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      AC Milan 0 Man Utd 1 (1-2 agg): Super-sub Pogba steals the show from Ibrahimovic to fire Red Devils into quarter-finals

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       ‘RETURN of the God’, declared Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
      So, unfortunately for him, did Paul Pogba. Return and produce the goal that sent Manchester United into the last eight of the Europa League.
      Paul Pogba kept his cool to fire Man Utd’s winner after a goalmouth scrambleCredit: Getty
      Pogba made the difference for United as he netted two minutes after coming on at half-timeCredit: AP
      AC Milan forward, and former Red Devil, Zlatan was heralding his own return to international duty with his social media post – he doesn’t do qualifiers.
      It could equally have been about his return to fitness for this tie, coming on in the second-half but negated by United.
      One man who was really back, after missing ten games with a thigh injury, was Pogba.
      On at the break for the injured Marcus Rashford he took just three minutes to decide this tight two legged tie.
      Hanging in the balance after a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford it needed just someone to blink first.
      Milan’s goalkeeper did. After a frenetic spell for the ball in the box, Pogba dummied a shot which Gianluigi Donnarumma fell for, allowing the United star to fire into the roof of the net.
      It was just like old times for the French World Cup winner having beaten Milan eight times in nine meetings during his glory filled time with Juventus.
      And for United, winning in Europe, searching for silverware.

      Luke Shaw watches on as Man Utd endure a tense second leg at AC MilanCredit: Getty
      Key midfielder Bruno Fernandes slots in an opportunity for Man UtdCredit: PA
      Ole Solakjer says Cups are for egos. Still, Manchester United could do with one.
      The polish has not been needed at Old Trafford since they won this Europa League in 2017.
      That night in Stockholm was a seriously memorably one.
      The 2-0 win played out to a cacophony of noise.
      The sight of Jose Mourinho walking to the United end, trophy in hand, will still live long in the memory of those who were there.
      It will certainly beat a bus trip round Salford to celebrate second place.
      After losing three semi-finals last season here was another chance to put that right.
      Last season this was a competition they should really have gone on to win, but instead they fell in the semi-finals to Sevilla.
      That hurt and afterwards Solskjaer said the team needed to take the next step.
      To get that piece of silverware to give the team confidence that they can go on and reclaim their place at the top table domestically and in Europe.
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      Marcus Rashford was forced off at half-time and replacement Pogba made an instant impactCredit: AFP
      Man Utd boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer sees the visitors slug out a tough last-16 tieCredit: Rex
       Yet, in the run up to this game the target was moved. It was all about the league, that was the sure sign of progress.
      And yes he is right in a way. From third last season to second this will be a step forward.
      They are 12 points better off than they were at this stage last season.
      But what is the point if there is nothing tangible to celebrate at the end of it all.
      As there was under Jose Mourinho and even at the end of the snorefest under Louis van Gaal who lifted the FA Cup… Remember that? No me neither.
      Still the museum at Old Trafford is not filled with pictures of league tables showing runners-up spot.
      There is however memories of those ego-filled cups.
      They will try and make a step towards winning another one on Sunday when they travel to Leicester in the FA Cup quarter-finals.
      The first half on Thursday night served up little for either side although United started off on the front foot.
      Indeed in the opening three minutes both Mason Greenwood and Daniel James put in good crosses from the flank.
      Zlatan Ibrahimovic came off the bench for Milan and was narrowly denied an equaliser by HendersonCredit: AP
      Pogba outshone fellow sub and pal Zlatan at the San SiroCredit: Getty
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      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds
      Now the argument with both, and another subsequent James cross, was whether it was a poor delivery.
      They weren’t, they just did not have anyone anticipating them, on the end of them.
      All the likes of James can do is beat his man and provide the cross, but United simply do not have an out and out No9 to take advantage.
      Had Sergio Aguero been in red they would have been ahead by the break.
      That is why the money needs to be spilled on the likes of Erling Haaland this summer. The £75million release clause, the agents bit, the dog walker, the lot.
      Plenty was, of course, spent on club record signing Pogba – and what a difference he made.
      As he did in Stockholm in 2017 when he scored in the win over Ajax.
      His goal proved the decisive moment, despite the arrival of the great Zlatan, whose fine second-half header was tipped over by Dean Henderson.
      So a big win in a clash between two great clubs.
      The fact it is the Europa League remains a reminder of how far United have to go.
      There is a banner at Old Trafford that runs the length of the Sir Alex Ferguson Stand.
      It chronicles all of his trophy triumphs, even Charity Shields.
      They all meant something. This could mean something too. Second in the league doesn’t.
      Solskjaer confirms Man Utd will recall Diogo Dalot after impressing and ‘keeping fit’ during AC Milan loan spell More

