In the first leg of the Europa League round of 16, Manchester United managed a 1-1 draw against Real Sociedad on Thursday. The match saw United taking the lead with Joshua Zirkzee’s goal in the 58th minute, but the home team equalized 12 minutes later. This came after Bruno Fernandes’ handball, which allowed Mikel Oyarzabal to successfully score a penalty, sending Andre Onana the wrong way.
Winning the Europa League remains a viable option for United to secure a trophy this season, especially following their recent exit from the FA Cup. A decisive battle for a spot in the quarterfinals is set for the second leg at Old Trafford next Thursday. United’s manager Ruben Amorim remarked, “Our decision-making in the final third was sometimes not the best, but we had good moments. It’s going to be a different game at Old Trafford and the pressure is going to be on us. We have to be ready.”
Tottenham, amidst its Premier League challenges, suffered a 1-0 defeat at AZ Alkmaar. The game’s only goal came after Lucas Bergvall inadvertently sent the ball into his own net from a corner following Troy Parrott’s effort. Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou commented, “No fault for the goal, it happens. It’s more about the collective tonight than the individuals. Collectively we were nowhere near the level we needed to be at and that’s the thing we need to address.” Earlier in October, Tottenham had managed a 1-0 victory over the same Dutch opponents.
Rangers made significant strides towards the quarterfinals by unexpected victory over José Mourinho’s Fenerbahce with a notable 3-1 win in Istanbul. Mourinho, who previously won the Europa League with Manchester United in 2017, saw his team struggle. Czech forward Václav ?erný stood out by scoring twice, along with a goal and assist from Cyriel Dessers. Dessers set the pace early by scoring in the sixth minute, and despite Alexander Djiku leveling the score for Fenerbahce off a corner kick, ?erný’s skillful play gave Rangers a lead before halftime and secured the win with a late goal.
The match marked the European debut for Rangers’ interim coach Barry Ferguson, although it was overshadowed by the tragic death of a Rangers fan in a traffic accident in Istanbul before the match.
In other highlights, substitute Malick Fofana’s late double saw Lyon emerge with a strong 3-1 victory over FCSB in Bucharest. Meanwhile, Lazio achieved a 2-1 win at Viktoria Plzen, maintaining a strong performance despite being reduced to nine players after Nicolo Rovella and Samuel Gigot were both sent off. A crucial stoppage-time winner from Eldor Shomurodov secured a 2-1 victory for Roma against Athletic Bilbao in Rome.
Ajax initially took the lead with Brian Brobbey’s header against Frankfurt in Amsterdam, but ultimately succumbed to a 2-1 defeat after a turnaround and an own goal. Elsewhere, Bodø/Glimt triumphed 3-0 over Conference League holders Olympiacos in Norway.
In the Conference League, Chelsea maintained their winning streak with a triumph over Copenhagen. Reece James and Enzo Fernández scored in the second half to establish a 2-0 lead before Gabriel Pereira closed the gap to one. Chelsea’s lineup included Cole Palmer, marking his inaugural appearance in the competition this season.
Fiorentina, a consistent runner-up in recent years, rallied from two goals down to level at 2-2 in Athens against Panathinaikos, only for Tetê to score and secure a 3-2 victory for the home team. Other results included Real Betis and Vitória SC drawing 2-2, while Molde clinched a 3-2 win over Legia Warsaw. Jagiellonia overcame Cercle Brugge, who were reduced to ten players, with a 3-0 victory. Additionally, Pafos edged past Djurgården 1-0, Celje defeated Lugano 1-0, and Borac versus Rapid ended in a 1-1 draw.
