Europa League

Europa League, Conference League: How to watch, predictions, updates, scores, schedule, fixtures

0 Comments

The UEFA Europa League and Conference League quarterfinal field is set, but not before Arsenal bowed out of the tournament to Sporting Lisbon in penalties.

Manchester United and West Ham had no such trouble in qualifying for the next stage, with blowout wins on aggregate over Real Betis in the UEL and AEK Larnaca in the UECL, respectively.

[ LIVE: Europa League scores ]

Manchester United and Sporting Lisbon are joined in the quarters by Juventus, Feyenoord, Sevilla, AS Roma, Bayer Leverkusen, Union Saint-Gilloise.

West Ham

[ LIVE: Conference League scores ]

The final of the Europa League will be played in Budapest, while the Conference League final will be in Prague.

Below are details on the Europa League and Conference League, including how to watch info, the playoff draw, dates and schedule.


UEFA Europa League, Conference League, schedule, dates, how to watch

Dates: Round of 16 – Thursday March 9 and Thursday March 16
Online: Live updates via NBCSports.com
How to watch: TUDN, Paramount+


Europa League quarterfinal & semifinal draws

Quarterfinals – April 13 & 20

Manchester United vs Sevilla
Juventus vs Sporting CP
Feyenoord vs Roma
Bayer Leverkusen vs Union St. Gilloise

Semifinals – May 11 & 18

Manchester United/Sevilla vs Juventus/Sporting CP
Feyenoord/Roma vs Bayer Leverkusen/Union St. Gilloise


UEFA Europa League last 16 schedule, results

Round of 16 second leg – Thursday, March 15

Freiburg 0-2 (0-3 agg.) Juventus
Feyenoord 7-1 (8-2 agg.) Shakhtar Donetsk
Fenerbahce 1-0 (1-2 agg.) Sevilla
Real Betis 0-1 (1-5 agg.) Manchester United – Recap/player ratings/video highlights

Real Sociedad 0-0 (0-2 agg.) AS Roma
Ferencvaros 0-2 (0-4 agg.) Bayer Leverkusen
Union Saint-Gilloise 3-0 (6-3 agg.) Union Berlin
Arsenal 1-1 (3-3 aet) Sporting Lisbon — Sporting wins in pens — Recap/player ratings/video highlights

Round of 16 first leg – Thursday, March 9

AS Roma 2-0 Real Sociedad
Bayer Leverkusen 2-0 Ferencvaros
Sporting Lisbon 2-2 Arsenal – Recap/player ratings/video highlights
Union Berlin 3-3 Union Saint-Gilloise

Juventus 1-0 Freiburg
Manchester United 4-1 Real Betis – Recap/player ratings/video highlights
Sevilla 2-0 Fenerbahce
Shakhtar Donetsk 1-1 Feyenoord


Europa Conference League quarterfinal & semifinal draws

Quarterfinals – April 13 & 20

Gent vs West Ham
Anderlecht vs AZ Alkmaar
Lech Poznan vs Fiorentina
Basel vs Nice

Semifinals – May 11 & 18

Gent/West Ham vs Anderlecht/AZ Alkmaar
Lech Poznan/Fiorentina vs Basel/Nice


UEFA Europa Conference League last 16 schedule

Round of 16 first leg – Thursday, March 16

Istanbul Basaksehir 1-4 Gent (2-5 agg) — Wednesday, March 15*

Slovan Bratislava 2-2 (5-5 agg.) Basel — Basel wins 4-1 in penalties
Djurgarden 0-3 (0-5 agg.) Lech Poznan
Sivasspor 1-4 (1-5 agg.) Fiorentina

AZ Alkmaar 2-1 (4-2 agg.) Porto
West Ham 4-0 (6-0 agg.)  AEK Larnaca
Villarreal 0-1 (1-2 agg.) Anderlecht
Nice 3-1 (4-1 agg.) Sheriff Tiraspol

Round of 16 first leg – Thursday, March 9

Lazio 1-2 AZ Alkmaar (played Tuesday, March 7 due to Lazio and Roma sharing stadium)

AEK Larnaca 0-2 West Ham United
Anderlecht 1-1 Villarreal
Sheriff Tiraspol 0-1 Nice

Basel 2-2 Slovan Bratislava
Fiorentina 1-0 Sivasspor
Gent 1-1 Istanbul Basaksehir
Lech Poznan 2-0 Djurgardens

 


Sporting Lisbon eliminates Arsenal from Europa League in penalties

0 Comments

Antonio Adan stopped Gabriel Martinelli’s penalty, the only such miss by either Arsenal or Sporting Lisbon, as visiting Sporting swept the Gunners out of the Europa League on Thursday at the Emirates Stadium.

