Man Utd v Milan, Slavia Prague v Rangers: Europa League – dwell! – The Guardian

78 min: A rating attract Prague can be a good consequence however they aren’t settling for that: they’re pushing for the win and making life very uncomfortable for the hosts. They’re definitely giving the Czech champions a more durable recreation than Leicester did.

74 min: United substitutions: Fred, Shaw and Williams on, Fernandes, James and Wan-Bissaka off.

70 min: Rangers are approaching robust in Prague. “Hope you’re effectively. Despite the fact that I’m not a Manchester United fan, a Swansea fan, or perhaps a Wales fan, I’ll by no means not love Daniel James after seeing that video of his associate stunning him with a pet a pair years in the past,” simpers Adam Kline-Schoder. It’s potential that my earlier sentence was a slight exaggeration, however it’s no exaggeration to say that I’m glad he’s discovering his manner. I liked watching him at Swansea, charging past defenders with such grace and confidence. It was unhappy to see him going so firmly off the boil after a storming begin to his time in Manchester, and I’m glad to see him terrorising defences but once more. Benefit from the match.” And here’s the video that received Adam all misty-eyed.

67 min: Barisic spoons a stunning inviting freekick from the left throughout the face of objective, and Helander is agonisingly near turning it into the web once more!

65 min: Milan fly down the appropriate and Calabria curls an exquisite ball over to the far put up. Krunic dashes in entrance of Wan-Bissaka and vegetation his header …. over the bar from seven yards!

The Dutch take the lead due to a crisp end on the close to put up.

Olympiakos: Sa; Lala, Papastathopoulos, Ba, Reabcuk; Mvila, Camara, Bouchalakis; Valbuena, El-Arabi, Bruma

Arsenal: Leno; Bellerin, David Luiz, Gabriel, Tierney; Willian, Partey, Zhaka; Odegaard, Aubameyang, Saka

Spurs: Lloris; Aurier, Dier, Sanchez, Davies; Sissoko, Ndombélé; Lamela, Alli, Son; Kane

Zagreb: Livakovic; Ristovski, Lauritsen, Théophile-Catherine, Leovac; Majer, Jakic, Ademi, Ivanusec; Pekovic, Drisic

56 min: Morales has lead the road very effectively immediately, holding the ball up strongly and bringing others into play. He was attempting to do precisely that simply now when Sima clobbered him from behind on half-way, incomes a deserved yellow card.

55 min: Davis will get a somewhat harsh reserving for going right into a 50/50 deal with in midfield.

The Spanish aspect are two targets to the nice after Albiol smacks in a rebound from shut vary.

Oh wow! What an clever end from the 18-year-old! Fernandes dropped a dainty move over the pinnacle of the final defender and Diallo, having made intelligent run, turns to face it after which flips an outstanding back-header over the advancing keeper and into the web! Such deftness! Such consciousness! Such a formidable manner for an adolescent to open his account for United!

47 min: United aren’t any Wolves however ponderous first halves adopted by vibrant second halves have been a little bit of a pattern this season. It appears to be like like persevering with her if the primary two minutes of the second interval are something to go by. They’ve been goodly perky.

“How did you not hyperlink the Guardian’s personal Dundee Utd insult in Nigeria article into Simon McMahon’s put up?” howls Gaz Boardman, doing my job for me.

46 min: Martial limped down the tunnel at half-time and has been changed for the second half. On comes Amad Diallo.

“As a Scotland fan, that entire recreation v Brazil in 82 is one among my fondest soccer recollections,” blubs a wistful Simon McMahon. “No ache, simply nice recollections. Although within the pursuits of stability you would present Dave Narey’s opening objective when you like. You need ache? I provide you with Peru 1978, Russia 1982, Uruguay 1986, Costa Rica 1990, Morocco 1998. And let’s not point out Roma v Dundee United in 1984…”

“Whereas working in Bologna I travelled as much as Milan to take my mate and I to see Meeelan play Venezia in 1998,” remembers Oliver James. “After marvelling on the iconic San Siro, getting by means of some suspiciously watery lager, we opted to have a good time with a snack from an area really useful meat sandwich stall. Recoba’s iconic hairband?Zeige complaining in regards to the daylight? Leonardo’s manly mane? Nope, principally I bear in mind the Venezia followers laughing at me vomiting copiously outdoors the metro…”

Ajax 0-0 Younger Boys

United 0-0 Milan

Slavia 1-1 Rangers

Dynamo Kyiv 0-1 Villarreal

45+1 min: Dalot scurries down the left wing, however Wan-Bissaka retains monitor of him and blocks the cross.

44 min: Martial goes personal within the field like a leaf falling from a tree. No manner he was ever going to get a penalty for that.

Rangers have an away objective! Slavia didn’t take care of a frekick into the field, permitting the ball to ricochet off a defender and trundle in direction of the byline. Hagi chased it and pulled it again cleverly, and Helander reacted quicker than anybody to prod into the web from shut vary!

