Rangers ready for lift-off – Europa League and Conference League hits and misses | Football News
Klopp only has eyes for Man Utd
Jurgen Klopp made history on Thursday by naming Liverpool’s youngest-ever team in Europe for their Europa League dead rubber against Union Saint Gilloise.
The academy graduates – Jarrell Quansah aside – failed to seize their chance on a difficult night against an impressive side. The much-changed side lacked fluency and produced a disjointed performance.
Sunday 17th December 4:00pm
Kick off 4:30pm
For Klopp, though, it was mission accomplished in Brussels ahead of Sunday’s huge game against rivals Manchester United, live on Sky Sports.
The Liverpool manager was able to leave Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Alisson Becker back home. Dominik Szoboszlai and Luis Diaz were unused substitutes.
In a season when injuries seem to be decimating teams up and down the Premier League, Klopp returns to Merseyside after a potentially awkward away day with his table-topping squad well rested and ready to go again.
United are in dire straights after their latest disappointment. Injuries leave them with an even weaker side than the one thrashed 7-0 at Anfield last season. Klopp and Liverpool will be smelling blood.
Zinny Boswell
Joao Pedro makes Brighton team to avoid in last 16
Brighton are through to the Europa League last 16
There were brilliant scenes for Brighton.
Roberto De Zerbi threw himself into the crowd. Joao Pedro described it as the best moments of his life. Long live the Europa League, where a club that two decades ago were in the fourth tier of English football can now dream of continental silverware and knockout football in February.
From the first night and the home defeat to AEK Athens, the joy of their fans as players indulged in a lap of honour after topping Europa League Group B was richly deserved. They had to learn on the job but they came into their own and collected 13 points from their subsequent five games.
They were superb against Marseille just in terms of being patient in finding a way to get a winner. Now they can look forward to the next round and the draw on Monday. All football fans long for nights such as these at a time when fun is so forensically hounded out of the game.
In a group that comprised of Marseille, Ajax and AEK of Athens, they sit proudly at the very top on their first venture in Europe. Group winners.
Joao Pedro has been the man of the moment so often in this competition, and his sixth goal means he is its outright top goalscorer. His finish defined everything about Roberto De Zerbi’s side: patient, intricate, unhurried and clean.
The Brazilian joined this summer as the club’s record signing and he is repaying that show of faith in spades.
Ben Grounds
Everything good about Villa goes through McGinn
Aston Villa’s Nicolo Zaniolo, left, celebrates after scoring his side’s opening goal vs Zrinjski Mostar
Much-changed, yes, but in their 1-1 draw at Zrinjski Mostar on Thursday night, Aston Villa looked the polar opposite from the side who beat Manchester City and Arsenal last week.
Unai Emery’s forward-thinking, fast-paced team looked anything but in their final Europa Conference League game. Instead, it was slow and predictable – which is why their Bosnian opponents were relatively comfortable after an hour.
Enter John McGinn, who took no later than three minutes to come off the bench then put in a delightful cross for Nicolo Zaniolo’s opener.
Last season, McGinn was far from a goal threat with just one goal and three assists in 36 matches in all competitions. Now, Emery has turned the Scot into the heartbeat of this Villa team in every department.
It’s not just this outing. McGinn scored the winner against Arsenal at the weekend, after setting the tone for the team performance of the season against City.
First name on the teamsheet, last player Villa want to be without.
Sam Blitz
Rangers’ season about to ignite?
Rangers’ Cyriel Dessers celebrates during the win at Real Betis
Celtic lost on Sunday to open up the title race. Rangers won a historic thriller at Real Betis to make the Europa League last-16. On Sunday they play Aberdeen at Hampden in the Scottish League Cup final.
When Philippe Clement looks back at the end of the season, this period will be a key one.
Last weekend, Celtic handed them an opportunity. On Thursday they seized it themselves, with an unforgettable win in the south of Spain – their first-ever win on Spanish soil against Spanish opposition. And against a good Betis side too, who hadn’t lost at home all season.
It was end-to-end entertainment. There were penalty appeals and shots against the woodwork. But Rangers, with the help of Kemar Roofe’s first goal since August, found a way to get over the line and win their group. After taking just one point from bottom-seeds Aris Limassol that was no easy feat.
There is little time to celebrate with Sunday’s final to prepare for. But confidence, belief and momentum is blowing in Rangers’ sails now.
Peter Smith
West Ham’s European dreams continue after weekend blip
West Ham manager David Moyes has had his critics during his second tenure, but aside from the 5-0 defeat at Fulham last weekend – which he attributed to using too much energy in the midweek win over Tottenham – the season has been relatively positive to date.
On Thursday night progress to the last 16 of the Europa League was high on the agenda, but bouncing back from that thrashing was of equal importance, if not higher. And, in truth, they made light work of their German opponents to bypass the knockout round play-off and earn a three-month European lay-off that allows full focus on the Premier League.
The journey West Ham have been on over the past three seasons in Europe has been nothing short of a fairytale: Europa League semi-finalists, Europa Conference League winners and now into the last 16 again. Since that semi-final defeat to Frankfurt in May last year, the Hammers have now won 19 games, drawn just one and lost just one. It has been remarkable – and, come March, they will hope to be in an even better spot to progress once again.
Dan Long
Dons show pride with shock win over Frankfurt
Aberdeen’s campaign so far has been an intriguing one.
Following a third-place finish in the Scottish Premiership last term – their highest in five seasons – they have floundered in the league, with only two wins since the end of September. Yet, on Sunday, they face Rangers in the Scottish League Cup.
In the Europa Conference League, their ability to overturn leads, but ultimate inability to kill games off, had cost them dear and when Eintracht Frankfurt visited Pittodrie there was nothing to play for. Yet they turned up on Thursday night and beat a side that sit seventh in the Bundesliga and boasts World Cup winner Mario Gotze among its players.
The win defied the numbers. Frankfurt had 78 per cent possession, 16 shots and also completed more than five times as many passes as the Dons. But Barry Robson’s side weathered the storm and scored with their only two shots on target, courtesy of Duk and Ester Sokler. They could not have been more clinical.
If nothing else, Aberdeen can take pride in this performance and hope to carry on in a similar vein when they line up at Hampden Park this weekend.
Dan Long
