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    Man Utd fans say ‘we’ll never forgive Ten Hag for choosing Antony’ as Kudus dribbles from own half to score worldie

    MOHAMMED KUDUS’ stunning solo goal for West Ham has left Manchester United fans fuming.Supporters have claimed they “will never forgive” Erik ten Hag for not signing the former Ajax midfielder.Mohammed Kudus scored a stunning solo goal as West Ham thrashed Freiburg 5-0Credit: RexThe midfielder’s display left Manchester United fans fuming they did not sign himCredit: GettyKudus with then-Ajax coach Erik ten Hag in 2021Ten Hag instead brought Antony to Old Trafford after his appointment in 2022.Kudus showed United what could have been in the Europa League on Thursday.The Ghanaian scored twice as the Hammers thrashed Freiburg 5-0 to overturn their first leg deficit and reach the quarter-finals.His first goal was a sunning solo effort which saw him dribble from his own half before scoring.READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWSAfter skipping past the challenges of three Freiburg players, Kudus calmly slotted the ball past the goalkeeper.He later added West Ham’s fifth to wrap up a dominant display at the London Stadium.Reacting to the goal on social media, one fan wrote: “I will never ever forgive Ten Hag for coaching both Kudus and Antony and choosing Antony to be the €100m signing.”Another added: “Ten Hag saw this everyday then proceeded to go with Mount and Antony over him.”Most read in FootballCHELTENHAM BETTING OFFERS – BEST FREE BET DEALS FOR THE FESTIVALA third supporter also commented: “Ten Hag coached Kudus and Antony, so decided to get Antony instead.”Meanwhile, a rival fan joked: “It will never not be funny that Ten Hag went back to his old club to spend £80m or whatever on Antony rather than Kudus.”David Moyes issues defiant eight-word response to angry West Ham fans who demand under-fire boss is SACKEDKudus joined West Ham for £35million last summer and has now scored 11 goals in 34 appearances for the club.He previously played 42 times under Ten Hag at Ajax after he signed him in 2020.As for Antony, the Brazilian has consistently come in for criticism for his performances since arriving in an £85.5million deal two years ago.Although he has scored nine goals for United, the 24-year-old is yet to pick up a goal or assist in the Premier League this season.The Red Devils are even considering selling the winger this summer, according to reports. More

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    Rangers 0 Benfica 1 (2-3 on Agg) – Gers OUT of Europa League as Rafa Silva’s second half goal ends run at last 16 stage

