<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/modi-xi-meeting-a-good-thing-always-good-when-world-leaders-get-along-white-house-134483">Modi-Xi meeting a good thing, always good when world leaders get along: White House</a>

The White House said today that PM Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping's meeting last week when they met for an "informal summit" was a "good thing". "I certainly think it's always good when other world leaders are getting along," White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/at-least-106-dead-in-dust-storm-in-uttar-pradesh-rajasthan-134488">At least 106 dead in </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/at-least-106-dead-in-dust-storm-in-uttar-pradesh-rajasthan-134488">dust</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/at-least-106-dead-in-dust-storm-in-uttar-pradesh-rajasthan-134488"> storm in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan</a>

At least 106 people were killed as a storm barrelled through a swathe of Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, leaving a trail of destruction that brought down mud houses, uprooted trees and flattened crops, officials said on Thursday.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/what-could-iran-do-if-trump-pulls-out-of-nuclear-deal-134477">What could Iran do if Trump pulls out of </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/what-could-iran-do-if-trump-pulls-out-of-nuclear-deal-134477">nuclear</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/what-could-iran-do-if-trump-pulls-out-of-nuclear-deal-134477"> deal?</a>

President Donald Trump is expected to pull the United States out of the Iran nuclear agreement on May 12. Tehran signed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, with China, France, Germany, Russia, Britain, and the United States in 2015.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/europa-league-wenger-denied-final-flourish-as-atletico-madrids-costa-outlasts-arsenal-134491">Europa League: Wenger denied final flourish as Atletico Madrid's Costa outlasts Arsenal</a>

Diego Costa denied Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger a winning farewell as Atletico Madrid beat the London club 1-0 in the Europa League semi-final second leg at the Wanda Metropolitano in Madrid on Thursday night.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-praises-chinas-xi-as-trade-talks-begin-in-beijing-134482">Trump praises China's Xi as trade talks begin in Beijing</a>

US President Donald Trump on Thursday praised his relationship with Chinese President Xi Jinping as officials from the world's two largest economies began trade talks in Beijing, while state media said China would stand up to US bullying.

Modi-Xi meeting a good thing, always good when world leaders get along: White House The White House said today that PM Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping's meeting last week when they met for an "informal summit" was a "good thing". "I certainly think it's always good when other world leaders are getting along," White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said. At least 106 dead in dust storm in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan At least 106 people were killed as a storm barrelled through a swathe of Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, leaving a trail of destruction that brought down mud houses, uprooted trees and flattened crops, officials said on Thursday. What could Iran do if Trump pulls out of nuclear deal? President Donald Trump is expected to pull the United States out of the Iran nuclear agreement on May 12. Tehran signed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, with China, France, Germany, Russia, Britain, and the United States in 2015. Europa League: Wenger denied final flourish as Atletico Madrid's Costa outlasts Arsenal Diego Costa denied Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger a winning farewell as Atletico Madrid beat the London club 1-0 in the Europa League semi-final second leg at the Wanda Metropolitano in Madrid on Thursday night. Trump praises China's Xi as trade talks begin in Beijing US President Donald Trump on Thursday praised his relationship with Chinese President Xi Jinping as officials from the world's two largest economies began trade talks in Beijing, while state media said China would stand up to US bullying.

News brief: Big stories of the day

Diego Costa denied Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger a winning farewell as Atletico Madrid beat the London club 1-0 in the Europa League semi-final second leg at the Wanda Metropolitano in Madrid on Thursday night.

Atletico victory was sweeter as coach Diego Simeone sat out the match after being banned for his rant at the Emirates but Argentine assistant German 'Mono' Burgos did not let things slip.

Atletico won the tie on a 2-1 aggregate advantage and will now take on Olympique de Marseille in the final at Lyon on May 16th.

The Spanish side controlled the match for most parts as Arsenal without Koscielny struggled against Costa and &nbsp;Griezmann's star power.

Arsenal were dwelt a huge blow after French international Laurent Koscielny was carried off the field with a suspected Achilles tendon injury.