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      Jose Mourinho 13/10 FAVOURITE to be next Prem manager sacked as odds tumble after Spurs’ disaster at Dinamo

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      JOSE MOURINHO is now the bookies’ favourite to be the next Premier League manager sacked after Tottenham’s shock Europa League exit.Spurs took a two-goal first leg lead to Dinamo Zagreb on Thursday, expecting to stroll into the quarter-finals.
      Jose Mourinho is now 13/10 to be the next Premier League boss sackedCredit: Reuters

      But a Mislav Orsic hat-trick sunk the North London side in a crazy 120-minute turnaround.
      It meant a second limp last-16 exit in a row for Mourinho, whose team were comfortably dumped out of the Champions League by RB Leipzig last year.
      Tottenham also sit back in eighth in the Premier League but at least have the Carabao Cup final to potentially end their long wait for silverware.
      Fans’ ire, not just at a lack of results but also the Portuguese coach’s style of play, could soon lead to Daniel Levy taking action.
      But the lack of a break clause in his contract would mean a huge payout for the club.
      Next Prem manager to go oddsOdds courtesy of Betfair
      Jose Mourinho 13/10 (4/1 before tonight’s match)
      No Manager To Leave 13/5
      Steve Bruce 7/2
      Sam Allardyce 5/1
      Paul Heckingbottom 11/1

      Bookmaker Betfair have named Mourinho their favourite to be the next manager sacked, at 13/10.
      The 58-year-old overtakes Steve Bruce for the unwanted title having been 4/1 going into the game, with Newcastle boss Bruce at 7/2.
      Sam Allardyce is 5/1 to leave West Brom before another manager goes and stricken Sheffield United caretaker Paul Heckingbottom is 11/1.
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      The dramatic upset Dinamo caused on Thursday night is demonstrated by their 54/1 chances going into the second leg – with Spurs 1/99 to see their lead out.
      Speaking after the 3-2 aggregate defeat, Mourinho pointed the finger at Tottenham’s poor attitude.
      He told reporters: “They left sweat, energy, blood, tears of happiness at the end of the game. Very humble, very committed.
      “On the other side was my team – I am there – that didn’t look like they were playing an important match.
      “To me it’s an important match, for the respect of my own career and my own job every match is an important match for me.
      To say that I feel sad is not enough, because what I feel goes much further than sadness. Jose Mourinho

      “And I believe that for every Tottenham fan at home every match matters, and another attitude is needed.
      “To say that I feel sad is not enough, because what I feel goes much further than sadness.
      “I just left the Dinamo dressing room where I went to praise their guys, and I feel sorry that one team that is not my team won the game based on attitude.”
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds
      Mourinho says Harry Kane could play at top level for Tottenham for another ten years More

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      Harry Kane a ‘Champions League player’ and must be questioning his Spurs future after Zagreb KO, says Crouch

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      HARRY KANE should be questioning his future with Euro duds Tottenham as he is a “Champions League player,” says Peter Crouch.England striker Kane was powerless as Mislav Orsic’s brilliant hat-trick dumped dire Spurs out of the Europa League 3-2 on aggregate, Dinamo Zagreb winning 3-0 in Croatia after extra time.
      England skipper Harry Kane reflects on a humiliating night for Tottenham and might need to ponder his club future, according to Peter CrouchCredit: Reuters
      “He shouldn’t even be playing in this competition, he’s a Champions League player!”@petercrouch wonders if players like Harry Kane might be considering their future after a Europa League disaster… pic.twitter.com/M4gvXI3kPu— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) March 18, 2021

      Boss Jose Mourinho claimed “sad was not enough” to express his shock at Tottenham’s performance.
      And former Spurs and Three Lions frontman Crouch was even blunter when it came to the future of Kane, who is thought to be coveted by Manchester United.
      Crouch told BT Sport: “Harry Kane shouldn’t even be playing in this competition. He’s a Champions League player.
      “He’s a player who should be there with [Robert] Lewandowski, [Erling] Haaland, [Kylian] Mbappe – he’s up there with those.
      “He’s gone out to Dinamo Zagreb today and that’s the worrying thing… where’s his head at?
      “Players like Kane and Son, who deserve to be playing at a higher level than the Europa League.
      “You hope they are loyal to Tottenham… but games like that certainly don’t help.”