    PHILIPPE CLEMENT said before kick-off a Rangers victory could become an exhibit in the Ibrox museum.Unfortunately, his team’s Europa League campaign is now a thing of the past.Rangers’ Connor Goldson looks dejected after the matchafa Silva of Benfica celebrates after scoring the opening goalThe Belgian’s side gave everything for a priceless result to take them into the last eight of the competition.But it’s Benfica who got the win to take into their history books.Rafa Silva’s crucial goal that separated these two sides over legs was initially disallowed for off-side but a VAR check confirmed the strike would stand.It was an agonising end of this Euro run that had Rangers supporters dreaming of reaching the final in Dublin in May.But the 50,000 inside Ibrox for this early kick-off saluted the efforts of their heroes after the final whistle.There’s no shame whatsoever in losing to the Portuguese giants.But in the cold light of day, Clement and his players will believe they passed up a glorious opportunity to reach the quarter finals.Had Cyriel Dessers taken a big chance at the start of the second half here it could easily have turned out different.In the end it wasn’t to be, but there were still some big, imposing performances out there for Rangers.Skipper James Tavernier was immense in both directions down the right flank.Big John Souttar was the same. If not better.The Scotland centre-back was aggressive and decisive when he had to go and win the ball on the deck or in the air. When he was in possession he was calm and cool, fizzing balls forward into the feet of the midfielders ahead of him.There were still moments of anxiety in the first-half that would have worried Clement.John Lundstram was a key man bringing the ball out from the back with Souttar and Connor Goldson splitting.But the best Benfica chance of the opening 45 minutes came when the Scouse defender took his eye off the ball in the middle of the park and lost it.Thankfully for Lundstram, Tavernier made a timely last ditch block to make sure all the Portuguese side got out of it was a corner.All in all, there wasn’t a great deal between the sides by the time the half-time whistle went.Rangers could have been ahead given how much of the ball they enjoyed. Yet they didn’t trouble goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin nearly enough.The Ukrainian did make one impressive save to keep out a shot from Dessers, but the Ibrox striker had wandered into an off-side position when Tom Lawrence picked him out. Even had Trubin not made the stop, it wouldn’t have counted.1Cyriel Dessers dejectionThere were other moments that had the home support up off their seats. Lawrence fired an early shot on target that the Benfica No1 almost spilled into his net.Scott Wright – in the line-up with Dujon Sterling injured – was also lively whenever he got into the final third.It was just the final ball that let Rangers down. For all their good play, they didn’t carve out a big chance to take the lead before the interval and that would have been something that frustrated Clement and his backroom staff.Benfica would certainly have been the happier of the two teams that there was still nothing between the sides when they came back out.They made a change for the restart, striker Casper Tengstedt replacing Marcos Leonardo which was a sign that their coach, Roger Schmidt, wanted more from his attack.Just two minutes into the second-half, though, it was Rangers who had to expect better from their frontman.Wright did brilliantly to burst forward and pick out Dessers inside the box.Rangers manager Philippe Clement gestures from the sidelineBut after chopping inside, the Belgian fired his shot with his right foot – when he should have used his left – and he didn’t get nearly enough power on it with the opportunity wasted.It was still a good restart, though, and a sign that Rangers could be the team that got the next goal in the tie.They still had to be careful at the back.Goldson picked up a booking for hauling back Rafa Silva as he got away from him and, in truth, it was probably a good yellow card to get. If anything, he should have fouled him sooner. Or harder.Because in 66 minutes it was the little forward who made it 1-0 to Benfica.The galling thing for Rangers was that it came from a corner they had at the other end.But, like they did all night, they didn’t leave enough cover back on the halfway line and they were wide open to be hit on the break. Could Dessers have done better inside the Benfica box to stop the attack unfolding in the first place? It certainly looked that way.But you had to credit Angel Di Maria for setting up Silva with a perfectly timed pass which saw the Portuguese burst from his own half and into the Rangers box to beat Butland.At first it looked like the goal would be ruled out for off-side after the linesman raised his flag. But an agonising VAR check confirmed that Silva was in his own half when Di Maria passed to him and that the strike would stand.Rangers ran out of legs in the closing minutes despite changed and Benfica held on to take their place in the today’s draw for the next round.Team newsKeep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page  More

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    West Ham 5 Freiburg 0 (agg 5-1): Hammers secure huge comeback win despite Paqueta tantrum after being subbed

    WEST HAM turned on the style to fire their way into the Europa League quarter-finals.David Moyes took the handbrake off and was rewarded with five goals, including two stunners from Mohammed Kudus.Kudus shone as West Ham won easilyCredit: GettyLucas Paqueta threw a strop after being substituted offCredit: TNT SportsPaqueta opened the scoring for West Ham as they thrashed FreiburgCredit: RexThe 𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦 start for West Ham 🤩Lucas Paquetá taps home to bring the Hammers level with Freiburg on aggregate within nine minutes 👏#UEL pic.twitter.com/7uWVCuZK26— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) March 14, 2024