"A very intense game between two teams that who gave absolutely everything. I would say the team who won tonight is Atletico Madrid, congratulations to them, good luck in the final," Arsenal coach Wenger said after the match.

"I would say the winner of tonight's game is a clear favourite to win the competition," the outgoing Arsenal coach added.

"These&nbsp;kind of games write history and obviously stadiums begin to become a stronghold with important triumphs and decisive moments of the teams at certain stages,"&nbsp;Atletico coach Diego Simeone said, adding,"today, from where I had to view it I could felt what a fan feels. It is an extraordinary stadium."

In the other semi-final, Olympique de Marseille's defender Rolando helped his team clinch the final berth by striking late in&nbsp;extra time to set up victory over Salzburg in the second leg of their Europa League semi-final on Thursday.

Olympique de Marseille went through with a &nbsp;3-2 on aggregate after a spirited Salzburg won the second leg 2-1.

Atletico victory was sweeter as coach Diego Simeone sat out the match after being banned for his rant

Diego Costa denied Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger a winning farewell as Atletico Madrid beat the London club 1-0 in the Europa League semi-final second leg at the Wanda Metropolitano in Madrid on Thursday night. Atletico victory was sweeter as coach Diego Simeone sat out the match after being banned for his rant at the Emirates but Argentine assistant German 'Mono' Burgos did not let things slip. Atletico won the tie on a 2-1 aggregate advantage and will now take on Olympique de Marseille in the final at Lyon on May 16th. The Spanish side controlled the match for most parts as Arsenal without Koscielny struggled against Costa and Griezmann's star power. Arsenal were dwelt a huge blow after French international Laurent Koscielny was carried off the field with a suspected Achilles tendon injury. "A very intense game between two teams that who gave absolutely everything. I would say the team who won tonight is Atletico Madrid, congratulations to them, good luck in the final," Arsenal coach Wenger said after the match. "I would say the winner of tonight's game is a clear favourite to win the competition," the outgoing Arsenal coach added. "These kind of games write history and obviously stadiums begin to become a stronghold with important triumphs and decisive moments of the teams at certain stages," Atletico coach Diego Simeone said, adding,"today, from where I had to view it I could felt what a fan feels. It is an extraordinary stadium." In the other semi-final, Olympique de Marseille's defender Rolando helped his team clinch the final berth by striking late in extra time to set up victory over Salzburg in the second leg of their Europa League semi-final on Thursday. Olympique de Marseille went through with a 3-2 on aggregate after a spirited Salzburg won the second leg 2-1.

Europa League: Wenger denied final flourish as Atletico Madrid's Costa outlasts Arsenal

Arsenal midfielder Alex Iwobi has played down injury fears and is hopeful he can regain full fitness for Thursday`s Europa League semi-final second-leg against Atletico Madrid.

The 21-year-old Nigeria international played 90 minutes during Arsenal`s 2-1 defeat at Manchester United in the Premier League on Sunday but Wenger said after the match Iwobi was struggling with a hamstring injury.

Iwobi says, "I believe it is very good. I am still being assessed but to me it is good and I will be okay," the report says.&nbsp;

"We will have to wait and see but I believe I will be okay and fit (for Atletico)."

Arsenal goalkeeper David Ospina (rib) and midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan (knee) are also doubtful for the trip to Madrid after picking up injuries at Old Trafford.

The north London club needs a win at Atletico`s Wanda Metropolitano stadium to reach the final after the two teams played out a 1-1 draw at the Emirates last week.