      Angry Mourinho contrasted Zagreb’s drive and commitment with what he saw as Spurs’ complacency and lack of desire.
      He told BT Sport: “They left sweat, energy, blood. In the end they left even tears of happiness. Very humble and committed. I have to praise them.
      “On the other side, my team. I repeat, my team. They didn’t look like it was playing an important match. 
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      “For every Tottenham fan at home every match matters. Another attitude is needed.
      “To say I feel sad is not enough. What I feel is much more than sadness.
      “Football is not just about players who think they have more quality than others. The basis of football is attitude. They beat us on that.”
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds
      Jose Mourinho hopes Gareth Southgate and Harry Kane can reach ‘compromise’ to protect Tottenham star on World Cup duty More

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      Dinamo Zagreb 3 Tottenham 0 LIVE REACTION: Spurs DUMPED out of Europa League in EXTRA-TIME – latest updates

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      TOTTENHAM have been dumped out of the Europa League after Dinamo Zagreb beat them 3-0 in their second leg clash.
      RESULT: Dinamo Zagreb 3-0 Tottenham
      Zagreb XI: Livakovic, Ristovski, Lauritsen, Theophile-Catherine, Franjic, Ademi, Orsic, Ivanusec, Jakic, Majer, Petkovic
      Tottenham XI: Lloris, Aurier, Sanchez, Dier, Davies, Sissoko, Winks, Dele, Lamela, Lucas, Kane

      Follow ALL the action with our live blog below…
      THAT’S ALL FOR TONIGHT!
      Tottenham are out of the Europa League after losing 3-0 to Dinamo Zagreb tonight.
      The game finished 3-2 on aggregate after the London club won the first leg 2-0 last week.
      A stunning hat-trick from Mislav Orsic was enough to see the Croatian side through after extra time.
      The quarter final draw will take place tomorrow at 1pm.
      Join us on SunSport for more live blogs this weekend.
      Goodnight!!!!!!
      REACTION FROM JOSE
      “In the 90 minutes and in the first half of extra time, one team decided to leave everything on the pitch, the other side, my team didn’t look like it was playing an important match.
      “Every match is an important match for me and I believe that for every Tottenham fan at home every match matters.
      “To say that I feel sad is not enough, what I feel goes much further than sadness.
      “I feel sorry for one team that is not my team won the game based on attitude, I feel more than sad.
      “The basic of football is the attitude and they beat us on that.”
      SPURS HEAT MAP

      DINAMO HEAT MAP

      AVERAGE POSITION OF BOTH SIDES

      ACTION AREAS

      ITS BEEN A BAD WEEK…

      SHOT SHY SPURS

      A FAMOUS NIGHT FOR DINAMO

      AMAZING PERFORMANCE FROM ORSIC

      A BAD NIGHT FOR JOSE

      AMAZING FROM DINAMO

      DINAMO ARE THROUGH!!!!!!!!

