Europa League: Two own goals cost United against Sevilla, Feyenoord beat Roma
Feyenoord - AS Roma 1-0
De Kuip was as vocal as ever, but this didn’t reflect events on the pitch, with neither side able to get an edge during a largely-sleepy first half. But the game finally burst into life just before the break, when referee José María Sánchez Martínez awarded Roma a dubious penalty. Feyenoord man Mats Wieffer was adjudged to have handled inside the box, just moments after Martínez had waved away a similar protest, though the visitors were unable to capitalise on the fortunate decision, with Lorenzo Pellegrini striking the left-hand post from 12 yards out.
While some would’ve believed justice was served with the penalty miss, Wieffer would be granted redemption early in the second period, when the 23-year-old netted the opener in stylish fashion from 22 yards out. Hitting a first-time shot on the volley, the midfielder’s strike cannoned off the turf, before bouncing over the outstretched arm of Rui Patrício in the Roma goal to give Feyenoord a precious lead, while also securing a maiden goal in any UEFA tie.
With his strike, the home side extended their imperious goalscoring run to 28 consecutive matches across all competitions, but at the opposite end of the pitch Feyenoord’s goal continued to live a charmed life. Rising highest from a Roma corner, Roger Ibañez appeared to have headed home a leveller for José Mourinho’s men, only for Lutsharel Geertruida to pop up with a goal-saving clearance on the line to divert the ball away from danger.
Unlike their opponents, Roma have struggled to find the net in recent weeks, failing to score in both of their previous two European away games. A resilient Feyenoord backline ensured that run would stretch to three matches, with Roma’s best chance of the dying stages coming from a speculative Georginio Wijnaldum effort from 25 yards out. It leaves the Giallorossi’s eight-game unbeaten run against Dutch opposition in tatters, while their hopes of back-to-back European titles also remains in doubt.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Sebastian Szymański (Feyenoord)
Manchester United - Sevilla 2-2
Looking to keep up his side’s incredible record of winning this competition every time they’ve reached the quarter-finals, new Sevilla manager José Luis Mendilibar made seven changes to the side that drew with Celta Vigo over the weekend and his new-look side struggled to gel from the off. The visitors were lucky not to be behind in the first minute when Jadon Sancho neatly put the ball in the back of the net, only for the goal to be quickly ruled out for offside.
The hosts were unbeaten in their last 24 matches at Old Trafford and it was easy to see why in the first 20 minutes as they carved the visitors open at will. The player who benefited most from his side's impressive opening performance was Sabitzer who notched a brace during this period courtesy of two dazzling assists. Firstly, Bruno Fernandes took out four players with one pass to put Sabitzer through on goal and finish via a deflection, before Anthony Martial supplied a defence-splitting ball to put the Austrian in once more to coolly fire beyond Yassine Bounou and put the Red Devils two ahead in the early stages.
Sevilla nearly got back into the game with the final action of the first half when Tanguy Nianzou’s header was saved at point-blank range by David de Gea, before Raphaël Varane brilliantly cleared off the line to preserve the hosts’ two-goal lead at the break. Antony almost put the game out of sight for the Red Devils early in the second half when he danced past two defenders before releasing a beautifully curled effort that crashed back off the post.
