Right, that’s all from me. Two ties remain tied as I type, but I’m afraid they will have to be played to a conclusion liveblogless. Here’s a selection of reports on the evening’s football in England and across Europe. Bye!
Here’s a report on Rangers’ triumph from Ewan Murray:
Borussia Dortmund were the favourites to win the Europa League before this tie with Rangers. By the time it concluded – sadly though that was for neutrals – the Germans found themselves eliminated from the competition.
For Giovanni van Bronckhorst, who has watched Rangers stutter on the domestic front, this felt a hugely significant success.
Rangers had a the aim of not wasting the lead earned by an outstanding display at Signal Iduna Park and duly delivered. Dortmund’s showing amid a raucous atmosphere on Glasgow’s south side was markedly better than in front of their own support but they proved unable to turn the tide. Over 180 minutes, Rangers played the more effective football.
Much more here:
A brilliant performance by Rangers over two legs. They had to do some defending tonight, but they had more shots on target than their opponents and could easily have had another goal or two themselves.
Tonight’s other outstanding performance came in Naples, where Barcelona’s Xavi-inspired resurgence continued as they completely overran a Napoli side that sits just two points off the top of Serie A.
Slavia Prague win a special prize for commitment to entertainment, beating Fenerbahce 3-2 for the second time and thus 6-4 on aggregate. The 21-year-old Nigerian winger Yira Sor, signed from Banik Ostrava last month, was the star and looks, like his team, one to keep your eye on.
So the final whistles sound and these were the scores in tonight’s late games after 90 minutes:
Europa League
Napoli 2-4 Barcelona (3-5 on aggregate)
Rangers 2-2 Borussia (6-4)
Real Betis 0-0 Zenit St Petersburg (3-2)
Sporting Braga 2-0 Sheriff Tiraspol (2-2, extra time being played)
Europa Conference League
PAOK Salonika 2-1 Midtjylland (2-2, extra time being played)
Slavia Prague 3-2 Fenerbahce (6-4)
Vitesse 2-0 Rapid Vienna (3-2)
Extra time! Braga and Sheriff will also need a bonus half-hour.
Rangers dump Borussia Dortmund out of the Europa League!
The final whistle blows at Ibrox, and Rangers have won 6-4 on aggregate over Borussia Dortmund thanks to tonight’s 2-2 home draw.
Extra time! Another half-hour will be required to separate PAOK from Midtjylland.
GOAL! Fenerbahce have scored in Prague to make it 3-2 on the night. Slavia still lead 6-4 though, with seconds remaining.
NO GOAL! Zenit’s goal has been disallowed for a foul off the ball! That looks extremely harsh to me.
GOAL! Zenit St Petersburg score an equaliser at Real Betis with nine seconds of normal time to go! It’s 3-3 on aggregate there, 0-1 on the night.
GOAL! Napoli snaffle the ball from Barcelona inside the Spaniards’ penalty area as the visitors try to play out from the back, and Politano scores with a low shot inside the near post. They’re still 2-4 down on the night, mind, and 3-5 down on aggregate.
Believable scenes! Midtjylland are pushing for a winner now, and have just hit the bar with a header from a free-kick.
Another one! Midtjylland have scored in Salonika, making it 2-1 on the night and 2-2 on aggregate, so this game too would go to extra time if neither side scores in the final 10 minutes.
One tie is currently going to extra time, and it’s between Braga and Sheriff. Braga lead 2-0 on the night, but are being held 2-2 on aggregate. Some stats from that game: Braga have had 23 shots to Sheriff’s five, though lead only 4-2 on shots on target, and have had 65% of possession.
GOAL! But no! Vitesse think they have scored a third on the night against Rapid Vienna, but it is chalked off for offside.
GOAL FOR RANGERS! But no! Morelos steals the ball from Emre Can just inside the Borussia half, runs clear and squares to Ryan Kent, who taps in. But the referee is called to look at replays of the tackle on Can and decides that on balance there was a foul - Can caught Morelos’s shin as he pulled back his right foot before passing back to his goalkeeper and thus stumbled, so although there was no intent it was probably the right decision.