      PEEEEEEEEEEP!!!!!!!!!
      FULL TIME
      DINAMO ZAGREB 3-0 SPURS
      DINAMO ZAGREB 3-0 SPURS
      120. Two minutes of stoppage time.
      DINAMO ZAGREB 3-0 SPURS
      119. Spurs are chucking everything at Dinamo but can’t find a way through.
      Time is running out…
      DINAMO ZAGREB 3-0 SPURS
      116. An icredible passage of play as Spurs pepper Dinamo’s goal with shots.
      Bale and Kane going close for Spurs! But they can’t find a way through.
      DINAMO ZAGREB 3-0 SPURS
      114. Tempo has slowed just a little, time is running out for Spurs.
      They do still look dangerous coming forward, but yet to really create anything in this second period.
      DINAMO ZAGREB 3-0 SPURS
      112. Better from Spurs, they’re playing with pace and urgency.
      Dinamo still looking dangerous. It’s end to end!!!!!
      DINAMO ZAGREB 3-0 SPURS
      109. Dinamo are on top, knocking the ball about with ease.
      Spurs need to wake up, one goal will still take them through.
      DINAMO ZAGREB 3-0 SPURS
      106. It’s a hat-trick for Orsic!!!!!!! He picks up the ball and drives into the Spurs box and fires past Lloris!!!!!!!!!
      Amazing goal!!!!!!!!
      GOAL!!!!!!!!!! DINAMO!!!!!!!!!!
      PEEEEEEEP!!!!!!!!
      And the second half of extra time is underway!
      PEEEEEEP!!!!!!!
      Half time of extra time
      DINAMO ZAGREB 2-0 SPURS
      DINAMO ZAGREB 2-0 SPURS
      104. Spurs starting to get on top, Vinicius has a shot blocked after great work from Reguilon.
      Better from the away side.
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      Arsenal verdict: Uninspiring Gunners push their luck again and Spurs-esque banana skin may be just around the corner

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      THANK GOD for Spurs, Mikel Arteta might sit down tonight and whisper to himself.While Jose Mourinho’s side were grabbing headlines with their Dinamo implosion, neighbours Arsenal were busy making a bit of a mess themselves.
      Mikel Arteta dodged the limelight and the Europa League trapdoor on ThursdayCredit: AFP
      Sometimes rival fans can be accused of spending more time focusing on each other than their own team – but Gooners could not be blamed for doing so on Thursday.
      With a 3-1 first-leg lead behind them, this was either a night for Arsenal to professionally stroll into Friday’s quarter-final draw or confidently lay down a big marker to their fellow challengers.
      Instead, they did neither.
      Olympiacos were not particularly good, aside from the bogeyman figure of Youssef El Arabi, who was gifted an early warning shot and notched a deflected winner-on-the-night in the second-half.
      But then, Benfica were not particularly good either. And that tie required some last-ditch heroics from Kieran Tierney, the left-back who is continually Arsenal’s best player at both ends.
      Arteta will likely insist that the result is all that matters, particularly in cup football where the Spaniard has experienced more success than expected during his time in the Emirates dugout.
      Indeed, this was not the nightmare of last season’s last-32 where the Greeks punished Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s bad night in front of goal to actually knock Arsenal out.
      The misses were still there this time but the deficit too big to overcome.
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      Arsenal made it to the quarter-finals despite a poor display versus OlympiacosCredit: AFP
      Tottenham’s shock defeat will save the Gunners from the spotlightCredit: Getty

      Looking ahead, it is probably worse for Arteta that a plucky, energetic upstart such as Zagreb may land in their laps instead of Spurs.
      It seems that the banana skin is the inevitable exit route if the team continues to turn in uninspiring performances, so they may as well hope for a familiar enemy or a more established side against whom to raise their game in the last-eight.
      A strong league finish is not out of the question but otherwise this tournament is it for Arsenal, and they’re not even doing that well in it.
      Still, it could be worse. They could be Spurs.
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds

      Jose Mourinho is not impressed after Tottenham’s loss to Arsenal More

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      Arsenal 0 Olympiacos 1 LIVE REACTION: Gunners progress to Europa League quarter finals despite loss – latest updates

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      ARSENAL are through to the Europa League last eight despite losing 1-0 to Olympiacos in their Europa League last-16 second leg.
      RESULT: Arsenal 0-1 Olympiacos
      Arsenal XI: Leno, Bellerin, David Luiz, Gabriel, Tierney, Ceballos, Elneny, Xhaka, Pepe, Aubameyang, Smith Rowe
      Olympiacos XI: Sa, Holebas, Ba, Sokratis, Androutsos, M’Vila, Camara, Reabciuk, Masouras, El Arabi, Fortounis