Arsenal and Sporting Lisbon needed penalty kicks to decide who’d head to the Europa League quarterfinals after Pedro Goncalves long distance goal forced extra time at the Emirates Stadium on Thursday.

Aaron Ramsdale got two hands to one of Sporting’s penalties but the ball made its way inside the goal anyway.

[ MORE: How to watch Premier League in USA ]

Granit Xhaka had put Sporting ahead but the Gunners couldn’t solve seven-save Antonio Adan a second time and Goncalves put Ramsdale on a poster with a 45-yard lofted goal.

Arsenal had an early lead in the first leg but found itself in need of a second-half Sporting own goal equalizer to head back to North London on level footing.

Sporting played the final two minutes of extra time with 10 men after Manuel Ugarte collected a second yellow card.


Gunners show heart, lack finish as hot goalkeeper cooks Arsenal

This one stings on so many levels.

Arsenal, the Premier League title favorites, led Sporting with a half-hour to go and just needed to get it over the line to reach the Europa League quarterfinals.

Then came an immaculate bit of genius from Pedro Goncalves, who lobbed Aaron Ramsdale from more 45, maybe 50 yards away from goal. It was 1-1 in the 62nd minute.

Arsenal wasn’t just in danger of being eliminated from the competition; The Gunners were now facing the possibility of extra time and 120, not 90 minutes, on some of their players legs ahead of Sunday’s Premier League visit from Crystal Palace. Gabriel Magalhaes, Granit Xhaka, Gabriel Martinelli, Oleksandr Zinchenko, and Ramsdale went 120 minutes.

And there’s the mental side: Arsenal poured their hearts into this and it was apparent from substitute Martin Odegaard’s Emirates Stadium exhortations that the Gunners very much care about winning anything on offer.

But they also will look at the xG numbers — 1.89-1.18 — and feel there was a lost chance. Arsenal was credit with four “big chances” by FotMob to just one for Sporting, but was out-attempted 15-13 and lost at home.

This is a strong bunch and we’ve seen the Gunners rally after losing to Man City, and after blowing the first leg lead away to Sporting. Still, Mikel Arteta has a significant couple of days ahead of him.


Arsenal vs Sporting Lisbon player ratings: Stars of the Show

Antonio Adan: Seven saves on 2.31 xGOT faced for the Sporting Lisbon goalkeeper.

Pedro Goncalves: He had four shot attempts, but beating Aaron Ramsdale from back in Lisbon was special.

Granit Xhaka: It’s not just the goal, which came from the desire to follow the ball into the area, as Arsenal’s longtime leader racked up 12 recoveries and won 16-of-22 tackles.

Arsenal vs Sporting player ratings
fotmob.com

What’s next?

Arsenal hosts Crystal Palace at 10am ET Sunday, while Sporting Lisbon is off until after the international break.


Granit Xhaka goal video: Swiss mid finishes rebound

Pedro Goncalves goal video: Ramsdale lofted from distance


How to watch Arsenal vs Sporting Lisbon, stream link, kick off time

Date/Time: Thursday, March 14 at 4pm ET
Stats: Via scoreboard on NBCSports.com
How to watchTUDN, Paramount+


Key storylines & star players

The Emirates Stadium is going to be electric on Thursday as Arsenal fans see their men within a win over the Europa League quarterfinals and showing few signs of being ill-equipped for a Premier League title run. Throw in more Gabriel Jesus and Leandro Trossard after the pair missed out in Portugal, please.

Marcus Edwards is the fun foil for this one, as the ex-Tottenham forward has found himself a massive part of Sporting. The winger has double-digit goals and assists so far this season. Goncalo Inacio and Jeremiah St. Juste also impressed as part of the Portuguese powers’ back four.


Arsenal team news, injuries, lineup

OUT: Mohamed Elneny (knee), Eddie Nketiah (ankle).

Marcus Rashford’s sweet strike highlights Manchester United advancement

0 Comments

Marcus Rashford scored a beauty as Manchester United continued their pursuit of trophy no. 2 with a 1-0 second leg win over Real Betis in the Europa League Round of 16 on Thursday in Seville.

The win joined last week’s blowout 4-1 win at Old Trafford to give the Red Devils a 5-1 aggregate win and a berth in the UEL quarterfinals.