Slavia Prague are home and also hosed now, leading as they are 3-1 against Fenerbahce, and 6-3 on aggregate. And their third of the night has been absolutely hammered in by Yira Sor, only just over the keeper’s head but giving him no chance to react.
Chance for Dortmund! Reus is played in by Hazard, goes past the keeper and, as he prepares to pass the ball into goal from a narrow angle, he falls over!
Carles Puyol is watching Barcelona, and he likes what he sees: “I am sure this team will bring us joy, and sooner rather than later.”
Cuando ficharon a Xavi, dije que ganaríamos la liga, me jugué una cena, no se si la pagaré, pero lo que tengo claro es que este equipo me gusta. Y estoy seguro que nos dará alegrías, más pronto que tarde. 💙❤️
— Carles Puyol (@Carles5puyol) February 24, 2022
GOAL! It’s Napoli 1-4 Barcelona, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has scored with an excellent finish after De Jong dummied Traore’s cross, whipping a first-time effort into the top corner! That is absolute class, and Barcelona lead 5-2 on aggregate.
Updated
GOAL! Rangers 2-2 Borussia Dortmund (6-4 on aggregate)
Rangers reclaim their two-goal aggregate lead! Good work on the left, as the cross comes in Hummels takes a wild swing at a volleyed clearance, and James Tavernier hammers it in at the far post!
Updated
It’s all going on in Glasgow. Jude Bellingham has been shown a yellow card for complaining about the award of what seemed a fairly obvious corner.
GOAL! Um, no, actually no goal! Zenit have the ball in the Betis net, but there was an offside in the build-up and Yuri Alberto’s effort will not count.
Games back on, then. “I appreciate you’re watching four games simultaneously, but Dortmund’s second wasn’t a case of the ball ‘bobbling back’ into the goalmouth,” sniffs Francis Lee. “It was a delicate little pass threaded by Brandt through a mass of defenders to Bellingham and a backheel from him to the scorer Malen. Although granted: you did need the replay to appreciate it.”
Updated
Right then, players are back out and more football is about to be played. Let’s decide these ties, shall we? Or watch other people decide them. Or take them to extra time.
Half-time whistles have blown in most of the 8pm GMT kick-offs, and the scores as they stand are these:
Europa League
Napoli 1-3 Barcelona (2-4 on aggregate)
Rangers 1-2 Borussia (5-4)
Real Betis 0-0 Zenit St Petersburg (3-2)
Sporting Braga 2-0 Sheriff Tiraspol (2-2)
Europa Conference League
PAOK Salonika 2-0 Midtjylland (2-1)
Slavia Prague 2-1 Fenerbahce (5-3)
Vitesse 2-0 Rapid Vienna (3-2)
GOAL! Barcelona are 3-1 up in Napoli, and 4-2 up on aggregate! This time it’s Jordi Alba’s assist, and Gerard Pique takes a nice first touch before scuffing a shot across goal and in at the far post!
Updated
GOAL! Braga have hauled Sheriff in! It’s 2-0 on the night now, and 2-2 on aggregate, after a nice move is rounded off with a fitting finish from Ricardo Horta.
GOAL! Rangers 1-2 Borussia Dortmund (5-4 on aggregate)
It’s up for grabs now! A cross from the right bobbles through the area, is sent bobbling back in again, and Malen prods it in from eight yards!
Updated
Fenerbahce have pulled one back at Slavia Prague, Mert Hakan Yandas basically passing it in with his left foot from 20 yards. It’s 2-1 on the night, 5-3 on aggregate.
Rangers nearly score another! Scott Arfield though has a shot saved, and Mats Hummels is on the line to block the follow-up!
7 - Jude Bellingham has been directly involved in seven goals in eight games in European competition this season (3 goals, 4 assists); the most of any Englishman in 2021-22. Example. pic.twitter.com/OJa0BzHTvl
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) February 24, 2022
GOAL! Rangers 1-1 Borussia Dortmund (5-3 on aggregate)
It’s not a great pass into the area, but the defender kicks it into Bellingham and it bounces nicely into his path, and he prods into the net!