      Follow ALL the action with our live blog below…
      AND THAT’S ALL FROM THE EMIRATES
      Arsenal made it through to the Europa League quarter-finals despite losing 1-0 to Olympiacos at the Emirates.
      The Gunners qualified after beating the visitors 3-1 at the Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium last week.
      The north Londoners put together a rather toothless performance throughout the encounter in which Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang missed three major chances to put the tie to bed.
      The hosts maintained a clean sheet in the first half but were rocked by usual suspect Youssef El Arabi after 51 minutes.
      El Arabi found his way into Arsenal’s box and fired a shot that deflected off Gabriel and ended at the back of Bernd Leno’s net.
      Olympiacos never gave up throughout the game and pushed for a shock comeback, similar to the one last year.
      But manager Pedro Martins lost Ousseynou Ba on 82 minutes to a second yellow card when he smashed the ball against the ground immediately after getting booked for a rough challenge on Gabriel Martinelli.
      Arsenal are waiting to find out their next opponent in tomorrow’s draw.
      That’s all from us, have a lovely night!
      GETTY IMAGES
      MARTINS REACTS
      Olympiacos manager Pedro Martins is pleased with his players’ display and insists they proved the Piraeus outfit should be regarded as one of the biggest clubs in Europe.
      Martins said: “I think the second and third goals of the first match cost us the qualification.
      “We put together a good game and picked up a fair win. As for the players’ perfromance, I am very pleased. We believed it, it [the elimination] leaves us with a bitter taste. If it wasn’t for those two goals then we would have gone through.
      “Olympiacos are a big club. We are not afraid of our opponents. No matter where we play, our mentality remains the same. Arsenal are a great club and are targeting the Europa League.
      “Olympiacos are a club that deserves everyone’s respect across Europe. Other than the results, we have earned the title as a big club in Europe.”
      GETTY IMAGES
      ARTETA REACTS
      Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is pleased with his team going through to the Europa League quarter-finals but admitted the performance was below par.
      Arteta said: “Really happy to be through we had a tough opponent we knew that.
      “At the same time we have to be fair with ourselves and today we were nowhere near the levels that we have to set for ourselves.
      “When we conceded the one nil to be fair after we got a lot better but we put ourselves in a difficult position because we gave them some belief which you cannot give to the opponents”
      GETTY IMAGES
      WHO’S NEXT?
      Arsenal are going to find out their next Europa League opponent in the quarter-finals on Friday.
      So far, the Gunners know Granada as well as Roma are through and are waiting on the rest of the matches.
      Manchester United take on AC Milan while Tottenham are still on extra-time with Dinamo Zagreb.
      Young Boys, Rangers and Villarreal take on Ajax, Slavia Prague and Dynamo Kiev
      GOING THROUGH
      Arsenal breathe a sigh of relief after getting a cold shower for a parting gift by Olympiacos.
      The two teams’ unlikely rivalry continues as in all of their 12 matches each one of them has picked up six victories in the process.
      That was the Gunners’ first defeat in the Europa League this season after a nine-game unbeaten run.
      Mikel Arteta’s men had picked up eight wins along the way…
      4/5 – Arsenal have made it to the quarter-finals for the fourth time in their last five Europa League/UEFA Cup campaigns (knocked out at Last 32 stage last season), after failing to reach that stage in each of their first five attempts. Relief. #UEL— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) March 18, 2021