38 min: What? How? The place are we?! Maguire has simply perpetrated a rare miss! A United nook got here in, Fernandes flicked it on on the close to put up and Maguire arrived on the again to faucet it into the web from a yard … however as an alternative he shinned it towards the put up and it looped again over him and out at an unbelievable angle! Even Maguire appears to be like bewildered!

36 min: Fernandes wins a foul a few yards outdoors the D. He’ll in all probability take the freekick himself, although Telles needs a bit of the motion. And it’s Telles who takes it … however he’ll not be on the following one, after banging his shot into one of many United gamers who was presupposed to be appearing as a decoy in entrance of the wall.

34 min: “I feel it’s protected to say that Manchester United’s appointment of John Murtough as director of soccer has had completely no impact to this point: There may be no route to their soccer tonight,” bellows Justin Kavanagh. “A inventive deep midfielder may assist.”

It’s been six years sicne Kyiv made it past this stage of the match and so they’re going to have to come back from behind to do it this yr.

29 min: Barisic is booked for taking down Kuchta on the sting of the Rangers’ field, to the appropriate. An opportunity for Slavia to place the freekick into the field, and so they’re bodily considerably greater than Rangers, in addition to being effectively organised and technically adept. Provod tries to catch mcGregor off guard by going for objective regardless of the acute angle. The keeper’s clever to it and pushes it across the put up for a nook. “What was Matt Drake considering ordering the pizza at Slavia?” carps Rory Davies. “As a former season ticket holder on the outdated Slavia floor, it was all the time half a rooster on a small cardboard sq. with two slices of darkish bread and a pickle. Throughout the colder months when additional energy had been wanted, they might fortunately dip your two slices within the trough of molten rooster fats below the rotisserie. All washed down with pints of Gambrinus dropped at your seat.”

25 min: Hagi is chopped down halfway contained in the Slavia half, giving Rangers an opportunity to stay a freekick into the world. In truth, Slavia set the line of defense simply outdoors the D, so Davis clips the ball excessive …. and Slavia intercept, heading it clear. Slavia hurtle down the opposite finish and threaten to nick a second, however Helander does sufficient to place off Kuchta.

24 min: Dalot fluffs a cross, however he received up into a really attacking place, a mirrored image of Milan’s confidence. They’ve been each compact and vibrant to this point. United look sluggish. “Watching the Belgian protection of the sport (with Dutch commentary) and it appears even us Belgians, or undoubtedly our commentators, have gotten wind of the circus that VAR has been in England,” says Toon Helsen. “He reacted exasperatedly, indignantly, on the objective verify saying “what? Was there not sufficient air within the ball perhaps? Or did Kessie rating on an odd second and thus it’s not allowed??”. As a United fan I’m greater than happy about VAR being on our aspect as soon as once more in fact however it appears my countrymen are catching on VAR and its rigorous software (or lack thereof, relying on the place one’s loyalties lie).”

18 min: A foul on Telles offers United a freekick in a helpful crossing place. Everybody piles into the field. Telles goes for a objective … or perhaps it was only a horrible cross – no matter, the ball curls a number of years over the bar.

16 min: Milan are comfortably the higher staff at Outdated Trafford to this point. United haven’t provided something by means of assault but. “When it comes to stadium meals, not even my son will eat the recent canine on the Emirates and he’s often as discerning as an city fox,” writes Simon Thomas. “The Balti pie at Villa is fantastic although. As is that odd sq. sausage factor they promote at Ibrox.’ It’s good nostalgia, isn’t it, reminiscing in regards to the days, a yr in the past now, when folks might watch matches in stadiums.

What a strike! Kessié, simply contained in the United space, is allowed to let the ball bounce from a throw-in and switch after which smash the hopping ball into the web from 16 yards whereas three United gamers simply watched him! Nevertheless it’s dominated out after a VAR verify, which judged that he managed the ball with a hand earlier than unloading his shot. That’s two disallowed targets for Milan. United can’t say they haven’t been warned.

Not wishing to riff on any Scots’ ache or something, however mcGregor’s response to Stancu’s shot simply now evoked recollections of Alan Tough v Zico …

The house aspect take the lead with a luxurious objective from distance. Slavia labored the ball cleverly to Stancu on the left-hand nook of the Rangers field, and the Romanian took a contact to tee himself up after which swept a phenomenal roller into the far nook of the web! McGregor didn’t budge.

