Teenager Mason Greenwood on Thursday again grabbed his chances for Manchester United, scoring twice in a 4-0 thrashing of AZ Alkmaar in the UEFA Europa League.
Earlier, Arsenal came back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 at Standard Liege and also make sure of a place in the last 32 as Group F winners.
With Wolverhampton Wanderers, who crushed Besiktas JK 4-0, also advancing, English clubs ended with a full house in Europe with the three Europa League entries following the Premier League’s four UEFA Champions League teams into the knockout rounds.
Photo: AP
Spanish clubs also completed a full set when Getafe joined already-qualified Sevilla and RCD Espanyol by scoring three times in the final 14 minutes to beat FC Krasnodar 3-0 in a showdown for second place in Group C.
However, Borussia Moenchengladbach and Italian side SS Lazio made surprising exits.
At Old Trafford, in a battle for top spot in Group L, Alkmaar matched a youthful United side until the 53rd minute, when veteran Ashley Young smashed the hosts ahead.
Greenwood pounced on a loose ball to snap the second into the corner of the net. After Greenwood was fouled, Juan Mata converted a penalty. Then the Spaniard set up Greenwood for another crisp low left-footer inside the post.
“Mason’s a different class as a finisher,” United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said. “If there’s anything around the box you expect him to get a shot off and on target, he’s good at creating space for himself and right-foot, left-foot it doesn’t matter.”
Alexandre Lacazette and Bukayo Saka were on target in the space of three second-half minutes as Arsenal survived a scare to win their group.
They lived on their nerves as Eintracht Frankfurt were poised to knock them off top spot when the Germans side led Vitoria SC 2-1.
However, the Portuguese side, already eliminated, scored twice in the final five minutes to claim a 3-2 win.
“Saka was amazing, he’s a tremendous talent,” Arsenal caretaker coach Freddie Ljungberg said.
Liege took the lead just after halftime when a speculative Samuel Bastien shot took a huge deflection.
The goal meant Arsenal had failed to keep a clean sheet in their past 13 matches in all competitions.
It got worse after 69 minutes, when Selim Amallah made it 2-0 off another deflection as Liege looked for the unlikely scoreline of 5-0, which would put them through and Arsenal out.
However, Lacazette calmed Arsenal nerves after 78 minutes when he headed in a cross from Saka.
Three minutes later, an impressive Saka leveled with a fine finish from the edge of the box.
On a night of late drama, ’Gladbach conceded in the 91st minute to lose 2-1 to Istanbul Basaksehir FK and drop from first to third in Group J and out of the competition.
Marcus Thuram had given the German side a 33rd minute lead. Irfan Can Kahveci replied before halftime and Enzo Crivelli hit the late winner after a goalmouth scramble.
Basaksehir topped the pool. AS Roma, held 2-2 at home to Austrians Wolfsberger AC, were second.
In a straight shoot-out for second in Group H in Razgrad, Bulgaria, substitute Nikolay Signevich scored five minutes into added time to give Ferencvarosi TC a 1-1 draw with PFC Ludogorets Razgrad. The Hungarian side finished one point ahead of Ludogorets in second place behind Espanyol.
Celtic, fresh from winning the Scottish League Cup last weekend and already assured of making the last 32, lost 2-0 at CFR Cluj, who went through as Group E runners-up.
Lazio, third in Serie A, were knocked out after a 2-0 loss at Stade Rennais in the same group.
Rangers got the draw they needed with a 1-1 home draw against Young Boys in Group G. Alfredo Morelos gave the hosts the lead, but in the 89th minute Borna Boric put the ball into his own goal to deprive the Glaswegians of first place in Group G.
That went to FC Porto, who beat Feyenoord 3-2.
Inter on Sunday were given a letoff when they snatched a late 1-1 derby draw with AC Milan, while league leaders SSC Napoli were held by a late goal at AS Roma. Reigning champions Inter remain three points behind Napoli, who looked to be heading five clear as they led in Rome until Angelino volleyed in a stunning leveler in the first minute of stoppage-time. Angelino’s strike gave even more significance to Stefan de Vrij’s last-gasp equalizer at the San Siro. The defender forced home Nicola Zalewski’s knockdown just as it looked like Tijjani Reijnders’ opener would be enough for Milan. “I can
The Washington Capitals and Winnipeg Jets on Saturday did not disappoint in a thrilling midseason matchup in front of a fired-up sellout crowd of more than 18,500 fans. The top two teams in the NHL delivered with a combined nine goals, including the 877th of Alex Ovechkin’s career to put him 18 back of breaking Wayne Gretzky’s record. That tied the score, the Jets pulled it out in overtime and just about everyone involved got their money’s worth out of the 5-4 game. “We knew how we were both sitting in the standings and both having real good years,” Winnipeg coach Scott
Santiago Castro on Tuesday had an immediate impact off the bench as he scored the goal to send Bologna into the Coppa Italia semi-finals for the first time in 26 years. Bologna won 1-0 against last year’s runners-up, Atalanta BC, and are to play either holders Juventus or Empoli in the final four. Juventus are to host Empoli in their quarter-final on Feb. 26. The last time Bologna reached the semi-finals was in 1999, when they lost 4-2 to ACF Fiorentina. There were chances for both sides in a high-tempo match in Bergamo, but it was Bologna who broke the deadlock 10 minutes from
After nearly six years away from the NBA, New Taipei Kings player Jeremy Lin (林書豪) is set to participate in the 2025 NBA All-Star Weekend’s Rising Stars mini-tournament as the coach of Team G League. The NBA announced Monday (U.S. time) that the Taiwanese-American player will join a trio of Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famers – Tim Hardaway Sr., Chris Mullin, and Mitch Richmond – as honorary coaches for four teams featuring 28 rising talents. "See you soon in the Bay," Lin wrote in an Instagram story sharing the news. As the All-Star Weekend will take place at