The following is the draw for the Europa League quarter-finals made by UEFA on Friday:
Arsenal vs Napoli
Villarreal vs Valencia
Benfica vs Eintracht Frankfurt
Slavia Prague vs Chelsea
NAN
Tag: Europa League
-
Europa League: Arsenal, Milan win, as Celtic slump in Salzburg
A second-string Arsenal enjoyed a 3-0 win in Azerbaijan against Qarabag in the Europa League on Thursday while AC Milan beat Greece’s Olympiakos 3-1.
Eighteen-year-old Emile Smith Rowe, a product of the club’s academy was on target as the Gunners maintained their winning start in the competition.
Sokratis Papastathopoulos and Matteo Guendouzi also scored for Unai Emery’s side who sit atop Group E with six points.
Milan trailed to a Miguel Angel Guerrero goal at the San Siro but a late flurry of goals ensured victory for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.
Patrick Cutrone scored twice for the Italians and Argentine Gonzalo Higuain was also on target as Group F side Milan also made it two wins out of two.
RB Salzburg came back from a goal down to beat Scotland’s Celtic 3-1 in Austria.
Odsonne Edouard’s cool finish put Celtic in front in the second minute but Munas Dabbur and Takumi Minamino scored after the break.
Celtic’s James Forrest was sent off after a foul in the area and Dabbur slotted home the resulting penalty to put the game beyond Brendan Rodgers’ side.
Substitute Lucas Alario scored a brace for Bayer Leverkusen in their 4-2 win over Cypriot side AEK Larnaca.
Last year’s runners-up Marseille are in action later against Cypriot side Apollon as are Sevilla, winners of the competition three times between 2013 and 2016, and Chelsea. (Reuters/NAN)
-
Hazard left out of Chelsea squad for Europa League opener
Chelsea playmaker Eden Hazard has not been included in the squad for their Europa League group stage opener at Greek side PAOK on Thursday, the Premier League club said.
The Belgian is among four players left in London by manager Maurizio Sarri along with centre back David Luiz, midfielder Mateo Kovacic and left-back Emerson Palmieri.
Hazard has made a flying start to the season with five goals in as many Premier League appearances.
This is including a hat-trick in his most recent outing against Cardiff City at the weekend.
Sarri’s decision to leave Hazard out of the Europa League Group L match will keep the attacking midfielder fresh for Sunday’s league trip across London to West Ham United.
Chelsea top the Premier League table ahead of Liverpool on goal difference with five wins in their opening five matches.(Reuters/NAN)
-
Arsenal Face Ostersund, Celtic to Play Zenit in Europa League
Meanwhile, The Scottish champions Celtic were in the unseeded pot for the first of the Europa League’s knockout rounds.
They finished third in their Champions League group, following last week’s home defeat by Anderlecht, to drop into Europe’s second-tier competition.
Celtic host Zenit on 15 February and travel to St Petersburg on 22 February.
Following a third-place finish last season, Zenit are currently fourth in Russia’s Premier League, behind Krasnodar, Spartak Moscow and Lokomotiv Moscow.
Zenit, who beat Rangers in 2008 final to win the Uefa Cup, and went on to win the Uefa Super Cup that season, have won the Russian title five times.
The Russian outfit is managed by former Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini.
FULL DRAW
Borussia Dortmund v Atalanta
Nice v Lokomotov Moscow
Copenhagen v Atlético Madrid
Spartak Moscow v Athletic Bilbao
AEK Athens v Dynamo Kyiv
Celtic v Zenit St Petersburg
Napoli v RB Leipzig
Crvena Zvezda v CSKA Moscow
Lyon v Villarreal
Real Sociedad v Salzburg
Partizan Belgrade v Viktoria Plzen
Steaua Bucharest v Lazio
Ludogorets v Milan
Astana v Sporting
Ostersund v Arsenal
Marseille v Braga -
Europa League: Giroud snatch late victory for Arsenal
Olivier Giroud on Thursday snatched a late victory for Arsenal as the Gunners defeated hosts Red Star Belgrade by a lone goal in an Europa League Group H encounter.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Arsenal beat 10-man Red Star Belgrade 1-0, thanks to Giroud’s acrobatic late goal in an intimidating atmosphere in Serbia.