GOAL! PAOK have gone 2-0 up against Midtjylland, and 2-1 on aggregate. Their second goal of the night is an absolute cracker from Vieirinha, who collects a defensive header and lashes in from 23 yards or so.
Slavia Prague go 2-0 up at home to Fenerbahce, and a distant 5-2 up on aggregate! It’s a good run, a good pass, and an excellent finish from Yira Sor.
GOAL! Napoli have pulled one back against Barcelona, also from the penalty spot. Ter Stegen conceded it, clipping Victor Osimhen right on the right-hand edge of the penalty area when he really should have left him well alone, and Lorenzo Insigne converts. It’s 1-2 on the night, 2-3 on aggregate.
GOAL! Rangers 1-0 Borussia Dortmund (5-2 on aggregate)
That is a spectacularly good penalty from James Tavernier, and Rangers have extended their lead!
Updated
Less than 20 minutes into their game Vitesse Arnhem have turned a 2-1 deficit into a 3-2 aggregate lead, Matus Bero scoring their second of the night after breaking the offside trap.
GOAL! Slavia Prague stretch their aggregate lead over Fenerbahce, Ivan Schranz volleying in when the ball drops his way inside the penalty area. It’s 1-0 on the night, and 4-2 now overall.
It’s game back on in Portugal, where Jose Medeiros has turned in a low cross to put Braga 1-0 up on the night against Sheriff, and now just 1-2 down on aggregate.
Slavia Prague wore T-shirts before kick-off protesting against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and have made their Ukrainian centre-back Taras Kacharaba their captain for the night.
1' | Kick-off! #UECL
— SK Slavia Prague EN (@slavia_eng) February 24, 2022
🔴⚪️ 0-0 🟡🔵 #slafen pic.twitter.com/t0qoeQUq8l
GOAL! Barcelona have a second! It’s a big hump forward from the keeper, a nice backheel flick from Ferran Torres, and Frenkie de Jong runs goalwards and curls over the keeper and into the far corner from a good 30 yards!
Updated
GOAL! Napoli win a corner against Barcelona but the away side clears and breaks. Aubameyang passes to Adama Traore, who times his pass on to Jordi Alba perfectly, and the left-back passes into the net with his right foot! It’s 0-1 in Naples, and 1-2 on aggregate.
Updated
Rangers, protecting a two-goal lead against Borussia Dortmund, nearly let in an early goal but Jude Bellingham’s effort hit the post!
Updated
You can read all about Leicester’s win in Randers here:
GOAL! Aptly, Vitesse are fastest out of the blocks tonight. Two minutes and 42 seconds into their game at home to Rapid Vienna it is Adrian Grbic, born in Vienna and a graduate of the Rapid academy, who scores with an excellent finish.
Peeep! The second round of fixtures is under way. The early ones managed a goal inside two minutes. Anyone up for the challenge?
And so we turn to the 8pm GMT kick-offs, and our next run of fixtures looks like this:
Europa League
Napoli v Barcelona (1-1 after the first leg)
Rangers v Borussia (4-2)
Real Betis v Zenit St Petersburg (3-2)
Sporting Braga v Sheriff Tiraspol (0-2)
Europa Conference League
PAOK Salonika v Midtjylland (0-1)
Slavia Prague v Fenerbahce (3-2)
Vitesse v Rapid Vienna (1-2)
Porto hold out, go through and it is all over in the early games. The final scores in those, then:
Europa League
Dinamo Zagreb 1-0 Sevilla (2-3 on aggregate)
Lazio 2-2 Porto (3-4)
Olympiakos 0-3 Atalanta (1-5)
Real Sociedad 1-3 RB Leipzig (3-5)
Europa Conference League
Bodo/Glimt 2-0 Celtic (5-1)
Qarabag 0-3 Marseille (1-6)
Maccabi Tel-Aviv 1-1 PSV Eindhoven (1-2)
Partizan Belgrade 2-1 Sparta Prague (3-1)
Randers 1-3 Leicester City (2-7)
Hello again! All eyes now on Rome, where Lazio’s Danilo Cataldi has made it 2-2 on the night and 3-4 on aggregate against Porto, and the home side need one more goal in the final seconds of stoppage time.