    After disappointing displays in the first leg and against Burnley on Sunday, this was a reminder of West Ham’s newfound European pedigree.Lucas Paqueta’s early goal got this second leg off to the perfect start before Jarrod Bowen and Aaron Cresswell both scored fine goals either side of the break to lift the mood in East London.Kudus then took the roof off with a stunning solo goal, covering three quarters of the pitch on a superb solo run to get his first before drilling in a fabulous fifth to seal an 11th straight home win in Europe.Moyes will continue to split opinion in the stands and debate over whether he should stay or go will rumble on until the summer.But it cannot be denied that when he needs a big performance, the Scot usually gets it. Freiburg, despite being lesser opposition, can be listed alongside Sevilla and Lyon as another memorable night.By the end, the boos from Burnley on Sunday had been replaced by ‘oles’ and optimism of another European push.Despite fears over a struggle to sell tickets due to the early start, the London Stadium was near capacity and full of voice as the Hammers looked to turn this tie around.Backed by the din the hosts made a flying start. Moyes had criticised Paqueta for his performance in Germany last week, but the Brazilian delivered after just nine minutes here.Most read in FootballBowen silenced the critics as he scored on the day he got a call-up to Southgate’s latest England squadCredit: GettyAnd even Aaron Cresswell got in on the actCredit: RexCHELTENHAM BETTING OFFERS – BEST FREE BET DEALS FOR THE FESTIVALWith set-piece specialist James Ward-Prowse dropped to the bench, Aaron Cresswell stepped in and delivered a peach of a corner to the front post.Tomas Soucek’s diving header diverted the ball to the far post where it was met by Paqueta to begin the comeback. Premier League’s Euro adventurers facing crunch week in fight to land England fifth spot in revamped Champions LeagueA lovely finish from Aaron Cresswell 🎯His first-ever European goal gives West Ham a two-goal advantage over Freiburg on aggregate 💪#UEL pic.twitter.com/poqFjtIKXU— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) March 14, 2024

    The SunThe opener may have come from a set piece, but the Hammers were already showing more energy than across 90 minutes in the Black Forest, or the first half against Burnley.With the added attacking players, West Ham were still not completely secure at the back.But the addition of Michail Antonio had transformed them going forward and saw Bowen back in his more natural wide role.If there had been doubts about why Gareth Southgate had elected to call-up the winger for England earlier in the day, they were banished just after the half-hour mark when Bowen put the Hammers ahead in this tie for the first time.Collecting Soucek’s header, which had been well left by Antonio, Bowen turned, shrugged off the much bigger Christian Gunter and drilled a superb low effort into the bottom right.After reaching the semi-finals last time they were in this competition and winning the Europa Conference League last season, Moyes had called on his players to show their European clout here.Just minutes into the second half, they stamped their authority on this tie to banish any half-time jitters.Kudus stole the show with two goals on a brilliant night for the HammersCredit: AFPKudus dug a cross out from the left which was half-cleared to Vladimir Coufal. The Czech found Bowen who lifted his head to pick out Cresswell.The left-back, who was sent off in quarter-final and semi-final ties during West Ham’s last Europa League run, composed himself with a touch and lashed a superb finish into the far corner.The best was yet to come, though, with Kudus – another Moyes was unhappy with last week – pulled out a goal of the season contender, picking up the ball deep in his own half, driving 80 yards past three Freiburg defenders and finishing cooling in the bottom corner.READ MORE SUN STORIESMoyes had started making the changes and was about to bring Kudus off for youngster George Earthy, but the Ghanaian star was not quite done.Soucek and Bowen broke together with the latter teeing up Kudus on the edge of the box. The ex-Ajax man shaped to bend the ball into the far corner before ratting in at the near post. More

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    Europa League draw simulated as Liverpool face former European champions and potential meeting with future boss in final