Goalkeeper David Ospina and midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan are also doubtful for the trip to Madrid after picking up injuries at Old Trafford

Arsenal midfielder Alex Iwobi has played down injury fears and is hopeful he can regain full fitness for Thursday`s Europa League semi-final second-leg against Atletico Madrid. The 21-year-old Nigeria international played 90 minutes during Arsenal`s 2-1 defeat at Manchester United in the Premier League on Sunday but Wenger said after the match Iwobi was struggling with a hamstring injury. Iwobi says, "I believe it is very good. I am still being assessed but to me it is good and I will be okay," the report says. "We will have to wait and see but I believe I will be okay and fit (for Atletico)." Arsenal goalkeeper David Ospina (rib) and midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan (knee) are also doubtful for the trip to Madrid after picking up injuries at Old Trafford. The north London club needs a win at Atletico`s Wanda Metropolitano stadium to reach the final after the two teams played out a 1-1 draw at the Emirates last week.

Arsenal's Iwobi confident of being fit for Atletico clash

Outgoing Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said he was left with a 'bitter taste' after his side failed to beat an Atletico Madrid side which played for ten men for almost 80 minutes in their Europa League semi-final leg on Thursday.

Arsenal were given a huge boost after 10 minutes when Atletico defender Sime Vrsaljko was sent off for stamping on Alexandre Lacazette's foot, and Atletico coach Diego Simeone was sent to the stands for his furious reaction to the decision.

The Premier League side dominated possession but missed a number of clear chances, with Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak making several fine saves before Lacazette broke the deadlock in the 61st minute.

The French forward headed Jack Wilshere's cross down into the corner of the net to give manager Arsene Wenger hope of winning a trophy in his last season at the club and taking his last chance to get the team back into the Champions League.

Atletico seized back the initiative in the 82nd minute, however, when Griezmann sped past Arsenal defender Laurent Koscielny, collected his rebounded shot off keeper David Ospina and calmly lifted the ball into the roof of the net.

"We come out tonight with a bitter taste," Wenger told reporters after the penultimate home game of his 22-year reign at Arsenal.

"You have to stay 1-0 up and after that everything is open," the Frenchman added. "We created the anticlimax by giving away the goal."

Wilshere also rued the missed chances for Arsenal, who are playing in their first European semi-final in nine years. Atletico have reached the Champions League final twice in the last four years and won the Europa League in 2010 and 2012.

The teams head to Madrid for the second leg next week when Atletico, second in Spain's La Liga, should be able to recall talismanic striker Diego Costa who scored three times against Arsenal in six games while he was at Chelsea.

Simeone praised the courage of his players.

"They are basically heroes," the Argentine said. "They stood firm for eighty-something minutes.

"The team responded to the red card with some fantastic defensive work and I think that will go down in the history of Atletico Madrid."

The Premier League side dominated possession but missed a number of clear chances, with Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak making several fine saves before Lacazette broke the deadlock in the 61st minute

Outgoing Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said he was left with a 'bitter taste' after his side failed to beat an Atletico Madrid side which played for ten men for almost 80 minutes in their Europa League semi-final leg on Thursday. Arsenal were given a huge boost after 10 minutes when Atletico defender Sime Vrsaljko was sent off for stamping on Alexandre Lacazette's foot, and Atletico coach Diego Simeone was sent to the stands for his furious reaction to the decision. The Premier League side dominated possession but missed a number of clear chances, with Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak making several fine saves before Lacazette broke the deadlock in the 61st minute. The French forward headed Jack Wilshere's cross down into the corner of the net to give manager Arsene Wenger hope of winning a trophy in his last season at the club and taking his last chance to get the team back into the Champions League. Atletico seized back the initiative in the 82nd minute, however, when Griezmann sped past Arsenal defender Laurent Koscielny, collected his rebounded shot off keeper David Ospina and calmly lifted the ball into the roof of the net. "We come out tonight with a bitter taste," Wenger told reporters after the penultimate home game of his 22-year reign at Arsenal. "You have to stay 1-0 up and after that everything is open," the Frenchman added. "We created the anticlimax by giving away the goal." Wilshere also rued the missed chances for Arsenal, who are playing in their first European semi-final in nine years. Atletico have reached the Champions League final twice in the last four years and won the Europa League in 2010 and 2012. The teams head to Madrid for the second leg next week when Atletico, second in Spain's La Liga, should be able to recall talismanic striker Diego Costa who scored three times against Arsenal in six games while he was at Chelsea. Simeone praised the courage of his players. "They are basically heroes," the Argentine said. "They stood firm for eighty-something minutes. "The team responded to the red card with some fantastic defensive work and I think that will go down in the history of Atletico Madrid."