Both sides missed chances as Theo Walcott came close for Arsenal in the first half while Richmond Boaqye hit the woodwork at the other end and Petr Cech did well to keep out a Nemanja Radonjic effort.
Roared on by their faithful supporters, Red Star kept going at a makeshift Arsenal side in the second half and Cech again rescued the visitors when he palmed over the bar a fierce Slavoljub Smic shot.
Red Star goalkeeper Milan Borjan denied Reiss Nelson as Arsenal came forward in numbers in search of a winner.
The much sort after goal came after the home side had left back Milan Rodic sent off for a second bookable offence in the 81st minute.
The victory meant that Arsenal topped Group H with a maximum nine points from three games after returning to winning ways following their 2-1 defeat by Watford in the Premier League.
BATE Borisov are second after beating Bundesliga side FC Koln, who have lost all three games in their first European campaign in 20 years.
Real Sociedad hammered FK Vardar 6-0 with the help of four goals from Brazilian forward Willian Jose.
Fellow LaLiga side Athletic Bilbao were left on the brink of elimination as they drew 2-2 at Swedish side, Oestersunds FK.
A late goal from veteran striker Aritz Aduriz prevented a second consecutive defeat for the 2012 finalists, who are third in Group J on two points, four behind second-placed Zorya and five behind leaders Oestersunds. (NAN)
-
SCORES FOR EUROPA LEAGUE MATCHES
Europa League – Group A
Slavia Prague
1 – 0
Maccabi Tel Aviv
Villarreal
3 – 1
FC Astana
Europa League – Group B
Dynamo Kyiv
3 – 1
Skenderbeu
Young Boys
1 – 1
Partizan Beograd
Europa League – Group C
Hoffenheim
1 – 2
Braga
Istanbul Basaksehir
0 – 0
Ludogorets Razgrad
Europa League – Group D
Austria Wien
1 – 5
AC Milan
Rijeka
1 – 2
AEK Athens
Europa League – Group E
Apollon Limassol
1 – 1
Lyon
Atalanta
3 – 0
Everton
Europa League – Group F
FC Koebenhavn
0 – 0
Lokomotiv Moscow
Zlin
0 – 0
FC Sheriff
Europa League – Group G
FC FCSB
3 – 0
Viktoria Plzen
Hapoel Beer Sheva
2 – 1
Lugano
Europa League – Group H
FK Crvena Zvezda
1 – 1
Arsenal
3 – 1
FC Cologne
Europa League – Group I
Marseille
1 – 0
Konyaspor
Vitoria de Guimaraes
1 – 1
Salzburg
Europa League – Group J
Hertha Berlin
0 – 0
Athletic Bilbao
Zorya
0 – 2
Oestersunds FK
Europa League – Group K
Vitesse
2 – 3
Lazio
Zulte-Waregem
1 – 5
Nice
Europa League – Group L
FK Vardar Skopje
0 – 5
Zenit St. Petersburg
Real Sociedad
4 – 0
Rosenborg
-
Rooney upbeat ahead Goodison Park return
Wayne Rooney is relishing the prospect of playing in Europe for Everton as he prepares for an emotional Goodison Park homecoming on Thursday night.
The striker is expected to make his second competitive debut for the Toffees when they take on Slovakian side MFK Ruzomberok in the UEFA Europa League third qualifying round, first leg.
Rooney, 31, joined Everton at the age of nine but didn’t get the opportunity to play for them in Europe during his two seasons in the first team between 2002 and 2004
Now he’ll get his chance and admitted that if Everton were to progress and win the competition, it would be a better feeling than winning it with Manchester United last season.
‘Something I always wanted to do was play in Europe with Everton,’ he told Everton’s official website.