      STATS
      Olympiacos dominated 54.1 per cent of possession throughout the encounter, which explains their sixth victory over Arsenal.
      Tonight’s victory marked the Greek giants’ third victory in England, all of which have taken place against the Gunners.
      The Piraeus outfit produced a total of eight shots, two of which were on target.
      Arsenal got 12 shots, five of which were on target, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang missing three major chances
      GETTY IMAGES
      FT: ARSENAL 0-1 OLYMPIACOS
      Arsenal made it through to the Europa League quarter-finals despite losing 1-0 to Olympiacos at the Emirates.
      The Gunners qualified thanks to their 3-1 win in Greece last week and prevented the Greek giants from scoring two more goals that would have seen them going to the final eight.
      Olympiacos opened the scoring with Youssef El Arabi when his shot deflected off Gabriel after 51 minutes.
      The Piraeus outfit tried hard for a second but lost Ousseynou Ba on 83 minutes after he smashed the ball on the ground when he got booked with a yellow for a rough challenge on Gabriel Martinelli
      GETTY IMAGES
      PEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!
      AND THAT’S FULL-TIME AT THE EMIRATES!!!!!!
      ARSENAL 0-1 OLYMPIACOS
      90+2 YELLOW CARD
      Tierney gets booked for taking too much time to deliver the free-throw.
      ARSENAL 0-1 OLYMPIACOS
      90 Three more minutes until full-time.
      Arsenal are basically in the quarter-finals unless something insane happens.
      But will they suffer their first loss in the Europa League this season in the process?
      ARSENAL 0-1 OLYMPIACOS
      87 WHAT A CHANCE!
      Arsenal get extremely close to an equaliser!
      Martinelli gets a lovely through ball that Camara was left watching.
      The striker finds Aubameyang who tries to trick Sa with a flick but the Olympiacos keeper saves it.
      The Arsenal star then tries an overhead kick but it bounces off the crossbar
      ARSENAL 0-1 OLYMPIACOS
      86 YELLOW CARD
      Xhaka gets cautioned for a late challenge on Bouchalakis
      ARSENAL 0-1 OLYMPIACOS
      85 Ba was initially shown the yellow card but then smashed the ball to the ground and that’s what led to a red card.
      Bit harsh from the referee there, we’ve seen those kinds of reactions many times before…
      ARSENAL 0-1 OLYMPIACOS
      84 SUBSTITUTION
      Olympiacos make a late change with Martins sending Bouchalakis on for Fortounis and Lala takes Reabciuk’s place
      ARSENAL 0-1 OLYMPIACOS
      83 Ba is completely heartbroken as he makes his way back to the dressing room.
      The Olympiacos star appears to be crying inside the tunnel
      ARSENAL 0-1 OLYMPIACOS
      82 RED CARD
      Ba is sent off for a challenge on Martinelli…
      It sems like the referee believes the Olympiacos star used too much force with the elbow to the face
      ARSENAL 0-1 OLYMPIACOS
      81 SUBSTITUTITION
      Arteta makes a couple of other changes as Martinelli takes Smith Rowe’s place.
      Bellerin comes off and makes way for Chambers
      ARSENAL 0-1 OLYMPIACOS
      81 WHAT A CHANCE!
      Aubameyang gets in the counter-attack and finds himself in front of Sa.
      But the Arsenal star’s flick goes well wide of the goal, should have done much better there!
      ARSENAL 0-1 OLYMPIACOS
      80 Olympiacos give away another set-piece as Fortounis’ cross is clearer.
      Luiz and Gabriel have had a rather easy night in terms of set-pieces
      ARSENAL 0-1 OLYMPIACOS
      78 Time is running out for the visitors but they are still not giving up.
      Arsenal just had a good attack with Pepe who got inside the box but Sa picked up the ball with ease
      ARSENAL 0-1 OLYMPIACOS
      76 CHANCE!
      Arsenal on the attack as Pepe finds his way inside the Olympiacos box but is dispossessed.
      That leaves Odegaard with immense space at his disposal but he balloons it over the top
      ARSENAL 0-1 OLYMPIACOS
      75 Olympiacos are still chasing but struggle to find space through Arsenal’s midfield.
      Should expect Martins to play his final changes soon
      ARSENAL 0-1 OLYMPIACOS
      72 YELLOW CARD
      M’Vila gets cautioned after stepping on Pepe’s foot, referee is right there!
      ARSENAL 0-1 OLYMPIACOS
      72 Arsenal survived a clumsy moment as Partey was dispossessed by El Arabi but the Olympiacos star hesitated to take the shot.
      A lucky escape for the Gunners there
      ARSENAL 0-1 OLYMPIACOS
      72 El Arabi has been in phenomenal form thanks to his movement, power and determination.
      The Olympiacos star is causing trouble at the back for Arsenal
      GETTY IMAGES
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      Arsenal player ratings: Aubameyang & Pepe guilty of misses galore as Gunners limp into Europa League quarter-finals

