MANCHESTER, England — In a thrilling moment during stoppage time, Bruno Fernandes netted the winner, leading Manchester United to a 2-1 triumph over Rangers on Thursday. This victory significantly enhanced United’s chances of advancing to the Europa League round of 16.
Rangers seemed poised to secure a last-minute draw when Cyriel Dessers equalized in the 88th minute, but United’s captain managed to convert a close-range opportunity just four minutes later, clinching a decisive win. This result propelled Ruben Amorim’s squad into fourth place in the standings, with only one game remaining in the group stage.
In other group action, first-place Lazio achieved a 3-1 victory against Real Sociedad, while Eintracht Frankfurt secured second place following a 2-0 win over Ferencvaros. Despite Manchester United’s precarious position in the Premier League, where they sit at 13th place, their prospects in the Europa League remain under their control as they prepare to face FCSB in Romania next week.
The early lead for United came somewhat fortuitously when Rangers goalkeeper Jack Butland unintentionally headed the ball into his own goal from a corner just seven minutes into the second half. The top eight teams from the group stage automatically progress to the last 16, while those ranked from ninth to 24th will enter a playoff round.
Lazio continued its unbeaten streak in the Europa League with their impressive win over the 10-man Sociedad, solidifying their place in the knockout phase. Goals from Mario Gila, Mattia Zaccagni, and Valentin Castellanos helped secure the win, while Sociedad’s Aihen Munoz received a red card prior to halftime. Despite a late goal from Ander Barrenetxea, Sociedad was unable to re-enter contention in the match.
Frankfurt’s position in the standings improved as they cruised to a 2-0 win over Ferencvaros, with Can Uzun and Hugo Ekitike both scoring in the second half to ensure the victory. Athletic Bilbao follows closely, sitting third but trailing Frankfurt on goal difference.
In a separate match, Tottenham enjoyed a narrow 3-2 win against Hoffenheim, thanks to a brace from Son Heung-min. The South Korean forward’s goals came in each half, with James Maddison having started the scoring early on. This result lifted some pressure off manager Ange Postecoglou, marking just the team’s second win in their last nine outings, and kept them in contention for the round of 16.
Despite Son’s standout performance, Hoffenheim attempted to make a comeback, with Anton Stach and David Mokwa each finding the net, but it ultimately proved insufficient. Tottenham now occupies sixth place in the current standings.
In a surprising upset, Ajax, a four-time European Cup champion, fell 1-0 to Latvian side RFS, marking RFS’s first victory in a major European competition’s group or league phase. Adam Markhiyev scored the game’s only goal in the 78th minute, but the result did not prevent RFS from elimination. Ajax currently sits at 10th place in their group.
As the playoff race remains tight among several teams, Roma faced a disappointing 1-0 defeat to AZ Alkmaar, thanks to Troy Parrott’s late winner in the 80th minute. With one game left, Roma finds itself in 21st place with nine points, just one point above 25th-place Porto, who also lost 1-0 to Olympiakos. Meanwhile, Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce is in 23rd position, matching Roma’s points total after a goalless draw against fifth-place Lyon.
In a broader context, pro-Palestinian demonstrations took place peacefully in Bodoe prior to the local team’s victory over Maccabi Tel Aviv. Concurrently, supporters of Israel gathered in a nearby shopping center. This follows a series of violent incidents involving Israeli fans during Maccabi’s match against Ajax in Amsterdam, prompting international concern and legal repercussions for those involved.