Arsene Wenger's 'bitter taste' after Atletico Madrid draw, Simeone praises his 'heroes'

Arsenal have been drawn against CSKA Moscow in the quarter-finals of the Europa League.

The Gunners booked their place in the last eight by defeating AC Milan, winning the second leg 3-1 at the Emirates Stadium on Thursday evening to seal a 5-1 aggregate victory.

In the other quarter-final ties, Atletico Madrid face Sporting Lisbon, RB Leipzig tackle Marseille and Lazio take on Red Bull Salzburg.

Arsenal last reached a European quarter-final in 2010, when they lost to Barcelona in the Champions League.

The Gunners look unlikely to secure a top-four finish in the Premier League, currently sitting in sixth place - 12 points behind fourth-spotted Liverpool.

Arsene Wenger&rsquo;s men, though, have now won their last three matches in all competitions to ease the pressure a little on the veteran Frenchman. 
&nbsp;

The Gunners booked their place in the last eight by defeating AC Milan

Arsenal have been drawn against CSKA Moscow in the quarter-finals of the Europa League. The Gunners booked their place in the last eight by defeating AC Milan, winning the second leg 3-1 at the Emirates Stadium on Thursday evening to seal a 5-1 aggregate victory. In the other quarter-final ties, Atletico Madrid face Sporting Lisbon, RB Leipzig tackle Marseille and Lazio take on Red Bull Salzburg. Arsenal last reached a European quarter-final in 2010, when they lost to Barcelona in the Champions League. The Gunners look unlikely to secure a top-four finish in the Premier League, currently sitting in sixth place - 12 points behind fourth-spotted Liverpool. Arsene Wenger’s men, though, have now won their last three matches in all competitions to ease the pressure a little on the veteran Frenchman.

Europa League: Arsenal draw CSKA Moscow in quarterfinals

Arsenal completed a 5-1 aggregate victory on Thursday (March 15) over seven-times European champions AC Milan, winning 3-1 on the night in north London after the Italians had scored first.

Hakan Calhanoglu&#39;s stunning strike put Milan ahead but the lead lasted only four minutes as Danny Welbeck was awarded a highly-dubious penalty, falling to the ground despite apparently no contact from Milan defender Ricardo Rodriguez.

Welbeck converted the 39th-minute penalty and added a late header after Granit Xhaka&#39;s goal had put the tie beyond Milan.

Gattuso said he didn&#39;t want his team to dwell on the controversial decisions in the game and said he understood why players look for an unfair advantage. He also offered his apologies to Arsenal defender Nacho Monreal for throwing the ball in his direction after also apologising to him on the pitch.

Arsenal completed a 5-1 aggregate victory on Thursday over seven-times European champions AC Milan, winning 3-1 on the night in north London after the Italians had scored first

Arsenal completed a 5-1 aggregate victory on Thursday (March 15) over seven-times European champions AC Milan, winning 3-1 on the night in north London after the Italians had scored first. Hakan Calhanoglu's stunning strike put Milan ahead but the lead lasted only four minutes as Danny Welbeck was awarded a highly-dubious penalty, falling to the ground despite apparently no contact from Milan defender Ricardo Rodriguez. Welbeck converted the 39th-minute penalty and added a late header after Granit Xhaka's goal had put the tie beyond Milan. Gattuso said he didn't want his team to dwell on the controversial decisions in the game and said he understood why players look for an unfair advantage. He also offered his apologies to Arsenal defender Nacho Monreal for throwing the ball in his direction after also apologising to him on the pitch.