5 min: Very sedate openings in Manchester and Prague, the place the edges appear to be simply sizing one another up. At the very least that was the case till a second in the past, when Leal thrashed a shot into the web to 5 Milan the lead! Nevertheless it was disallowed as a result of the rationale he had received the run on Bailly was as a result of he was in an offside place when the ball was dropped over to the highest for him to chase. Nonetheless, it was a sensible end and a warning to United. “I’m American and went to the Roma-Chievo Verona match on the Stadio Olimpico in Might 2016 (that includes Mo Salah, Lucas Digne, Antonio Rudiger, and Francesco Totti’s 600th Serie A look),” reveals Matt Burtz. “I used to be fairly shocked to study that apparently you’ll be able to overtly smoke cigarettes at a stadium in Italy, one thing you’d by no means see within the US, even in an outside facility. Nonetheless an ideal place to see a recreation although.”

It’s kick-off in 4 matches: United v Milan, Slavia v Rangers, Kyiv v Villarreal and Ajax v Younger Boys.

“Portugal’s groups absence from this stage might be as a result of Covid-condensed calendar, mixed with little lifelike prospect of successful the factor so think about the home scene and sit up for subsequent yr, very similar to the remainder of us,” ventures Barry McAuley. That hasn’t stopped Porto within the Champions League, although.

“I’m shocked uUnited didn’t insert a clause in Dalot’s mortgage contract to cease him taking part in towards us,” quibbles Peter Kingsnorth. “Despite the fact that he was by no means held in nice regard right here it might be a kick within the tooth if he has an ideal recreation…” Ominously, he’s in good scoring type in the mean time, having netted in Milan’s win over Verona final weekend.

Need one other Readers’ European Soccer Journey? Effectively, right here’s Stephen O’Sullivan. “On my many travels mainly each different week, one among our lads did a pie league. he religiously purchased a pie at each stadium. Then he rated them.” I can solely assume Stephen’s community has collapsed and that he would in any other case have included the remainder of that story. Honest to say, following Matt Drake’s introduction of this theme, it’s 0-0 within the story stakes to this point.

“Milan have the brothers Donnarumma of their squad immediately – and each are goalkeepers!” notes Peter Oh. “Wow, simply think about the battles across the laundry basket and the rubbish bin within the Donnarumma family when the stoppers had been simply wee lads, discovering their respective calling in life.”

“Hello Paul,’ begins Matt Drake. “I as soon as went to a recreation at Slavia Prague. It’s not pertinent to the sport immediately, however on the stadium I bought (and consumed) the worst slice of pizza I’ve ever had.” Anybody else prefer to share tales of their European soccer travels? Don’t be shy: as you’ll be able to see, the standard management filter is about to not even barely choosy.

“[By beating Man Metropolis final weekend} We set the usual for ourselves as a gaggle of gamers and it’s about how typically are you able to reproduce that type of depth, focus and successful the ball in the appropriate areas?”

About Rashford’s ankle harm, he says: “Hopefully it gained’t be too lengthy however he’s not prepared for tonight.”

Eleven nations are represented within the final 16, together with Norway, with Molde the primary from there to make it this far. With no golf equipment from Germany, France or Portugal, what ought to we glean from the failure of any sides from three of Europe’s supposed Large Six leagues to achieve this stage?

Slavia: Kolar; Bah, Kudela, Zima, Boril; Sima, Stancu, Holes, Provod, Olayinka; Kuchta

Subs: Visinky, Deli, Vagner, Teci, Dorley, Hromada, Masopust, Kovar, Lingr

Rangers: McGregor; Patterson, Goldson, Helander, Barisic; Kamara, Davis, Aribo; Hagi, Morelos, Kent

Subs: King, Simpson, Wright, Ughelumba, Itten, Zungu, Stewart, Roofe, McLaughlin, Arfield

Listed below are the lineups:

United: Henderson; Wan-BIssaka, Bailly, Maguire, Telles; McTominay, Matic; James, Fernandes, Greenwood; Martial

Subs: Shoretire, Tuanzebe, Shaw, Williams, Fred, Grant, Lindelof, Bishop, Traoré

Milan: Domarunma; Calabria, Kjaer, Tomori, Dalot; Krunic, Meite, Kssie; Saelemaekers, Rafael Leao, Daz

Subs: Tatarunsanu, Castillejo, Tonali, Kalulu, Tonin, Gabba, Donnarumma

Hey and welcome to the start of the Europa League final 16 ties, that includes

eight
some intriguing match-ups. How in regards to the seven-times European champions AC Milan towards the three-times European champions Manchester United? Or Steven Gerrard’s newly topped Scottish champions towards Slavia Prague, the staff whose spectacular victory at Leicester within the final spherical denied Brendan Rodgers the pleasure of duelling with Rangers once more? A little bit later we’ll have the newest instalment of Olympiakos v Arsenal, who can’t appear to keep away from different at any time when they go on European adventures, and Spurs versus Dinamo Zagreb. Listed below are all of immediately’s fixtures:

Ajax v Younger Boys

Dinamo Kyiv v Villarreal

Manchester United v AC Milan

Slavia Prague v Rangers

Granada v Molde

Olympiakos v Arsenal

Roma v Shakhtar Donetsk

Spurs v Dinamo Zagreb.