‘I was a bit disappointed not to do that before but now I’ll have a chance. Obviously I won the trophy last year so I’m hoping as a club we can go far and, you never know, try to win it. It would be even better.
‘The first game back will be an emotional day for me and I’m looking forward to it.
‘Overall, I’m looking forward to the season, hopefully getting back playing regularly, and trying to help this club move forward.’
Rooney has already looked sharp in the two friendly matches he has been involved in since his free transfer back to Goodison Park from United.
He scored in both the 2-1 win over Kenyan champions Gor Mahia in Tanzania and in the 1-1 draw with Belgian side Genk on Saturday.
Now he is set to make his first appearance in Everton colours at Goodison in a competitive match since May 2004.
‘You always get that feeling when you’re walking out the tunnel so to actually do it again in an Everton shirt will be a special moment for me.
‘It’s always been a special place to come and play, even when I’ve been on the opposing side.
‘It’s been a positive start back here. It’s great that we got so many players in early as we’ve been able to work together for nearly a month before the first game, get to know each other and how everyone plays. It’s great to see and great to be a part of.’
-
Manchester United draw Celta Vigo in Europa League semi-final
Manchester United face Celta Vigo and Ajax have drawn against Lyon in the Europa League semi-finals.
Jose Mourinho’s men battled past Anderlecht in extra-time thanks to a winner from young striker Marcus Rashford on Thursday, winning 3-2 on aggregate.
Their semi-final opponents, Spanish side Celta, eliminated Genk 4-3 on aggregate after drawing 1-1 in the second leg in Belgium this week.
The first-leg of their encounter on will be play March 4, before welcoming them back to Old Trafford the following week.
Meanwhile, Ajax, who beat Schalke in the last round with a 4-3 aggregate win after extra-time, will host Lyon in the first leg of the tie.
-
Europa: Rooney returns against St Etienne
Wayne Rooney has made a surprise return to training at Manchester United, paving the way for a first-team return at St Etienne in the Europa League on Wednesday.
Rooney, 31, had been expected to miss the clash with Les Verts, who trail 3-0 from last week’s first leg at Old Trafford.
He sat out the FA Cup fifth-round victory at Blackburn Rovers two days ago with a muscle strain.
Manager Jose Mourinho then appeared to rule the club captain out of the St Etienne trip, saying: “I don’t think he will recover.”
But Rooney has now put himself back into contention, not only for the Europa League tie but also for Sunday’s EFL Cup final against Southampton at Wembley after joining his United teammates on the training pitch.
Rooney has not started a game for United since the FA Cup fourth-round win at home to Wigan Athletic on Jan. 29 and has not appeared at all since the 0-0 Premier League draw against Hull City on Feb. 1.
That has led to renewed speculation that he could move to the Chinese Super League before next Tuesday’s Chinese transfer deadline.
But with such a move regarded as unlikely, Rooney could now return to action in France.
Mourinho’s players are due to fly to France this lunchtime, with the suspended Ander Herrera and injured Phil Jones the only expected absentees.
-
Gomis out for six weeks
Marseille’s hopes of European qualification have suffered a blow with the news captain Bafetimbi Gomis has been ruled out for up to six weeks through injury.
Gomis was injured in a 50-50 challenge with Nantes’ Diego Carlos in Sunday’s 3-2 defeat at the Stade de la Beaujoire, a game in which the on-loan Swansea City striker scored twice before limping off after 66 minutes.
A club statement on Tuesday revealed the extent of the damage.
It read: “The results confirmed the diagnosis made by the medical team at the Beaujoire at the time, namely a sprain of the internal lateral ligament.
“The Olympique captain will be unavailable for a period of four to six weeks.”
Former Saint-Etienne and Lyon forward Gomis has been in impressive form since returning to France in July, scoring 17 goals in 27 appearances for Marseille in all competitions this season.
His efforts have helped Rudi Garcia’s men climb to sixth in the Ligue 1 table, four points behind Lyon, who occupy the Europa League qualification spot.