And it’s ended Real Sociedad 1 RB Leipzig 3 (Agg 3-5) in San Sebastian. And with that I’ll hand you back to Simon.
Full-time: Bodo/Glimt 2-0 Celtic
All over in Norway, deserved progress for the hosts. Celtic must concentrate on the league.
Rangers v Dortmund team news
They line up thusly:
Rangers: McGregor, Tavernier, Goldson, Bassey, Barisic, Jack, Lundstram, Arfield, Aribo, Kent, Morelos. Subs: Diallo, Davis, Kamara, Sands, Wright, Roofe, Balogun, McCrorie, Sakala, McLaughlin, Lowry, King.
Borussia Dortmund: Kobel, Can, Hummels, Schulz, Hazard, Bellingham, Dahoud, Meunier, Reus, Brandt, Malen. Subs: Guerreiro, Moukoko, Reinier, Unbehaun, Tigges, Witsel, Passlack, Pongracic, Hitz, Wolf.
Referee: Antonio Miguel Mateu Lahoz (Spain)
Full-time: Randers 1-3 Leicester
Comfortable progress for Brendan Rodgers’ side is confirmed in the only competition they’re in with a shout for this term. And in the Europa League, Atalanta have beaten Olympiakos 3-0 to go through 5-1.
An Emil Forsberg penalty has surely sealed it for RB Leipzig at Real Sociedad. The German side lead 3-1 on the night, 5-3 on aggregate. And Maccabi Tel Aviv have equalised against PSV through Enric Saborit.
Updated
A consolation goal for Sparta Prague at Partizan Belgrade by Adam Hlozek. It’s now 2-1 to the hosts, 3-1 on aggregate
Also in the Conference League, Marseille have doubled their lead at Qarabag through our old mucker Matteo Guendouzi to lead 5-1 on aggregate, and Yorbe Vertessen has put PSV 1-0 ahead at Maaccabi Tel-Aviv.
Goal! Randers 1-3 Leicester (Odey 84)
A consolation for the Danish team, and a proper comedy one at that, as Kasper Schmeichel slices a bobbly back-pass straight into the path of Stephen Odey, who steers it into an open goal, reducing the aggregate deficit to 2-7.
Celtic have played some pleasing stuff in this second half – as they do under Ange Postecoglou – but haven’t really hurt Bodo/Glimt greatly, and as I type that Abada scoops a presentable chance over from a flowing move.
The goals are flying in. Porto are now 2-1 up at Lazio, Mateus Uribe striking in the 68th minute to goo 4-2 up on aggregate. And Dinamo Zagreb lead Sevilla 1-0 on the night thanks to Mislav Orsic’s penalty to set up a tense finish with the Spanish side 3-2 up on aggregate.
Updated
Goal! Randers 0-3 Leicester (Maddison 74)
Game over in Denmark too as James Maddison gets his second in the space of five minutes, another sumptuous shot curled into the top corner from distance. He’s a hell of an aesthetically pleasing player to watch in this mood.
Goal! Bodo/limt 2-0 Celtic (Vetlesen 69)
Evening everyone. Tom Davies here while Simon’s just off for a comfort break – and it’s game over in Norway, as the hosts add a second somewhat against the run of play converted neatly into the corner from a break down the left. Yet another underwhelming Hoops European campaign is coming to an end.
GOAL! Randers 0-2 Leicester (1-6 on aggregate)
That’s an excellent free-kick from James Maddison, right into the top corner. The keeper knows there’s no point trying to stop it, and stands and admired it instead.
And another one! Malinovsky finds the net again, from a little beyond 25 yards this time, and Atalanta lead 3-0/5-1. Meanwhile Real Sociedad have pulled a goal back against Leipzig, and now trail 1-2 on the night and 3-4 on aggregate.
Atalanta are surely on their way through, leading as they now are 2-0 on the night and 4-2 on aggregate against Olympiacos. Ruslan Malinovsky has scored their second goal of the night in Greece, thrashing a left-footer into the net from 15 yards.
