- Tottenham also in, Besiktas crash out
Faltering Premiership giants, Manchester United ease into the last 16 of the Europa League as their Portuguese defender, Diogo Dalot and Kobbie Mainoo scored on the night to see off Fotbal Club FCSB, formerly called and sometimes still referred to as FC Steaua București of Romania.
However, it was Italian side, Lazio that secured the top spot in the Europa League standings despite a surprising turn of events that saw them suffering their first defeat in the Europa League, losing 0-1 against Braga at the Estadio Municipal de Braga.
For United, after Dalot scored in the 60th minute with an assist from Mainoo, the youngster was again on song finishing coolly in the 68th minute combining with Alejandro Garnacho for United’s second goal that sealed their passage into the last 16 round.
It was a satisfying moment for the two young talents who are on the market for the right price and their performance showed Ruben Amorim what can be harnessed if they are both retained beyond Monday’s deadline.
The performance secured a third consecutive win for Amorim, the first time United have done so this season and gives him a February clear of a playoff to concentrate on training.
Friday’s draw will decide which club, either Midtjylland, Alkmaar, Real Sociedad or Galatasaray that United will confront in March’s next round in a competition that, if claimed, comes with the bonus of Champions League qualification.
The full round-up of action in the Europa League saw Lazio of Italy finishing first in the standings despite a 1-0 defeat at Braga. The hosts got the only goal in the sixth minute as Ricardo Horta fired home from Victor Gómez’s cross, but it was not enough to send them through as they missed a playoff place on goal difference.
Athletic Bilbao placed second after a 3-1 home win over Viktoria Plzen, with Nico Williams opening the scoring after 25 minutes. Roma’s 2-0 home win over Eintracht Frankfurt earned the Italians a seeded playoff spot, Angeliño and Eldur Shomurodov goals forcing Frankfurt down to fifth.
Lyon, who were held to a 1-1 draw by Ludogorets, and Olympiakos, who saw off bottom side Qarabag 3-0 with Ayoub El Kaabi striking twice, complete the top eight with Manchester United, Tottenham and Rangers.
Bodø/Glimt let a last-16 place slip as they conceded an equalizer away to eliminate Nice while Hoffenheim earned a dramatic 4-3 win at Anderlecht, but it was not enough to keep the visitors’ European bid alive. Tom Bischof and Adam Hlozek helped Hoffenheim take a 4-1 lead, but Anderlecht fought back and missed a late chance to level from a corner and take the final last-16 place from Rangers.
Twente advanced at the expense of Besiktas, Daan Rots’ 76th-minute winner earning a home win in a game where both teams needed three points to advance. José Mourinho’s Fenerbahce clung on to the very last unseeded playoff spot after letting a two-goal lead slip to draw 2-2 at Midtjylland.
Ajax climbed above Galatasaray among the seeded playoff teams with a 2-1 home win, Kian Fitz-Jim finishing a quick break for what proved to be the decisive goal. Real Sociedad finished in 13th, between those two sides, as Orri Óskarsson’s double defeated PAOK Salonika.
Porto edged into the playoffs with a 1-0 win at Maccabi Tel Aviv, ending the hosts’ faint chances of progress. Ferencvaros secured their playoff place with a 4-3 win over AZ Alkmaar, Mohamed Ben Romdhane’s double giving the hosts a 4-1 lead before two consolation goals in stoppage time. – With The Guardian sport report