    LIVERPOOL may need to win a Champions League final repeat to reach the Europa League final, according to SunSport’s simulated draw.Then the Reds could face their future boss in the final.Jurgen Klopp could face a nightmare run to the Europa League finalCredit: GettyAhead of Friday’s draw, we threw the eight ties into our simulator machine.And it churned out a host of exciting, mouthwatering fixtures for the remainder of the tournament.The standout tie for the quarter-finals saw Liverpool/Sparta Prague pitted against Rangers’ conquerors Benfica – the two-time European Cup winners. Liverpool thumped Sparta Prague 5-1 in the first leg and raced into a 4-0 lead at Anfield inside 14 crazy minutes. READ MORE ON FOOTBALLRangers, however, suffered heartbreak as they could not capitalise on a 2-2 draw in Portugal, losing 1-0 at Ibrox.Elsewhere in our simulated draw, the winner of that blockbuster quarter-final could end up facing another British club in Premier League rival West Ham.The Hammers, who lost their first leg against Freiburg in Germany before winning 5-0 in East London, were pitted against AC Milan after the Italian giants stormed past Slavia Prague.Should AC Milan get the better of West Ham to face Liverpool, that would see a repeat of the 2005 and 2007 Champions League finals. Most read in Europa LeagueCHELTENHAM BETTING OFFERS – BEST FREE BET DEALS FOR THE FESTIVALOn the other side of the draw, Brighton face a seemingly impossible task to overcome their 4-0 deficit against Roma tonight. Should Roberto De Zerbi mastermind a miracle, though, the Seagulls would face Marseille in the last eight after the French side beat Villarreal.Peter Crouch ranks Premier League’s top five strikers but major omission sends fans into meltdown Completing that half of the draw is Sporting or Atalanta against Qarabag or Bayer Leverkusen.With plenty of European big hitters still involved, Xabi Alonso will know he has his work cut out taking Bayer to the final in Dublin.The dream of a Bundesliga-Europa League double is still on, drawing the first leg in Azerbaijan with Qarabag 2-2. And should the German side make it to the Aviva Stadium on May 22, it could see Alonso go up against Klopp in the latter’s final match in charge of Liverpool.Klopp is leaving the Reds at the end of the season – with ex-Liverpool midfielder Alonso among the favourites to replace him in the summer. Xabi Alonso could face Liverpool in Klopp’s final game in chargeCredit: GettySunSport simulated Europa League draw

    Quarter-finalsMarseille/Villarreal vs Roma/BrightonSporting/Atalanta vs Qarabag/Bayer LeverkusenBenfica/Rangers vs Sparta Prague/LiverpoolFreiburg/West Ham vs AC Milan/Slavia Prague
    Semi-finalsBenfica/Rangers/Sparta Prague/Liverpool vs Freiburg/West Ham/AC Milan/Slavia PragueSporting/Atalanta/Qarabag/Bayer Leverkusen vs Marseille/Villarreal/Roma/Brighton More

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    When is Europa League quarter and semi-finals draw? Date, UK start time, TV channel and live stream

    HEADS will now turn to the Europa League quarter and semi-final draw – as many sides hope to avoid drawing against favourites Liverpool.The Reds comfortably swept away Sparta Praha 5-1 away from home with their place in the last 8 all but secured.Liverpool are set to be in the draw for the Europa League quarter-finalsCredit: EPADarwin Nunez now has 16 goals in all competitions this season after scoring a brace in Prague.However, the other English clubs remaining in the competition are not as fortunate in their positions heading into the second leg of the Round of 16.West Ham will look to turn the tie around as they host Freiburg on March 14, after struggling to a 1-0 defeat in the first leg against the German side.Brighton look to be all but out of the competition as Roma head to the Amex Stadium for the return leg on March 14, holding a 4-0 lead on aggregate over the Seagulls.READ MORE IN EUROPA LEAGUEWhen is Europa League quarter-final and semi-finals draw?
    The quarter-final draw will take place on Friday, March 15 from 12pm GMT.
    Shortly after will follow the semi-final draw.
    The draw will take place at the House of European Football in Nyon, Switzerland.
    How to watch the draw FREE?
    Fans can watch the Europa League quarter-final draw for FREE on UEFA.com
    It will also be available on TNT Sports for all UK viewers.
    Also, SunSport’s live blog will have all the latest coverage as each fixture is confirmed throughout the draw.
    Europa League last-16 fixtures and results
    Slavia Praha vs AC Milan (2-4)
    Atalanta vs Sporting Lisbon (1-1)
    Brighton vs AS Roma (0-4)
    Liverpool vs Sparta Praha (5-1)
    Leverkusen vs Qarabag (2-2)
    West Ham vs SC Freiburg (0-1)
    Rangers vs Benfica (2-2)
    Villereal vs Marseille (0-4)
    Who can play who in the Europa League quarter and semi-finals?Unlike the previous rounds, there are no seeds in the quarter/semi-finals or country protection.Most read in Europa LeagueTherefore any combination of teams is possible, which could lead to clubs such as AC Milan and Roma or West Ham and Liverpool facing each other in the last 8.When will the Europa League quarter and semi-final matches be played?The quarter-final final first legs are scheduled to be played on the 11th April with the return fixtures happening a week later on April 18th.As for the semi-finals, the first legs will take place on May 2 and the reverse fixtures will be played on May 9. More