The players have come back out in Tel Aviv. Nobody seems to have been hurt, and it’s game back on.
GOAL! RB Leipzig are 2-0 up at Real Sociedad, and 4-2 up on aggregate! Andre Silva has scored it, lashing into the top near corner from just inside the penalty area.
Match suspended after player hit by object thrown from stands
The game between Maccabi Tel Aviv and PSV Eindhoven has been stopped, with players from both sides returning to the dressing rooms, apparently after one of the PSV players was hit by something thrown from the stands.
Updated
Excellent header face here from Sevilla’s Jules Kounde.
A brilliant save from Kasper Schmeichel to deny Randers, and Stephen Odey! And then from the ensuing corner the ball is cleared off the line with Schmeichel beaten! Leicester are 5-1 up on aggregate, but not entirely comfortable.
“It’s obviously good that the Champions’ League final is going to be removed from St Petersburg,” writes David Wall. “But shouldn’t Uefa also kick out the Russian clubs still in their different European competitions and suspend the Russian FA from Uefa membership? And Fifa should also kick Russia out of the play-offs for the World Cup. There is precedent for this with Yugoslavia being excluded from Euro 1992 when they had already qualified for the tournament (albeit that was a Uefa not Fifa competition). Surely even Fifa can’t try to stay politically neutral about this one.” Well, yes they should. Russia have obviously used sport for political ends in recent years, and thus can’t really complain when their sportspeople are punished for the state’s actions. I suppose, though, that individual Russian footballers, tennis players and the like should still be able to compete in individual or domestic competitions.
Right then, I do hope you had a restful break. It is sadly over, with the first second halves already ongoing.
It is half time in the early games. Scores on doors:
Europa League
Dinamo Zagreb 0-0 Sevilla (1-3 on aggregate)
Lazio 1-1 Porto (2-3)
Olympiakos 0-1 Atalanta (1-3)
Real Sociedad 0-1 RB Leipzig (2-3)
Europa Conference League
Bodo/Glimt 1-0 Celtic (4-1)
Qarabag 0-1 Marseille (1-4)
Maccabi Tel-Aviv 0-0 PSV Eindhoven (0-1)
Partizan Belgrade 2-0 Sparta Prague (3-0)
Randers 0-1 Leicester City (1-5)
And Atalanta are 1-0 up at Olympiacos, and 3-1 up on aggregate, after Joakim Mehle gets through on the left, seems to have been dispossessed by a defender, but throws out a toe and prods it into the net anyway!
RB Leipzig have gone 1-0 up at Real Sociedad, Willi Orban turning in the loose ball after Andre Silva’s pretty rubbish penalty was saved.
Updated
Now it’s been disallowed! Four minutes after the goal is scored, it is ruled out. By the looks of things Qarabag eventually owned up!
Qarabag equalise against Marseille, making it 1-1 on the night and 2-4 on aggregate in the French side’s favour. The visitors though are very much not chuffed, insisting that Ibrahima Wadji turned in the cross with an arm rather than his head. There’s a long delay, a lot of whistling, a lot of disgruntled players jostling, bookings for one player from each side and another for a coach, but there’s no VAR and the goal stands!
He definitely punched it into the net, though, the dirty cheatbag.
GOAL! The keeper goes the right way but Mehdi Taremi’s penalty is too good for him, and it’s back to 1-1 on the night and 2-2 on aggregate between Lazio and Porto.
Updated
I’m not sure how Ciro Immobile got himself in this position, but he doesn’t look very celebratory. He’s about to look even less celebratory, because Lazio have just conceded a penalty.
GOAL! Ricardo Gomes has scored his second of the night to put Partizan Belgrade 2-0 up on the night, and 3-0 on aggregate, against Sparta Prague. He ran absolutely clear from a corner and sent a header from a decent distance bouncing past the keeper and just inside the far post, perfectly directed!
Updated
This one will! Immobile runs through on the right after Pepe gives the ball away and cracks a low shot inside the near post! That makes it 2-2 on aggregate.
Updated
Ciro Immobile has stuck the ball in Porto’s onion bag, nicely chipping the onrushing goalkeeper, but the linesman is waving his yellow flag and it won’t count.
