Sevilla FC beat Manchester United 3-0 on Thursday in the second leg of the Europa League quarterfinals held in a euphoric and packed Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán, another step in the legend of the six-time champion of the competition, who will be measured for a place in his seventh final with Juventus.
The Spanish team ate the English with the atmosphere in Nervión and with the staging of play, commitment and goal. A mistake by Maguire led to the 1-0 of En Nesyri in the eight minutes while Badé doubled the rent shortly after the resumption, in a shot with his shoulder that touched the crossbar and sneaked into the net of David de Gea. The Spanish goal also gave the third to the Moroccan, surpassed the English since the warning left by Old Trafford.
United, with up to five casualties in its usual eleven, was swallowed by the continental mystique of a Sevilla that makes this Europa League its own, as in the final stretch in Manchester to make a 2-2 out of nowhere. José Luis Mendilibar, on the Andalusian bench for a month, has given the weapons to resurrect a team that bites up, takes advantage of its chances and is strong behind.
The home side, spurred on by the atmosphere of the big nights, threw the pressure and reaped its rewards against Maguire. The England international was surrounded and En Nesyri took advantage of the one-on-one with De Gea (1-0). Ten Hag’s team took 20 minutes to come to their senses, with good runs from Antony and few from Sancho to alleviate the absence of a brain like Bruno Fernandez, but without a shot.
Despite Marcao’s injury, Sevilla knew how to command and defend when he played, to make it 2-0 before the break. The duel returned, with that goal of Ocampos that was annulled by millimeters, in a back and forth that re-ignited the Pizjuán. The team of ‘Mendi’ had the pan by the handle and looked stuck two minutes into the second half with Badé’s shot.
In a corner kick of a Rakitic marshal throughout the match, the French defender signed a parabolic shot with his shoulder that made the Pizjuán crazy (2-0). Ten Hag had already put the ‘touched’ Rashford after the passage through changing rooms, but the English company seemed impossible by game and sensations.
‘Mendi’ wanted more control, but the heart was on its own in a Sevilla that did not stop pressing and looking for the third. Weghorst was Ten Hag’s other option, but the hosts overshadowed a United side with far less faith. The ‘red devil’ defense took it out in the mouth of the goal, Navas stopped Rashford and, in another attack, came the 3-0 of En Nesyri after a serious error by De Gea 10 minutes from the end.
Juventus, another big one that will have to go through the Pizjuán, can be warned. Sevilla, in a year of hardship, does not renounce its legend. The Mendilibar effect is seen in domestic competition, finally leaving the lower zone, and in the Europa League the club recovers its best version, favorite to a seventh title.
Credit: SportsCenter
Juventus puts an end to Sporting Portugal’s European dream
Sporting de Portugal and Juventus Turin drew this Thursday (1-1) in Lisbon in the second leg of the quarterfinals of the Europa League football, so the 1-0 win in the first leg guaranteed the “Vecchia Signora” the pass to the next round of the competition.
After Porto and Benfica fell to Inter Milan in the Champions League and Braga were eliminated by Fiorentina in the Conference League, it was now Sporting’s turn to fall to a cautious Juventus, who struggled to eliminate the Portuguese.
In Lisbon, the game opted mostly towards the locals, with moments of intense pressure, but without making a dent in those of Massimiano Allegri, well organized defensively and undoubtedly happy after having temporarily recovered the 15 points that were withdrawn from them in Serie A.
The “lions”, encouraged by the greater influx of public to their stadium this season, started the game well, but it did not take long for a bucket of ice water to fall on the Portuguese capital thanks to Juventus’ goal in the 9th minute.
After a corner, the hesitation of the Sporting defenders created an opportunity for Rabiot to score the initial goal of the match and increase the degree of difficulty for the Portuguese.
The Frenchman’s goal allowed Massimiliano Allegri to put his Juve to do what he does best, lower his lines to preserve the advantage, but the speed of Englishman Marcus Edwards forced the experienced coach to rethink his strategy.
At a moment of the match in which SportiAs he pressed harder, Edwards ran down the right wing supersonically and assisted Trincão, who sent the ball onto the post.
