ALL eyes are on the Europa League tonight with English sides back in last-16 action.
West Ham lost 1-0 to Freiburg and were denied a penalty late on by VAR.
Earlier in the evening, Liverpool beat Sparta Prague 5-1 thanks to a brilliant brace from Darwin Nunez and Brighton were thrashed 4-0 by Roma in their first leg clash.
- Kick-off times: 5.45pm GMT & 8pm GMT
- Stream/TV: TNT Sports/Discovery+
Hammers still confident of progressing
Despite defeat in Freiburg this evening, David Moyes’ team will go back to the London Stadium full of confidence that they can turn this tie around.
Only a goal behind, The Hammers have plenty of goals in this team, especially on home soil.
It is all set up now for another classic night in Europe for the club, something they are starting to get used to now.
Seagulls unable to take flight in Rome
Albeit new for Brighton, having to juggle both domestic and European competition, they will be disappointed this evening.
Roberto De Zerbi will feel his team could have given a far better account of themselves in Rome.
Suffering a 4-0 defeat it seems a long way back for Brighton if they are stand any chance of progressing to the next round.
Credit: Getty Credit: Getty Waturo does thankless job for Klopp
Defensive midfielders never get the credit they should, especially when you were your club’s third choice to buy after Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia.
Once again this evening, Waturo Endo put in a solid performance for Liverpool and steadied the ship in the heart of midfield.
If Jurgen Klopp is going to win trophies in his last season with the club, Endo is going to be one of the big players who will have made that happen.
Competitions need clarity of rules
Rangers can feel hard done by with the penalty they conceded this evening as Souttar was adjudged to have handled in the box.
In this country, that would not be given as he headed the ball onto his own arm with no intention of doing so.
However, it seems in Europe that the rules are different and teams need clarity on this or it will cause more negativity.
Credit: Getty Age is but a number, class is permanent
Angel Di Maria showed this evening why he is an integral part of the success of this Benfica side, even at the ripe old age of 36-years-old.
He was a constant thorn in the side of Rangers, scoring the penalty that drew the game level in the first half.
Phillipe Clement will need to have a plan to cope with him at Ibrox if they are to make the quarter-finals.
FT: AC Milan 4-2 Slavia Prague
The team who knocked out Newcastle out of Europe look set to have a good chance of making the quarter-finals.
Milan will take a two-goal lead to Prague for the second leg.
It is still anybody’s game, the visitors were definitely hampered by going down to ten-men when having a player sent-off this evening.
FT: Marseille 4-0 Villarreal
A brace from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang helped the French side to a convincing victory in the ’round of 16′.
The Spanish side have a massive mountain to climb if they want to progress to the next round.
Marseille willl feel they are capable of seeing this tie out and booking their place in the quarter-finals of the Europa League.
The visitors did not have one single shot on target during the entire game.
FT: Benfica 2-2 Rangers
The referee brings the game to a close in Portugal.
Not many teams get anything at the Estadio da Luz, Phillipe Clement’s side must take this as a huge performance.
They now get to take them back to Ibrox, which no doubt will be bouncing, for the second leg all level.
FT: Freiburg 1-0 West Ham
It is all over in Germany.
West Ham are edged out in what was quite an even game.
Alvarez gave the ball away on the halfway line, which then led to the goal which Freiburg will try to defend in London.
Freiburg 1-0 West Ham
90+7. Wow. The referee decides no penalty.
We are not used to that in the Premier League, any time an official goes to the monitor, the decision changes.
That seems like West Ham’s last chance of a goal gone.
Freiburg 1-0 West Ham
90+6. The ball hits Noah Weisshaupt’s arm in the box.
West Ham claim for a penalty but the referee is not interested.
VAR is though and sends him to the monitor.
Benfica 2-2 Rangers
86. Roofe is putting in a real shift since coming on for Rangers.
He is chasing down every ball and making sure the defenders have no time on the ball whatsoever.
As he challenges Silva, he screams out in pain trying to get a free kick and a booking for the player,
The referee is not interested and when he realises, making a miraculous recovery and is not injured at all.
We need to start booking players for this, supposed big hard defenders who simulate fouls.
Freiburg 1-0 West Ham
88. Just after the goal, Moyes brings off Ward-Prowse for Phillips.
Not sure whether that is tactical or just to make sure Gareth Southgate did not have a wasted trip to see his favourite player.
Either way, time is running out for West Ham to find an equaliser.
AC Milan 4-2 Slavia Prague
85. Just as the visitors had worked so hard to get back into this game, they let it slip with another goal conceded.
Rafael Leao does well again to lay it on a plate for Pulisic and it is a simple finish for the American.
It gives them a two-goal lead to take into the second leg.
Goal – Christian Pulisic (AC Milan)
Freiburg 1-0 West Ham
81. The deadlock is finally broken in the final ten minutes.
In what has been a very even game, Michael Gregoritsch gets the all important goal in Germany.
Roland Sallai shoots across goal and the Austrian sub nips in between two West Ham players to poke home.
Credit: Getty Goal – Michael Gregoritsch (Freiburg)
Benfica 2-2 Rangers
67. Rangers have hit the self-destruct button in Portugal.
A curling ball is swung into the box and Goldson only has Rangers players around him, with the ball seemingly heading back to Butland.
Goldson gets his head to it and puts it in the far corner of his own goal.
Own goal – Connor Goldson (Rangers)
Freiburg 0-0 West Ham
65. Almost the deadlock broken in Germany.
Jarrod Bowen cuts in from the right and bends a left-footed shot towards goal which seems to be heading in.
Noah Atubolu makes a sublime save to deny the visitors a goal.
AC Milan 3-2 Slavia Prague
65. The visitors do not seem to have read the script tonight.
As AC Milan fail to clear their lines in their own box, Schranz reacts quickest to slot the ball home.
This puts the cat amongst the pigeons at the San Siro for the remainder of the game.
Goal – Ivan Schranz (Slavia Prague)
Benfica 1-2 Rangers
56. The Portuguese side are still trying to get forward at any opportunity but Clement’s side are defending well.
Not that it is back against the wall stuff as Rangers have had their fair share of half-chances also.
They just seem to need to show a little more composure in the final third.
Credit: Willie Vass Marseille 4-0 Villarreal
60. The French side are looking to get this tie won tonight.
A sublime lob from the former Arsenal striker with his left-foot to increase the lead.
This could turn into an even heavier defeat for the Spaniards with 30 minutes of the game still to play.
Goal – Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Marseille)
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