[ LIVE: Europa League scores ]

The quarterfinal draw will be held at 8am ET Friday in Switzerland, and Manchester United joins Juventus, Sevilla, and Feyenoord in the draw.

Four of Ferencvaros, Bayer Leverkusen, Union Saint-Gilloise, Union Berlin, Real Sociedad, AS Roma, Arsenal, and Sporting Lisbon will join the quarterfinal field following 4pm ET Thursday second legs.

[ MORE: How to watch Premier League in USA ]


Easy, breezy win shows Red Devils well-drilled

A 4-1 first-leg lead makes going about your business pretty simple, but Erik ten Hag’s men made it look easy to boot.

Casemiro looked like a man playing a few games at once, which is fitting given his latest red card suspension in Premier League play, and David Dea was in control of his box with two saves and eight recoveries.

A rest for Raphael Varane and some valuable minutes for Facundo Pellistri (below) to start and Anthony Elanga opff the bench made this a straight-forward showing for Ten Hag, who will feel his team is humming as it hits Friday morning’s quarterfinal draw.

Real Betis vs Manchester United live
Facundo Pellistri (Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images)

Real Betis vs Manchester United player ratings: Stars of the Show

Marcus Rashford: You might say he was wasteful with his four shots if not for the quality of his strike from distance to make it 5-1 on aggregate.

Casemiro: Over 100 touches, four chances created, and 12 recoveries on a monstrous bounce back from his weekend red card. Got the assist on Rashford’s goal.

Juanmi: Was credited with five shots and four chances created in the loss.

Betis vs Manchester United player ratings
fotmob.com

What’s next?

Manchester United hosts Fulham at 12:30pm ET Sunday in the FA Cup quarterfinals.

Sporting won’t play again until after the international break, when they’ll be home to Santa Clara on April 2.


Marcus Rashford goal video: Sublime strike for Rashford


How to watch Real Betis vs Manchester United live, stream link and start time

Kick off: 1:45pm ET Thursday
TV Channel/Stream: Paramount Plus
Updates: Via NBCSports.com


Key storylines & star players

Casemiro was shown a straight red card for the second time in just eight appearances over the weekend, meaning he will miss Man United’s next four games in domestic competitions, but he remains available for the ongoing run through the Europa League. With a thin squad of players and a congested fixture list, manager Erik ten Hag will be forced to rely on his typically composed midfield anchor, even if only to keep someone else in the team fresh for the weekend.


Manchester United team news, injuries, lineup options

OUT: Alejandro Garnacho (ankle), Christian Eriksen (ankle), Donny van de Beek (knee), Mason Greenwood (suspension – MORE) | QUESTIONABLE: Anthony Martial (hip), Marcel Sabitzer (knock), Victor Lindelof (illness)

Follow @AndyEdMLS

Manchester United clobbers Betis as Bruno leads bounce back

0 Comments

Manchester United smashed Real Betis 4-1 on Thursday in a surprising and lopsided Europa League Round of 16 first leg at Old Trafford.

Bruno Fernandes had a goal and an assist as United issued a resounding response to their 7-0 loss to Liverpool at the weekend, the Red Devils also getting goals from Marcus Rashford, Antony, and Wout Weghorst.

[ MORE: Europa League scores, stats, more ]

Betis is fifth in La Liga and feeling good after a scoreless draw with Real Madrid at the weekend, and Ayoze Perez’s 32nd-minute equalizer had the Spaniards poised for a big second half that did not materialize for the visitors.

The club last won a trophy with the 2021-22 Copa del Rey, and would be thrilled to add a continental crown to its trophy case.

[ MORE: How to watch Premier League in USA ]


Manchester United vs Real Betis player ratings: Stars of the Show

Bruno Fernandes: The people who scapegoated Bruno for Sunday will be singing his praises four days later; Goal, assist, five chances created, and eight recoveries in a feisty display.

Wout Weghorst: Deservedly got a goal at the end of what was easily his best shift in a Red Devils shirt.

Juanmi: Veteran winger got the job done but wasn’t helped along by teammates.

Marcus Rashford: Wasn’t his best overall performance by any stretch, but him scoring the opener set the table for United’s bounce back blowout win.