The play continued with the Uruguayan Manuel Ugarte, one of the great figures of the first half, who when arriving at the rejection was placated by Rabiot in the area, which led Edwards, still a thousand per hour, to the penalty spot, from where he tied at 20.
The “Vechia Signora”, camped in their field, made few visits to the goal defended by the Madrid Antonio Adán, but those made caused some danger, due to some defensive disconnection of the green-and-white team.
The biggest headache for the Turinese was Ugarte, omnipresent in the field and a real nightmare for Chiesa or Di Maria, as well as the Japanese Morita, who repeated his brilliant performance in Italy.
But it was in a loss of Morita when Juventus was close to the second, which did not arrive because Juan Cuadrado’s center was too fast and level for Vlahovic, alone in front of goal, to finish it well.
As in the first leg, Sporting had some definition problems. This was not helped by a Juventine wall composed of two old acquaintances, Brazilians Alex Sandro and Danilo, who wore the Porto shirt for many years.
As the clock ticked down, Juventus resorted to the most ingrained lessons of the “Calcio” to be with one foot in the semifinals, although not with the same cohesion of yesteryear.
An example of this was the distraction of Danilo, who left the full-back Esgaio alone in front of Szczesny and with the equaliser at his feet, but he shot too hard.
While the Turinese drew on their experience, the Lisbons went for all and even Sebastian Coates joined the attack.
The veteran Uruguayan center was the one who came closest to the goal in the last moments – and throughout the game – and his failures plunged the green-and-white fans into despair.
Sporting said goodbye to the Europa League with the feeling that they could have done more, after two errors in the two games took their toll.
In turn, Juventus’ pragmatism and experience were enough to keep them in the competition and to turn around their unusual season.
Credit: ESPN
Dybala resurrects Roma and takes them to the semi-final
Paulo Dybala resurrected Roma on Thursday with a fundamental goal in the last stages that extended the game until extra time, in which he guided his team to victory against Feyenoord (4-1, 4-2 aggregate) and to the semifinals of the Europa League of football, in which they will face Bayer Leverkusen of Xabi Alonso.
Paulo Dybala was once again Roma’s key player. There’s not much more mystery on Thursday European night in the Italian capital. Roma seemed dead, evicted with Paixao’s goal, but revived by the hand of a Dybala who, half-gassed, still touched by the injury he suffered in the first leg, led Mourinho’s team back to success.
The ‘giallorroso’ team suffered without its star in the first half. Roma started motivated, intense, accompanied by a full Olympic Stadium, including the away side by the ban on entry to Dutch fans, which intimidated in the first moments, but lacked lucidity in the final meters. The one that Dybala always puts.
And it is that very aware of the important loss of its rival, Feyenoord in defense was a lock. He joined the line of defense and that of the center of the field and greatly complicated the transit through the central lane, forcing Mourinho’s team to throw the long constantly, a remedy that barely took effect.
Only the quality of Spinazzola on the left generated spaces that later the laner himself dismissed with misguided centers. Matic exhibited his quality in defensive actions throughout the match, imperial minimizing rival attacks to the maximum.
The stadium effect faded as Feyenoord settled. A shot from Cristante that grazed the post, a poorly managed counter between Belotti and Pellegrini and a shot from El Shaarawy were the highlights in attack of a ‘Wolf’ who, in addition to being unable in final meters, suffered the injury of Wijnaldum.
To all this, Feyenoord took the game to their ground. Losses of time from minute 1, fouls to cut the rhythm and tanganas to drive the Italians mad had the desired effect. It was not played regularly.
The Dutch gradually grew based on that defensive solidity and following the clearest occasion of the game. A great combination in the center of the field that ended with a center that finished powerful Szymanski direct to goal, right to the place where was a Rui Patricio who found the ball and discarded it at point-blank range.
The second act began the same as the first, with an arreón of the locals that led to an auction to the stick of PEllegrini. The stadium began to believe and after a Dutch response, came the long-awaited Romanista goal. Spinazzola, key to the success of this team, riveted a loose ball and set the game on fire.