Updated
Talking of 4-1 aggregate leads, Marseille have scored at Qarabag to extend their advantage. Dmitri Payet was the creator, passing to Pape Gueye whose low shot from an acute angle went in off the far post.
GOAL! Bodo/Glimt 1-0 Celtic (4-1 on aggregate)
Disaster for Celtic! Ola Solbakken curls a low left-footer into the net from 15 yards or so and with nine minutes on the clock Celtic’s task has become just a little bit harder.
There’s been a goal in Belgrade, where Ricardo Gomes’s low shot zipped under the keeper and doubled their aggregate lead over Sparta Prague to 2-0.
“Is the ref in Bodo/Glimt v Celtic still pencilled in?” wonders Paul Neilan. Russia’s Sergei Ivanov is still in charge there.
GOAL! Randers 0-1 Leicester (1-5 on aggregate)!
Harvey Barnes scored in the 100th second of Leicester’s away game in Randers, running through down the left and curling past the keeper from just inside the area.
Updated
There’s some criticism of these games going ahead while there is war in Europe. My opinion is that it is not inappropriate for them to be played, with the exception of Zenit St Petersburg’s, but that a moment’s silence before kick-off would probably be sensible.
Teams are out for the 5.45pm kick-offs. Nine games about to kick off, 405 minutes (plus stoppage time) of European action coming up in the next 45 or so.
I hope Celtic have brought their thermals.
Snow piled high all around Bodo/Glimt’s modest home. There’s currently a blizzard rampaging through the city just to add to the sense of occasion.🥶❄️ pic.twitter.com/isew9dbT6K
— Derek McGregor (@McGregorDerek) February 24, 2022
Leicester made the mistake of letting a photographer onto their private plane when they left for Denmark yesterday. We thus know that everyone got a bottle of orange juice and some hand sanitiser.
I can’t actually tell if you’ll be able to read this. I certainly can’t. But on the basis that it might be fun if you could, here’s what looks like an in-flight menu:
EDIT: Ooh, you can. It’s pulled BBQ chicken on wholemeal baguette or chicken fajita wrap, with a fruit basket to follow. Very nice. I’ll have the baguette please.
Updated
Huge team news vomitorium
Here, have some team news:
Bodo/Glimt v Celtic
Bodo/Glimt: Smits, Sampsted, Moe, Hoibraten, Wembangomo, Vetlesen, Hagen, Saltnes, Solbakken, Espejord, Pellegrino. Subs: Sery Larsen, Boniface, Konradsen, Kongsro, Nordas, Andersen, Kvile, Mugisha, Koomson.
Celtic: Hart, Ralston, Welsh, Starfelt, Scales, Rogic, Bitton, O’Riley, Forrest, Giakoumakis, Maeda. Subs: Jullien, Taylor, Abada, McCarthy, Jota, Carter-Vickers, Bain, Hatate, McGregor, Oluwayemi, Juranovic.
Referee: Sergei Ivanov (Russia).
Dinamo Zagreb v Sevilla
Dinamo Zagreb: Livakovic, Theophile-Catherine, Sutalo, Franjic, Ristovski, Tolic, Misic, Gojak, Stefulj, Petkovic, Orsic. Subs: Zagorac, Moharrami, Andric, Bulat, Juric, Baturina, Dilaver, Menalo, Emreli, Spikic, Bockaj.
Sevilla: Bounou, Montiel, Kounde, Diego Carlos, Acuna, Rakitic, Fernando, Gomez, Corona, Mir, Ocampos. Subs: Dmitrovic, Augustinsson, Gudelj, Jordan, Munir, En-Nesyri, Jesus Navas, Delaney, Torres, Cruz, Carmona, Pastor.
Referee: Francois Letexier (France).
Lazio v Porto
Lazio: Strakosha, Marusic, Felipe, Patric Gil, Radu, Milinkovic-Savic, Lucas, Luis Alberto, Felipe Anderson, Immobile, Pedro. Subs: Akpa Akpro, Cabral, Kamenovic, Romero, Hysaj, Reina, Moro, Andre Anderson, Cataldi, Acerbi, Furlanetto, Basic.