Manchester United vs Real Betis player ratings
fotmob.com

Marcus Rashford goal video: Forward smashes Red Devils in front

Ayoze Perez goal video: Former Newcastle, Leicester man evens the score

Antony goal video: Ajax import puts Red Devils back on top

Bruno Fernandes goal video: Portuguese thuds header home for 3-1

Wout Weghorst goal video: And the Wout rout is on


How to watch Manchester United vs Real Betis live, stream link and start time

Kick off: 3pm ET Thursday
TV Channel/Stream: Paramount Plus
Updates: Via NBCSports.com


Key storylines & star players

All of Manchester United’s players will be watched for their response to the brutal loss at Anfield, and the potential absence of Casemiro looms large. Marcus Rashford and Bruno Fernandes will be keys to success.

Betis is living life without Nabil Fekir, and looking hard in the direction of 10-goal man Borja Iglesias, who leads the club in both goals and assists in La Liga play. Brazilian playmaker Luis Henrique remains one to watch, too, as the 22-year-old continues to adjust to the level after coming up through the ranks at Fluminese.


Manchester United team news, injuries, lineup options

OUT: Donny van de Beek (knee), Christian Eriksen (ankle), Anthony Martial (groin), Mason Greenwood (investigation)

Real Betis team news, injuries, lineup options

OUT: Nabik Fekir (ACL), Martin Montoya (undisclosed)

Arsenal fights back to claim 2-2 first leg draw at Sporting Lisbon

0 Comments

Arsenal’s Europa League goals are alive following a 2-2 draw with Sporting Lisbon in a Round of 16 first leg on Thursday in Portugal.

William Saliba staked the Gunners to an early lead but the hosts struck twice before Arsenal found level footing through a Sporting own goal.

The game collected more than 4 expected goals, spread pretty evenly between the two teams as Arsenal took 14 of the game’s 24 shots but needed USMNT goalkeeper Matt Turner for four big saves in the draw.

[ MORE: Europa League scores, stats, more ]

The second leg will be played at 4pm ET Thursday, March 16 at the Emirates Stadium.

The Gunners sit five points above two-time defending champions Manchester City as they chase their first PL title since 2004, all the while they chase their first European trophy since lifting the 1993-94 Cup Winners’ Cup.

[ MORE: How to watch Premier League in USA ]

Ahead of the round of 16 first legs on Thursday, Arsenal are joint-betting favorites to win the Europa League, checking in at +250 alongside fellow PL side Manchester United.

(Betting odds provided by our partner, BetMGM ) BetMGM is our Official Sports Betting Partner and we may receive compensation if you place a bet on BetMGM for the first time after clicking our links.


Sporting vs Arsenal player ratings: Stars of the Show

Goncalo Inacio: The 21-year-old goal scorer looks the latest in a long line of star CBs from Portugal.

Bukayo Saka: Buzzed up and down the right but didn’t quite have his finishing boots. On another day…

William Saliba: A very decent goal and not at specific fault for either of Sporting’s tallies.

Marcus Edwards: Ex-Tottenham winger will relish frustrations he heaped on Arsenal’s left flank.

Sporting vs Arsenal player ratings
fotmob.com

What’s next?

Arsenal heads to Fulham for a 10am ET Sunday meeting in the Premier League before the second leg hits North London on Thursday.

Lisbon hosts Boavista at 4:30pm ET Sunday.


William Saliba goal video: Gunners take lead in 22′

Goncalo Inacio goal video: Lisbon levels it

Paulinho goal video: Portuguese hosts go in-front

Sporting Lisbon own goal video: 2-2!

 


How to watch Sporting vs Arsenal live, stream link and start time

Kick off: 12:45pm ET Thursday
TV Channel/Stream: Paramount Plus
Updates: Via NBCSports.com


Key storylines & star players

Star striker Gabriel Jesus has been out since the World Cup after undergoing knee surgery, but the Brazilian is nearing a return to action — so much so that manager Mikel Arteta wouldn’t go so far as to rule him out during his Wednesday pre-match press conference.

“News on the squad will be tomorrow. We have brought a few players and you will see tomorrow who is available.

“We will try not to rush him back, we will try to make a fair assessment between what he needs and when is comfortable and as well giving the team a boost that it’s going to need in the next few weeks for sure.

“Everything is going well, he needs time as well to get himself that confidence and that physical state that is necessary to compete with a free mind and once he’s free to do that, we will throw him in.”


Arsenal team news, injuries, lineup options

OUT: Mohamed Elneny (knock) | QUESTIONABLE: Gabriel Jesus (knee), Leandro Trossard (groin), Eddie Nketiah (undisclosed)

Follow @AndyEdMLS