The legs of the Feyenoord players began to tremble. Those of Roma were fresh again. The Rotterdam team began to distrust, to have doubts about what had been so far a perfect ball output that resulted in an inaccurate. The goal changed everything.
The entrance of Dybala was an added bonus that turned the clash even more towards the goal defended by Bijlow. Even Cristante put the 2-0 on the scoreboard, but the referee annulled the goal for a clear previous foul by Abraham.
But what seemed to be going in one direction changed radically with the injury of Smalling, absolute leader of the ‘giallorossa’ back. Without him, Roma were weaker at the back. And Feyenoord made the most of it when they were on the ropes. Paixao finished free of mark and scored the tie to one. There was silence at the Olympic.
Feyenoord’s problem was the same as the many other teams that pass through the Italian capital. It has a first and last name. It’s Paulo Dybala. The ‘Jewel’ does not fail in the great moments since his arrival in Rome. A good control inside the area was enough to make blood, to reengage the fans and to take the game to extra time.
Everything happened in the extra time. Feyenoord had it very clear in Giménez’s boots. Dybala scared with a relapse, visibly upset, but recovered to put a corner to the head of Ibáñez that ended up in the woodwork. The match broke down before the physical exhaustion, and between comings and goings came the sentence. Pellegrini found Abraham in the area and the striker did the same with El Shaarawy.
But the meeting did not stop there. Again Dybala was the formula for happiness. Golden pass to Abraham that the battering ram star in the goal but whose rejection Pellegrini collected to put the final 4-1 with suspense by the review of the VAR.
Roma is Dybala and ten more. The world champion took his team to the semifinals, in which they will face Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen.
Credit: ESPN
Leverkusen and Xabi Alonso, to the semifinals
A strong start against an inexperienced opponent conditioned by pressure facilitated the victory in Brussels (1-4) of Bayer Leverkusen of Xabi Alonso, who was placed in the semifinals of the Europa League and ended with the revelation team of the Old Continent, which, when he recovered the self-confidence and wanted to react, already had the classification very uphill.
The Belgian Union St. Gilloise has been the sensation of the Europa League. Without baggage in this type of competition he was one step away from being among the four best of the tournament. He faced the appointment at home with a good score obtained in the first leg, a tie to a goal that complicated the task of Leverkusen.
But the German team imposed its law from the beginning. Xabi Alonso reinforces the situation of Bayer. When the Spanish coach arrived at the BayArena the team was in relegation in the Bundesliga and with one foot out of the Champions League. Now, months later, the Leverkusen team is at the top of the German standings and is a contender for the Europa League title, which came third in its group in the ‘Champions’ and left out Atletico Madrid.
Xabi’s team has already gone twelve games without losing. He began to forge the victory after two minutes, in an action that was born in a drive by Florian Witz that ended with a ball split between Adam Hlozek and defender Senne Lynen that ended up at the feet of Moussa Diaby, who beat the goal Anthony Moris.
Karel Geraerts’ team had not even assimilated the situation and Jeremie Frimpong was able to make the second in the twenty minutes. But he came within seven of the break, in a transition that began Diaby, which centered the Czech Adam Hlozek and culminated the Dutchman Mitchel Bakker.
After the break the match broke out. He scored the third that sentenced the clash Jeremie Frimpong, alive before the blunder of the goalkeeper Moris before the pressure of Bakker.
It was then, with everything lost, that St. Gilloise woke up. He shortened distances immediately, five minutes later, in the 65, in a great play on the left, theft included, of Loic Lapoussin that ended with a center to the area that collected the Finn Casper Terho, who kneaded, shot and scored.
Then he was able to make the second Victor Boniface header and then Simon Adingra threw to a stick. They could be the second and St. Gilloise, in desperation, re-engage in the duel. But it was the opposite.
Ten minutes from the close a shot by Diaby that rejected the goalkeeper Anthony Moris was collected and taken advantage of by the Czech Adam Hlozek, who made the fourth, sank the representative of Belgium and led to the semifinals to Leverkusen by Xabi Alonso.
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