Europa League roundup: Sevilla soar into semi-finals, Roma win in extra time
Sevilla 3 Manchester United 0
Sevilla continued their rich history in the Europa League, as a 3-0 victory over Manchester United at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan saw the six-time winners progress 5-2 on aggregate while extending their unbeaten record against the Red Devils to five matches.
Having relinquished control of the first leg with two own goals in the final 10 minutes, United knew a positive response was needed in the early stages.
However, any hopes of a solid start were undone within eight minutes, as a calamitous error from Harry Maguire was pounced upon by Erik Lamela, with Youssef En-Nesyri picking up the loose ball and finishing confidently beyond David de Gea to put the hosts ahead.
Backed by the fervent home support, the Spanish side continued to stamp their authority on proceedings during an entertaining opening half-hour, although clear-cut chances came at a premium for both sides.
With halftime looming, the hosts had the ball in the net for a second time after a sublime strike from Lucas Ocampos, however much to United’s relief, VAR intervened and disallowed the goal for a marginal offside, keeping the deficit to just a single goal going into the interval.
Intent on building upon their first-half dominance, Sevilla emerged after the restart with a renewed focus, and duly doubled their lead within two minutes, as Loic Bade rose highest to meet Ivan Rakitic’s corner, looping a header over de Gea.
Faced with a two-goal deficit, the visitors - unbeaten in their last 10 European matches - desperately searched for a route back into the contest, however, Yassine Bounou stood firm to deny Casemiro, while Wout Weghorst saw a dangerous effort blocked by the brilliant Nemanja Gudelj.
With time ticking into the final 15 minutes, United continued to toil in the final third, with even the return of Marcus Rashford failing to ignite any kind of spark in the Red Devils’ frontline.
This enabled Sevilla to coast through the closing exchanges, with En-Nesyri adding his second of the evening after an inexplicable De Gea mistake, sending the rampant hosts into a first Europa League semi-final since 2019/20.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Nemanja Gudelj (Sevilla)
Roma 4 Feyenoord 1 (a.e.t)
AS Roma’s quest for a first-ever Europa League trophy was rescued by a stunning cameo from substitute Paulo Dybala as they overturned a one-goal aggregate deficit to beat 10-man Feyenoord 4-1 on the night.
Jose Mourinho said back in 2013 that he “didn’t want to win the Europa League” but fast forward a decade and his Roma side started their quarter-final 2nd leg against Feyenoord with an intensity and urgency in utter opposition to their manager’s infamous wishes.
That very same intensity threatened to boil over in the 31st minute when Roma’s assistant coach Salvatore Foti became embroiled in an altercation with Santiago Gimenez, and although the Mexican forward made the most of the coming together, referee Anthony Taylor sent Foti to the stands.
All of Mourinho’s great teams have been built on a solid foundation of pragmatism and efficiency, but the breakthrough came on 60 minutes under the guise of pure fortune.
The ball clearly looked to have gone out for a Roma corner but the officials awarded the hosts a throw-in, instead. Despite, what at first glance, appeared to be a slight against Mourinho’s men, the decision worked in their favour as the ball was hurled into the box and after some pinball in the area, Leonardo Spinazzola’s scuffed shot nestled into the corner.
Roma have conceded just nine goals in Serie A at home all season, but they were rocked by a thigh injury to reliable centre-back Chris Smalling.
Moments after the Englishman exited stage left, Feyenoord scored what looked to be an unlikely aggregate winner when Brazilian substitute Igor Paixao ghosted into the gap vacated by Smalling and nodded in.
Mourinho had sent on his big hitters midway through the second half in an attempt to secure his side’s path to the semis, and it was his biggest hitter of all in the form of Dybala, who popped up in the 89th minute to send the tie into extra time.
It was Dybala again at the heart of the hosts’ sumptuous attacking interplay in extra time, first starting the move which saw Stephan El Shaarawy convert the simplest of tap-ins.
The mercurial talent then carved open the Eredivisie leaders’ defence once again with a through pass to fellow substitute Tammy Abraham, whose saved shot was subsequently finished by Lorenzo Pellegrini.
The result was compounded by a late Gimenez red card as Roma inflicted defeat over the very same team they beat in last season’s Europa Conference League final to yet more European heartache.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Paulo Dybala (Roma)
Sporting CP 1 Juventus 1
Juventus have reached their first European semi-final in six years after drawing 1-1 with Sporting in Lisbon, winning 2-1 on aggregate to reach the last four of the Europa League after earlier seeing their 15-point Serie A deduction provisionally overturned.