The visitors gave themselves a lifeline in the tie right at the end of the game when Tyrell Malacia went to sleep at the back post, allowing Jesús Navas to sneak behind him and turn the ball in with the help of deflections from Malacia and De Gea to halve the hosts’ deficit against the run of play. What was looking a straightforward night for Erik ten Hag got even worse in the closing stages when Lisandro Martínez was stretchered off, before the Old Trafford crowd was stunned by a stunning Sevilla equaliser. Top scorer Youssef En-Nesyri's header was drifting well wide of the target, but it took a wicked deflection off United captain Harry Maguire and past De Gea to give the Spaniards the upper hand ahead of the second leg, which will see Red Devils playmaker Bruno Fernandes suspended.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Marcel Sabitzer (Manchester United)
Juventus - Sporting CP 1-0
Given where both teams sit in their respective domestic competitions, they were well aware that the UEL is their most likely path into next season’s UEFA Champions League. The Old Lady, who had never lost at home in the UEL, made a positive start to the game, with Federico Chiesa latching on to Ángel Di María’s long pass before seeing his shot inside the area saved by Antonio Adán. Having knocked current Premier League leaders Arsenal out in the last round, the Portuguese outfit knew they could pose a threat. And after soaking up the early pressure, they grew into the contest with Hidemasa Morita shooting just wide from distance, before captain Sebastián Coates’ acrobatic volley from a corner was well saved by Wojciech Szczęsny.
Rúben Amorim’s side were visibly growing in confidence, with the hosts struggling to keep hold of the ball. On the half-hour mark, their top scorer in the UEL this season, Pedro Gonçalves, had a shot saved at the near post by Szczęsny, before Nuno Santos’ goalbound effort was blocked by Gleison Bremer. The home fans were growing increasingly frustrated, and their mood wasn’t helped when Szczęsny was forced off through injury with HT approaching.
Sporting had won just two of their last 16 UEL knockout games, but they sensed a real opportunity to take the initiative in the second half, with Gonçalves’ shot from range well saved by Mattia Perin two minutes after the restart. Although Juventus had never lost at home in the UEL, they were looking somewhat vulnerable against the lively Lions, who had clearly come to play for more than just a draw.
The game appeared to be meandering towards a stalemate, however the hosts went ahead against the run of play when Federico Gatti forced the ball home from close range, ensuring the Old Lady hold a narrow advantage heading into next week’s second leg in Lisbon.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Federico Gatti (Juventus)
Bayer Leverkusen - Royale Union SG 1-1
Xabi Alonso’s men have roared into life since the Spaniard’s appointment with German football’s ‘eternal bridesmaids’. And their surge up the Bundesliga table has been accompanied by a strong showing in the UEL too, with Die Werkself easing past Ferencváros in their round-of-16 tie. As is so often their way under the 2005 UEFA Champions League winner, Leverkusen began this tie in frantic fashion, and a rapid counter attack ended up at the feet of Florian Wirtz, who twisted and turned around the opposing defenders but could only fire his shot wide of the post.
In the midst of a new golden age after decades of obscurity, Union SG utilised the still-fresh memories of a 6-3 aggregate triumph over Union Berlin in the previous round, and produced a disciplined first-half display. A scintillating run and strike from Victor Boniface earned the visitors a corner from which they almost took full advantage, with Ismaël Kandouss diverting agonisingly against the bar. Yet, the home side should have been ahead before HT, when Jeremie Frimpong’s floated ball was misjudged by Anthony Moris, but Piero Hincapié failed to head in the direction of the open goal.
Both sides were carrying long unbeaten runs, but it was the visitors who came out of the tunnel with more desire, and Les Unionistes only had to wait a few minutes to break through. Teddy Teuma took hold of the ball in midfield and found Boniface in the box, and the Nigerian fired his way to the top of the UEL scoring charts with a second successive match opener on German soil, whipping his shot past Lukáš Hrádecký for a sixth of his European campaign to date.
Suitably shell shocked, the home side were intent to preserve their seven-match winning streak in all competitions, but their battles with the offside flag prevented an immediate breakthrough. Nevertheless, Alonso wasn’t going to let his side go down without a fight, and they kept trying, eventually finding the net with their first attempt on target. Some silky build up play was held up by Sardar Azmoun, and Wirtz arrived to emphatically curl into the far corner from 25 yards out.
Although the result ends Leverkusen’s remarkable winning streak, Die Schwarzroten will no doubt be relieved to have netted the late leveller, and will travel to Brussels for the second leg with heightened belief.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Teddy Teuma (Royale Union SG)