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    Why Dream Team managers should already be planning for European quarter-finals

    MANY Dream Team managers prefer to live Gameweek by Gameweek but the best gaffers are able to plan ahead.Two weekly transfers allows for plenty of flexibility but it’s still wise to consider the broader picture when devising a strategy.In fact, it’s probably worth having one eye on the European quarter-finals as early as this week.PLAY SCORE PREDICTOR AHEAD OF THIS WEEKEND’S ACTION – SOMEBODY MUST WIN £500 AMAZON GIFT CARD!Arsenal secured their place in the Champions League last eight on Tuesday nightCredit: Dream TeamManchester City and Arsenal have already booked their places in the Champions League last eight while Liverpool are all but assured of a spot in the next stage of the Europa League having won their round of 16 first leg 5-1 against Sparta Prague.Brighton will need a miracle to join the Reds in the quarter-finals having lost 4-0 to Roma in their first leg.West Ham’s continental campaign hangs in the balance following their 1-0 defeat to Freiburg in Germany.And the same is true for Aston Villa in the Europa Conference League after their 0-0 stalemate with Ajax in Amsterdam.All the remaining relevant ties will be settled on Thursday night one way or the other, with the draw for the quarter-finals of all three European competitions set to take place on Friday.This means Dream Team bosses will have a good read on the upcoming schedule before the Gameweek 28 deadline (11:15am on Saturday).Most read in FootballGaffers will be hoping Villa get past Ajax on Thursday nightCredit: GettyThe first legs of the Champions League, Europa League and Europa Conference League quarter-final first legs will take place in Gameweek 30, with the second legs following in Gameweek 31.Immediately, Pep Guardiola’s side catch the eye as they face Crystal Palace (GW30) and Luton (GW31) before each of their European legs – a favourable draw would create two appealing double headers.Dream Team gaffers should be cheering on the Hammers on Thursday night as the likes of Jarrod Bowen (£4.9m) and Mohammed Kudus (£4.8m) would be well placed to provide healthy returns across the next month if they are able to get past Freiburg.David Moyes’ side travel to Wolves in Gameweek 30 before hosting Fulham in Gameweek 31 – a relatively friendly Europa League quarter-final draw on top would look awfully tempting on paper.Arsenal assets are dropping in popularity ahead of their blank in Gameweek 28 but many gaffers will revert to Mikel Arteta’s favourites from Gameweek 30 when they face Brighton and a to-be-decided Champions League opponent.William Saliba (£3.3m), Ben White (£3.7m) and Gabriel (£4m) are all among the top seven defenders in the game after the Gunners’ clean sheet against Porto.Bukayo Saka (£5.8m) is second only to Phil Foden (£5.9m) in the overall rankings while Martin Odegaard (£4.3m) has been in great form of late.Man City’s upcoming schedule is already looking sweetCredit: GettyIt should go without saying that it’s an excellent time to back Liverpool players.The Reds remain active in the FA Cup and their Gameweek 29 double header is one to target when both Brigton and Sheffield United will visit Anfield.Jurgen Klopp’s troops will then face Manchester United in Gameweek 30 and Crystal Palace in Gameweek 31 around their Europa League quarter-final legs (barring a unthinkable turnaround from Sparta Prague).Smart gaffers will already be thinking of how their XI will shape up in Gameweek 30 in time to capitalise on the European quarter-finals.READ MORE SUN STORIESThose without suitable foresight risk getting caught short at a crucial juncture.All eyes on Thursday night’s results and the Friday draws – fingers crossed West Ham and Aston Villa pull through.talkSPORT BET Welcome offer
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    Uefa draw up contingency plans for second stadium to help host Europa League final with tens of thousands set to attend

