time in charge are now also a distant memory.
“You need a strategy to build it but also results to get that strong belief,” said ten Hag on how he has lifted United out of the mire of a miserable 2021-22 season when they finished sixth in the Premier League.
Buoyed not only by results on the pitch, but the potential departure of unpopular owners the Glazer family, the United fanbase is jubilant.
“The fans have been with us in the toughest moments,” said United’s captain for the night Bruno Fernandes.
“This season we have been really good because they are always behind us. You can feel between them and us there is something special, Old Trafford was bouncing, that is why we got the result.”
This was almost certainly United’s finest night in continental competition since eliminating Paris Saint-Germain from the Champions League last 16 in a dramatic night at the Parc des Princes four years ago.
The wait for such a European night under the lights at Old Trafford goes even further back to when Barcelona were beaten in the semi-finals of the 2008 Champions League.
“You can see what it means for the players. We haven’t seen that for such a long time,” said former United midfielder Paul Scholes, who scored the winner in the 1-0 victory that night.
“To see the passion that these guys have for Manchester United is just fantastic, especially the reaction to the crowd.”
Ten Hag is hoping this is just the start on United’s road back to competing at the highest level in Europe.
“We have the potential to beat the big teams,” he added.
“We have beaten City, Arsenal, Liverpool. If we show discipline and team spirit this team can do a lot.”
–AFP/ Reuters
EUROPA League
Ajax and Panathinaikos set UEFA record with 34 penalty kicks
![](https://sportsvillagesquare.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ajax.jpg)
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
EUROPA League
Manchester United may be denied Europa League slot
![Manchester United Loses Coach To MLS Side Minnesota United -](https://sportsvillagesquare.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Manchester-United-Loses-Coach-To-MLS-Side-Minnesota-United.jpg)
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.
EUROPA League
Hat-trick hero Lookman takes winding road to Europa League triumph
![](https://sportsvillagesquare.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/ademola-lookman-3.jpg)
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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