AC Milan v Man United headline Europa League night
AC Milan and Manchester United are dead level, while Slavia aim for an upset at Rangers. What will Thursday bring?
Match of the week: AC Milan vs Manchester United
AC Milan have eliminated Manchester United from Uefa competition four times in total, and Stefano Pioli’s side have a slight edge as they look to make that four in five, Simon Kjær’s last-gasp equaliser at Old Trafford was fair reward for the Serie A outfit. “The spirit of this team is simply amazing,” the coach said. “We want to take control of every game, and we are working hard to do so.”
Having lost their first four matches against Milan at San Siro without scoring, United were 3-2 victors on their last visit in 2010. They need at least one goal there this time, with the Red Devils hoping that missed chances – like the one that fell to captain Harry Maguire – will not come back to haunt them in Italy. Ole Gunnar Solskjær took a philosophical approach as he drew a line under the first leg, saying: “It was always going to be down to the second game there anyway.” So it is.
⏰ RESULTS ⏰
ℹ️ Round of 16, first legs
Best performance? 🧐#UEL
— UEFA Europa League (@EuropaLeague) March 11, 2021
Slavia eye Ibrox upset
“It’s all set up for a fantastic game,” said Rangers boss Steven Gerrard after his side’s 1-1 draw at Slavia Praha, although the newly-crowned Scottish champions will be wary of the fate that befell Leicester in the previous round. The Premier League team drew 0-0 in the Czech Republic but bowed out with a 2-0 home loss to Jindrich Trpišovský’s resourceful side.
Nicolae Stanciu put Slavia ahead in Prague, and is ruling nothing out: “Rangers are in a better position thanks to the away goal, but I still believe we can qualify.”
Can Molde eclipse Granada?
“We’re living a dream,” beamed Granada’s Roberto Soldado after scoring his club’s second in their 2-0 win against Molde; however, the Norwegian outfit did enough in Spain – even with 10 men – to show that they could yet be nightmarish opponents in the decider. The focus shifts to neutral territory in Budapest for this second leg, with Molde still angling for a dream match-up with old boy Solskjær’s United later in the tournament.
“We were disappointed tonight,” midfielder Magnus Wolff Eikrem said after the opening game, but they could yet have something to celebrate.
Top scorer up for grabs
United’s Bruno Fernandes is a good way clear at the top of the FedEx Performance Zone, but the race to be Uefa Europa League top scorer this season remains wide open, with the leading players in the rankings – LOSC’s Yusuf Yazici and Benfica’s Pizzi – on seven goals but already eliminated.
Who'll make the headlines on Thursday? 🤩
🔜 Round of 16 second legs #UEL pic.twitter.com/xXwL9gWhdV
— UEFA Europa League (@EuropaLeague) March 17, 2021
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Tottenham’s Carlos Vinícius (6), Roma’s Borja Mayoral (5) and Villarreal’s Paco Alcácer (5) are the top-ranked players still in the competition. Will any of them challenge the front two this week?
Thursday 18 March, 19:55 CAT
Shakhtar vs Roma (first leg: 0-3)
Arsenal vs Olympiacos (3-1)
Dinamo Zagreb vs Tottenham (0-2)
Molde vs Granada (0-2)
Thursday 18 March, 22:00 CATYoung Boys vs Ajax (0-3)
Villarreal vs Dynamo Kyiv (2-0)
AC Milan vs Manchester United (1-1)
Rangers vs Slavia Praha (1-1)
Source: Uefa.com