Porto: Diogo Costa, Bruno Costa, Mbemba, Kleper Pepe, Sanusi, Otavio, Uribe, Vitinha, Eduardo Pepe, Taremi, Martinez. Subs: Marchesin, Fabio Cardoso, Marcano, Francisco Conceicao, Galeno, Grujic, Joao Mario, Evanilson, Semedo, Stephen Eustaquio, Vieira, Borges.
Referee: Deniz Aytekin (Germany).
Maccabi Tel-Aviv v PSV
Maccabi Tel-Aviv: Peretz, Yeini, Nachmias, Saborit, Baltaxa, Dan Glazer, Kanichowsky, Biton, Kuwas, Jovanovic, Perica. Subs: Hozez, Ben Haim II, Shamir, Daniel, Khalaila, Rikan, Golasa, Davidadze, Almog, Kandil, Yitzhak.
PSV: Drommel, Junior, Teze, Boscagli, Max, Sangare, Gotze, Gutierrez, Doan, Zahavi, Madueke. Subs: Vinicius, Bruma, Veerman, Mvogo, Vos, Saibari, Vertessen, Bakayoko, Seelt, Peersman.
Referee: Harald Lechner (Austria).
Olympiacos v Atalanta
Olympiacos: Vaclik, Manolas, Papastathopoulos, Cisse, Lala, Mohamed Camara, Aguibou Camara, M’Vila, Reabciuk, Tiquinho Soares, Onyekuru. Subs: Bouchalakis, Kunde, El Arabi, Vrousai, Masouras, Fadiga, Ba, Valbuena, Papadopoulos, Fotios Kitsos, Rodrigues, Tzolakis.
Atalanta: Musso, Toloi, Demiral, Djimsiti, Hateboer, de Roon, Freuler, Maehle, Malinovsky, Pessina, Pasalic. Subs: Koopmeiners, Boga, Pezzella, Mihaila, Rossi, Scalvini, Cittadini, Sportiello, Zappacosta.
Referee: Carlos del Cerro Grande (Spain).
Partizan Belgrade v Sparta Prague
Partizan Belgrade: Popovic, Miletic, Vujacic, Sanicanin, Urosevic, Jojic, Zdjelar, Markovic, Natcho, Menig, Ricardo Gomes. Subs: Holender, Pavlovic, Bazdar, Zivkovic,
Jevtovic, Ostojic, Milovanovic, Terzic, Jovic, Stevanovic, Lutovac, Smiljanic.
Sparta Prague: Holec, Wiesner, Panak, Vitik, Hancko, Sacek, Krejci II, Pesek, Hlozek, Haraslin, Cvancara. Subs: Nita, Gabriel, Soucek, Pavelka, Krejci, Dockal, Minchev, Hojer, Heca, Karabec, Suchomel, Rynes.
Referee: Georgi Kabakov (Bulgaria).
Real Sociedad v RB Leipzig
Real Sociedad: Ryan, Zaldua, Elustondo, Le Normand, Munoz, Zubimendi, Zubeldia, Rafinha, Portu, Isak, Oyarzabal. Subs: Illarramendi, Januzaj, Guridi, Guevara, Gorosabel, Silva, Sorloth, Pacheco, Lobete, Djouahra, Martin, Remiro.
RB Leipzig: Gulacsi, Gvardiol, Simakan, Orban, Klostermann, Laimer, Kampl, Henrichs, Olmo, Nkunku, Andre Silva. Subs: Angelino, Haidara, Poulsen, Forsberg, Tschauner, Adams, Szoboszlai, Mukiele, Halstenberg, Martinez, Raebiger, Novoa.
Referee: Anthony Taylor (England).
Hello world!
