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.
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
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Tottenham Hotspur have sacked manager Ange Postecoglou, the club said on Friday, little more than two weeks after the Australian guided the London club to a first major trophy in 17 years with victory in the Europa League final.
While Postecoglou’s fate has split opinion amongst the fans, the 59-year-old ultimately paid the price for an horrendous Premier League season which saw Tottenham finish 17th.
“The Board has unanimously concluded that it is in the best interests of the Club for a change to take place,” Tottenham said in a statement.
“Following a positive start in the 2023/24 Premier League (PL) season, we recorded 78 points from the last 66 PL games. This culminated in our worst-ever PL finish last season.”
Postecoglou leaves two years to the day after his appointment and 16 days after his side beat Manchester United 1-0 in Bilbao for the club’s first silverware since 2008, a win that also put them in next season’s Champions League.
The former Celtic manager has had to face questions over his future for several months, yet delivered on his claim early last season that he always wins a trophy in his second season in a job
He also took Tottenham to the League Cup semi-final but their league campaign was their worst since 1976-77, the last time the club suffered relegation from the top flight.
Several of the club’s first team have voiced their support for Postecoglou since beating United, but chairman Daniel Levy is now searching for his fifth full-time manager in six years since Mauricio Pochettino was sacked in 2019.
“At times there were extenuating circumstances — injuries and then a decision to prioritise our European campaign,” the club said. “Whilst winning the Europa League this season ranks as one of the Club’s greatest moments, we cannot base our decision on emotions aligned to this triumph.”
Several managers have been linked to the Tottenham job, including Brentford’s Thomas Frank and Crystal Palace’s Oliver Glasner.
GOOD START
Postecoglou will walk away with his pride intact and a handsome bonus, but his recent comment to fans at the Europa League victory parade that the third season of a TV series is always better than the second now looks hollow.
It all started so well for Postecoglou. He began the 2023-24 campaign by guiding Tottenham to their best start to a top-flight season since the 1961 title-winning team.
That form soon dipped though and despite finishing fifth in his first campaign the momentum had long since gone.
This season Tottenham earned only 38 points and lost 22 top-flight matches. They managed five points from their last 12 league games and the only win they earned during that run was against a Southampton side who narrowly avoided becoming statistically the worst team ever in the Premier League.
Postecoglou has pointed to a long injury list which denied him the likes of Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, Dejan Kulusevski, Destiny Udogie, Dominic Solanke, James Maddison and Son Heung-min for significant periods.
But while it has clearly been one of long-serving chairman Levy’s toughest calls, he has concluded that Postecoglou is not the man to lead the club forward.
“We have made what we believe is the right decision to give us the best chance of success going forward, not the easy decision,” the club statement said.
“We have a talented, young squad and Ange has given us a great platform to build upon. We should like to express our gratitude to him. We wish him well for the future — he will always be welcome back at our home.”
Many fans reacted to the news of Postecoglou’s sacking with surprise, but England manager Thomas Tuchel said that sometimes even winning a trophy is not enough.
“I feel for every manager and I have huge sympathy for every manager in these moments because I was in the same spot,” the German, who was sacked by Chelsea despite taking them to the Champions League title, said on Friday.
“If the trust is not there anymore then sometimes it’s not enough to win a trophy.”
-Reuters
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UEFA apologised for running out of winners’ medals during the Europa League final trophy ceremony on Wednesday after more Tottenham Hotspur players lined up to receive their prizes.
Spurs captain Son Heung-min and two other players, the last to line up for individual medals, were left empty-handed after their team beat Manchester United 1-0 to win the club’s fourth European title on Wednesday.
Son lifted the trophy without a medal around his neck.
“To our great displeasure, we did not have enough medals available on stage during the trophy ceremony presentation due to an unexpected discrepancy in the player count …” British media quoted European soccer’s governing body as saying on Thursday.
“More team members – including injured players – participated in the ceremony than initially anticipated.
“The missing medals were promptly delivered to the winning team in the dressing room, along with our sincerest apologies for the oversight.”
-Reuters
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