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      OLYMPIACOS took a 1-0 win at Arsenal on Thursday night but failed to truly punish the Gunners’ missed chances.Mikel Arteta’s side did not sit back on their 3-1 first-leg lead and created more than enough to ease into the Europa League quarter-finals comfortably.
      Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang missed a number of chances to kill the last-16 tieCredit: AFP
      Yet a Youssef El Arabi goal combined with misses from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Nicolas Pepe to make for a slightly nervy evening in North London.
      Here, SunSport’s Marc Mayo rates and slates the individual performances at Emirates Stadium.
      Bernd Leno – 6/10
      Stood tall for El Arabi’s early effort and had no chance with the deflected goal.
      Hector Bellerin – 6
      Yes, the right-back was caught up the pitch for the goal but that’s the tactics Arteta wants to employ, so it’s hard to blame the player who was otherwise sound at both ends.
      David Luiz – 5
      Lazily caught out for that early El Arabi chance and then stood back and watched him for the goal.
      Mikel Arteta stuck with the same central pairing as the derby although they played like the reserve crew.
      David Luiz stood off Youssef El Arabi for Thursday’s only goalCredit: Reuters
      Gabriel Magalhaes – 6
      Also lost for the route one warning sign that Leno saved and the question is whether the Brazilian has any working partnership with Luiz at all.
      At least Gabriel stepped in well at other points.
      Kieran Tierney – 6
      One of the main creative threats, perhaps even under-used given his ability to stretch the game.
      Mohamed Elneny – 5
      It was a shame there were no fans in the Emirates to adoringly howl ‘shoot’ with every touch of the ball from the first-leg hero, instead it was a wholly quiet and limp showing that failed to reach the hour mark.
      Arsenal lost 1-0 but claimed a 3-2 aggregate win over OlympiacosCredit: PA
      Granit Xhaka – 5
      A fairly weak display, particularly in the second-half as he failed to show his authority during Olympiacos’ attacking tremors.
      Nicolas Pepe – 5
      It’s tough to judge players who get in the right positions and yet do nothing with it.
      Pepe earned himself a number of good openings and was let down by his final execution every time. With Bukayo Saka good but not great right now, this was a missed opportunity.
      Dani Ceballos – 7
      The chief creative outlet as he supplied nice through balls to Pepe and Aubameyang in the first-half, but he didn’t last long into the second after a couple of loose moments.
      Harsh to be subbed so early.
      Dani Ceballos was Arsenal’s creator in chief during the first-halfCredit: Getty
      Emile Smith Rowe – 5
      Painfully caught flush in the face with the ball early on and was just a bit mediocre throughout.
      Taken off for Martinelli, who may now be ready to compete for his place.
      Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang – 5
      Got into far better positions up front in this one than he found himself in 90 minutes before Sunday’s derby, but did just about as much with it.
      Poked a great chance over in the first-half and saw two late openings go begging. Enough to get another start on the weekend, though.
      Substitutes
      Thomas Partey (on for Elneny, 56 mins) – 6
      Was he really an improvement on Elneny?
      Arsenal fans probably should expect more when the anchor man comes on and the game continues to drift away.
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      Martin Odegaard (on for Ceballos, 56 mins) – 6
      Bright and looked a mark above fellow Real Madrid loanee Ceballos in terms of his control and movement.
      Added his name to the list of missers with his own great chance skied late on.
      Gabriel Martinelli (On for Smith Rowe, 82 mins) – N/A
      Calum Chambers (On for Bellerin, 82 mins) – N/A
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      Mikel Arteta hails ‘positive’ Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang talks as Arsenal skipper is all smiles after Tottenham axe More

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      Zagreb 3 Tottenham 0 (3-2 agg): Watch Orsic’s outrageous hat-trick as lacklustre Spurs are stunned by Croatians

      by

      THE authorities come down heavily on footballing fraudsters in this part of the world.So Jose Mourinho and his Spurs stars might be wondering if they should be be allowed out of Croatia following this.
      Mislav Orsic celebrates one of the greatest nights of Dinamo Zagreb’s history as his hat-trick overturned their 2-0 first-leg deficit to stun SpursCredit: Getty

      The hosts suffered the worst possible preparation as their coach, Zoran Mamic, was jailed for nearly five years for embezzlement.
      But after this it is Mourinho and his men who deserve to be banged up for impersonating a Premier League team.
      It was a criminal display by Tottenham in this Europa League last 16 crunch as they threw away a 2-0 first leg lead.
      Mislav Orsic fired a spectacular hat-trick to ensure the Croatians pulled off a great escape their incarcerated former gaffer can only dream of.
      As for Mourinho, he faces being shoved into the stocks by Spurs fans for once again playing with the handcuffs on.
      Having lifted this trophy previously with Porto and Manchester United, he made no secret of his desire to win it again this time.
      Now, with Tottenham’s top-four hopes floundering, their Carabao Cup final against Manchester City next month is now almost a must-win in terms of his future in N17.
      But how are they going to deal with Pep Guardiola’s array of superstars if they could not handle Orsic?