Despite such good news on the domestic front, Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri needed to focus on the job at hand, and made three changes from the first leg.
The effects of the treble switch weren’t immediate, but first blood went to the Old Lady in the ninth minute, after Federico Chiesa’s corner came off Hidemasa Morita and Sebastian Coates failed to clear. The ball dropped to Alex Sandro, whose fluffed attempt at a bicycle kick landed at Adrien Rabiot’s feet for him to fire in and double the Italian visitors’ aggregate advantage.
However, the Frenchman soon went from hero to villain, when Marcus Edwards burst down the right and saw his cross ricochet off Francisco Trincao and hit the woodwork. The danger wasn’t over though, and Rabiot didn’t see Manuel Ugarte charging in to seize possession, bringing down the Uruguayan for a clear penalty.
Edwards stepped up bravely, slotting home the resulting spot-kick to alter the game’s complexion, and Ousmane Diomande could well have levelled the tie before halftime, but his header from a Pedro Goncalves corner bobbled just wide.
The quick pace of the contest continued after the break, but big opportunities were few and far between for much of the 90 minutes.
That said, Dusan Vlahovic had a chance to end his six-game scoring drought at club level, but the Serbian was off-balance and instead diverted Juan Cuadrado’s ball wide of the target with the goal gaping.
Chiesa then blazed over, before Allegri’s opposite number Rúben Amorim saw the glint of extra time in his eyes, but neither Ricardo Esgaio nor Coates were able to demonstrate the necessary composure, as Danilo made a vital clearance off the line from the home captain.
Juventus withstood a mound of late pressure and will meet Sevilla in a mouthwatering semi-final clash, with June’s final in Budapest now potentially just 180 minutes away.
Sporting, meanwhile, only have league matters to focus on now, and must surge on home shores if they are to bridge the seven-point gap to third-placed Braga and qualify for the 2023/24 Champions League.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Manuel Ugarte (Sporting)
Royale Union SG 1 Bayer Leverkusen 4
Bayer Leverkusen crushed the dreams of Belgian minnows Royale Union Saint-Gilloise as they cruised to a 4-1 Europa League quarter-final second-leg victory, sending Bayer to their first European semi-final in 22 years.
Royale Union's rise has been remarkable, and the Brussels-based side went toe-to-toe with their more storied opponents in the first leg as they battled to a draw at the BayArena.
A sea of yellow at adopted home Lotto Park were on hand to greet them, but the raucous crowds were almost immediately subdued when they went behind on the night and in the tie within less than two minutes.
A mix-up between Christian Burgess and Senne Lynen resulted in Moussa Diaby being played through, and the Frenchman rounded Anthony Moris to net a crucial opener.
That goal was one of the fastest scored in the Europa League so far this season, but Union courageously pushed to restore parity. Leverkusen’s abundant quality, though, has been truly unlocked by Xabi Alonso in recent months, and the German side only needed one more chance to make it two.
Adam Hlozek’s pinpoint floated ball found Mitchel Bakker, who volleyed underneath the goalkeeper to double his side’s lead at the interval.
Europa League debutants Union have been the feel-good story of this year’s competition, and they returned from the dressing room all guns blazing.
However, while the introduction of the dynamic Simon Adingra gave them extra potency in the final third, it was their failings at the back which became their undoing once more.
Burgess played Moris into danger, and the goalkeeper failed to clear his lines as Bakker closed him down, instead scuffing a kick straight to Jeremie Frimpong before the wing-back put the tie to bed.
Nevertheless, Union possessed the belief that only a side in their position can, and substitute Casper Terho’s deflected shot caught Lukas Hradecky off guard.
Seeds of doubt had been planted in Leverkusen's head, and Union rallied to create numerous chances.
Adingra curled shot struck the bar, while Hradecky brilliantly kept out Victor Boniface’s effort, but the three-goal cushion was restored when Hlozek pounced on a rebound from Diaby’s strike.
Heartbreak for Union, whose unbelievable run in this competition has defied the expectations of even the most ambitious supporter, but the eternal bridesmaids of German football will be hopeful of lifting a first major trophy since the 1993 season.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Mitchel Bakker (Bayer Leverkusen)