    UEFA are already making plans for Liverpool fans at the Europa League final on May 22.And you can hardly blame them.The Gaelic football stronghold of Croke Park could be usedCredit: Sportsfile – SubscriptionThe Aviva Stadium is hosting the Europa League final on May 22Credit: GettyThe Reds head into Thursday’s last-16 Anfield clash against Sparta Prague with a 5-1 lead.And when you look at Liverpool’s current form, it would be a huge surprise if skipper Virgil van Dijk didn’t end up leading them out in   Dublin.The Aviva Stadium officially holds 51,700 fans.And when you consider half of Ireland seems to support Liverpool and the proximity of Dublin to the UK, a huge number of fans without tickets will converge on the city.READ MORE TOP STORIESUefa are looking at setting up giant screens at Croke Park, the home of Irish Gaelic sports, where the capacity is a whopping 82,300.The stadium could also be used if West Ham make the final as there would be a mass ­exodus from East London to Dublin.Accommodation in Dublin is already costing a fortune for the night of the final.Three-star hotels currently start from £400 a night, with hostels at least £160.Most read in Europa LeagueHOW TO GET FREE BETS ON HORSE RACINGA Darwin Nunez double plus goals from Luis Diaz, Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai have set up what should be a second-leg cruise for Jurgen Klopp’s men.It comes amid claims outgoing boss Klopp has recommended Wolves wing-back Rayan Ait-Nouri to the club.11 forgotten stars who define Liverpool vs Man Utd rivalryManchester United are also being linked with the Algerian 22-year-old.Chelsea and Manchester City have been previously mentioned in connection with Ait-Nouri. More

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    Champions League knockout stages set to change forever thanks to Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal

    FOOTBALL bosses have focused on the rivalry between Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal over the planning for next season’s new-look Champions League.The single-league format features 36 clubs, with the top eight then gaining direct entry to the last-16 stage.Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal’s rivalry has inspired the new-look Uefa knockout formatCredit: GettyThe new-look Champions League begins next seasonCredit: AFPSides that place from ninth to 24th will have play-offs — with the eight winners also going through to the first knockout stage.In planning meetings over the last few years, Uefa chiefs spoke at length about the tennis finals between Nadal and Federer.They discussed how they were kept apart by seeding until the end, of course, Novak Djokovic was also there.So, the teams who finish first and second in the new-style league after eight games will be seeded and not be able to play each other until the final.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLAnd that means for the last-16, there will be a structured route to the final — similar to tennis tournaments — to plot potential clashes.As a result, there will be no quarter-final or semi-final draws as the route will already be planned.And it is also good that there will be no teams in next season’s Champions League dropping into the Europa League, as this silly bonus for failing clubs has been scrapped.Meanwhile, Uefa deputy general secretary Giorgio Marchetti has revealed a fully manual draw is no longer possible in the new format as it could take four hours to complete and 900 balls would be needed.Most read in Champions LeagueCHELTENHAM BETTING OFFERS – BEST FREE BET DEALS FOR THE FESTIVAL Therefore, a “hybrid” draw will be used that incorporates manually pulling teams out the hat and automated elements to speed up the process.Uefa insist any sections that are computerised will be independently monitored to ensure draws are not rigged.’Very good, I like that’ says Europa League draw host after Man Utd icon John O’Shea’s cheeky joke live on TVThe exact system that will be used has not yet been revealed. More