      Dinamo winger Mislav Orsic hails his tie-changing second-half double before completing a treble to put the Croatians throughCredit: Getty
      This 82nd-minute poaching from Mislav Orsic took the tie into extra time, levelling the aggregate score at 2-2, then he struck againCredit: Reuters
      The ex-Ulsan Hyandai player may have had No99 on his shirt but it was definitely the Spurs defence who were flakey.
      Heaven knows what Mamic was thinking as he was listening to the transistor radio while sat on the bunk in his prison cell.
      As for Tottenham, watching this turgid affair was a life sentence. With no parole.
      Performances like this back up those Spurs fans’ verdicts that watching their team under the Special One is pure torture.
      Mamic was refused bail and Mourinho snubbed Gareth Bale, leaving the Welsh superstar on the bench after his lethargic showing at Arsenal on Sunday.
      Croatian league leaders Zagreb have only lost twice at home this season and Mourinho warned his squad beforehand that, despite their two-goal advantage, this tie was far from over. And so it proved.
      After a comfortable opening 35 minutes, Lovro Majer drilled a shot wide for the hosts in the 35th minute before Hugo Lloris felt he had to palm away a touch from his own defender Davinson Sanchez moments later.
      Tottenham’s best effort of the first half came when Harry Kane had a shot blocked by Dinamo keeper Dominik Livakovic just before the interval.
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      1 – Tottenham are the first English side to take a two goal lead into the second leg of a European knockout tie and fail to progress since Manchester City against Monaco in the last 16 of the 2016-17 UEFA Champions League. Stunned. #UEL pic.twitter.com/rdWw3vJO8R— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) March 18, 2021

      Mislav Orsic fires home a cracker to halve the Dinamo deficit just past the hourCredit: Reuters
      Tottenham main man Harry Kane goes close in the first half of this Europa League last-16 second leg but it was downhill after thatCredit: AP
      Jose Mourinho watched on as his woeful Spurs team tried in vain to frustrate Dinamo ZagrebCredit: Reuters
      The expected second-half improvement from Spurs did not come and with his men under the cosh, Mourinho brought on Bale for Erik Lamela.
      But this altered nothing as the Premier League side saw their advantage halved when Mislav Orsic cut inside and curled in a wonderful shot to put the hosts 1-0 up on the night in the 62nd minute.
      It was no more than Dinamo deserved and Mourinho could stand no more as he quickly replaced Dele Alli and Harry Winks with Giovani Lo Celso and Tanguy Ndombele.
      Spurs instantly looked sharper with Lo Celso having a snap shot clawed away by Livakovic.
      But still they could not stem the Zagreb tide and Orsic fired home his second in the 82nd minute from a great cross by Iyayi Atiemwen – to the level tie on aggregate.
      Davinson Sanchez fails to make a breakthrough with a rare Tottenham chanceCredit: Getty
      Erik Lamela rues a first-half miss for Spurs that might have made the tie so differentCredit: Getty
      Spurs responded with Kane having a far-post header from Bale’s centre blocked and cleared off the line by Kevn Theophile-Catherine.
      Mourinho’s face looked like thunder as the ref blew for full-time and he sent on Sergio Reguilon for Ben Davies for the extra 30 minutes.
      Still there was no improvement from Mourinho’s men and they had an almighty let-off when Marin Leovac side-footed tamely wide in the first period of extra time.
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      But 50 seconds in the second period Orsic completed his hat-trick with a stunning low finish.
      Kane had three efforts blocked by the dogged Dinamo defence – although Tottenham had Lloris to thank for diving at Orsic’s feet to deny him another.
      Disaster for Spurs, glory for Zagreb.
      But what next for Mourinho?
      Jose Mourinho hopes Gareth Southgate and Harry Kane can reach ‘compromise’ to protect Tottenham star on World Cup duty More