Well if it isn’t the Europa League play-off round second legs! And also the Europa Conference League round of 16! There’s not a lot to say here other than that it’s all jolly exciting, and that tonight’s fixtures, split into two sections so as to spread our pleasure across the entire evening, look very much like this:
5.45pm GMT
Europa League play-offs
Dinamo Zagreb v Sevilla (1-3 after first leg)
Sevilla, second in La Liga and unbeaten in that competition since their trip to Real Madrid in November (though they’ve drawn four of their last five), should be comfortable with their two-goal cushion, but then Tottenham had one of those when they went to Zagreb in last season’s Europa League, lost 3-0 and were dumped out of the competition. A reminder:
Olympiacos v Atalanta (1-2)
The last and indeed only time Olympiacos beat an Italian side in European competition was back in 1972, when they beat Cagliari in the first round of the Uefa Cup. The first game of this tie was closer than expected - Atalanta needed defender Berat Djimstiti to score from a couple of corners to claim the win - but they also had 13 corners to the Greeks’ none, completed 572 passes to their opponents’ 189, and Olympiacos scored with their only shot on target.
Real Sociedad v Leipzig (2-2)
Real Sociedad have a 100% European first-leg-draw-to-victory record, albeit after only three ties, of which the most recent was 42 years ago. But Leipzig come into this on the back of a 6-1 shellacking of Hertha Berlin at the weekend (it was, to be fair, 1-1 when Hertha went down to 10 men in the 62nd minute) and have won six of their last eight, losing only at Bayern Munich. Real Sociedad, by contrast, lost 4-0 at Athletic Bilbao at the weekend.
Lazio v Porto (1-2)
Porto, top of the Primeira Liga with 20 wins and no defeats in 23 games, bring their steamrollering momentum to Rome, where Lazio have lost only once all season, to Juventus in November. Ciro Immobile should be back for Lazio, having missed their last two games through injury.
And also Europa Conference League:
Bodo/Glimt v Celtic (3-1)
Qarabag v Marseille (1-3)
Maccabi Tel Aviv v PSV Eindhoven (0-1)
Partizan Belgrade v Sparta Prague (1-0)
Randers v Leicester City (1-4)
8pm GMT
Europa League play-offs
Sporting Braga v Sheriff (0-2)
Yuriy Vernydub, the Sheriff coach, was also in charge of Zorya Luhansk when they dumped Braga out of the 2018-19 Europa League in the third qualifying round (albeit on away goals, which no longer exist). So far this season only two teams have accomplished what Braga need to do tonight and beaten Sheriff: Internazionale (twice) and Real Madrid (once, having lost to them at the Bernabeu), both in the Champions League.
Napoli v Barcelona (1-1)
When Barcelona draw the first leg of a European tie 1-1, they lose the decider as often as they win (with three of each so far). Expect a minute’s applause for Diego Maradona, who of course played for both teams, in the 10th minute. “We have to dominate. Napoli will put pressure on us and it will be a very intense game. You have to be brave and create chances,” says Xavi. “We need to take risks, command and show what we want to do. Barcelona are really strong,” says Luciano Spalletti.
Rangers v Borussia Dortmund (4-2)
Borussia will again be without the injured Erling Haaland as they attempt to recover from a disastrous first leg. “In the first leg, we played a really bad game. We have to show a different face tomorrow,” says captain Marco Reus. “Erling has been missing for half a season so far and we have still scored a lot of goals,” says his manager, Marco Rose. “We are going to need balance, for sure, and score at least two goals. We need to be focused and concentrated and defend against Rangers’ strengths.” Giovanni van Bronkhorst meanwhile is not resting on his laurels. “We were all happy with the game we played last week,” he says, “but we also know it is only halfway. We are in a good position to play the second game but our focus will be to play as strong as possible and try to win the game.”
Real Betis v Zenit St Petersburg (3-2)
There were five first-half goals in the first leg, with Betis scoring the first two and also the last. They have won four of their last five in all competitions, and eight of their last 10. Having stripped Saint Petersburg of the Champions League final today, it would not be inconvenient for Uefa if the Spaniards won again tonight. Manuel Pellegrini says their lead “is not definitive or decisive” and that his side thus has to “face the match with the same mechanics as always”.
And also Europa Conference League:
PAOK Salonika v Midtjylland (0-1)
Slavia Prague v Fenerbahce (3-2)
Vitesse v Rapid Vienna (1-2)