Watch: Arsenal beat AC Milan to reach quarter-finals of Europa League

Atletico Madrid forward Fernando Torres scored twice as his side steamrolled Lokomotiv Moscow 5-1 in freezing conditions in Russia on Thursday to stroll into the Europa League quarter-finals 8-1 on aggregate.

The Spaniards had a 3-0 advantage from the first leg and Angel Correa promptly stretched their lead in the tie with an arrowed low finish into the far corner in the 16th minute after dribbling his way through the hosts&#39; defence.

Polish full back Maciej Rybus levelled for Lokomotiv four minutes later with a stunning long-range strike but Atletico&#39;s passage to the last eight was rarely in doubt and Saul Niguez put them back in front early in the second half.

Torres converted from the penalty spot to score for the first time since Jan. 28 and struck again five minutes later before substitute Antoine Griezmann completed the rout with an outrageous chipped shot from just inside the area.

The Spaniards had a 3-0 advantage from the first leg

Atletico Madrid forward Fernando Torres scored twice as his side steamrolled Lokomotiv Moscow 5-1 in freezing conditions in Russia on Thursday to stroll into the Europa League quarter-finals 8-1 on aggregate. The Spaniards had a 3-0 advantage from the first leg and Angel Correa promptly stretched their lead in the tie with an arrowed low finish into the far corner in the 16th minute after dribbling his way through the hosts' defence. Polish full back Maciej Rybus levelled for Lokomotiv four minutes later with a stunning long-range strike but Atletico's passage to the last eight was rarely in doubt and Saul Niguez put them back in front early in the second half. Torres converted from the penalty spot to score for the first time since Jan. 28 and struck again five minutes later before substitute Antoine Griezmann completed the rout with an outrageous chipped shot from just inside the area.

Europa League: Torres strikes twice as Atletico Madrid smash Lokomotiv Moscow

Diego Costa helped Atletico Madrid take a big step toward the Europa League quarter-finals by scoring in a 3-0 victory over Lokomotiv Moscow on Thursday.

Atletico will carry a commanding lead into the second leg in Russia.

Saul Niguez hit the net with a stunning strike at the Wanda Metropolitano before Costa made it two with an instinctive finish.

Koke added a third late on to leave Lokomotiv with a mountain to climb next week.

Costa has six goals in 12 appearances since moving to Atletico from Chelsea in January.

&quot;In the whole game we were superior,&quot; Atletico coach Diego Simeone said.

Security around the game was ramped up amid fears of a repeat of the fan violence that marred Athletic Bilbao&#39;s match against Spartak Moscow a fortnight ago.

Only around 500 Russian supporters were reported to have made the trip to the Spanish capital, however, and there was no visible sign of trouble before kick-off.

Lokomotiv sit seven points clear at the top of the Russian Premier League but this is as far as the club has gone in Europe since reaching the Champions League last 16 in 2004.

&quot;In no way did I feel embarrassment for the team,&quot; Lokomotiv coach Yuri Semin said.

&quot;We do not consider the tie lost.&quot;

Atletico, meanwhile, are rated as Europa League favourites with the bookmakers and, on this evidence, they will take some stopping.

Lokomotiv managed only one shot on target in the 90 minutes.

Both teams stood around the centre circle before kick-off as a minute that began in silence broke into applause in memory of Fiorentina defender Davide Astori, who died suddenly on Sunday.

Atletico controlled possession early on but it took a thunderbolt from distance to break the deadlock.

Saul picked the ball up 30 yards out and without a better option unleashed a left-footed shot that sailed into the top corner.

They should have doubled their lead before half-time. Lokomotiv goalkeeper Guilherme rushed out and was robbed of the ball by Antoine Griezmann on the touchline. With the goal gaping, the Frenchman could only guide his long-range effort wide of the far post.

Costa was more precise early in the second half, however, steering home the rebound after Griezmann had seen his close-range finish saved. Saul had provided the brilliant pass.

Griezmann was taken off in the 66th minute and Costa followed eight minutes later.

But there was still time for a third when Koke burst into the box and prodded a shot into the corner.

&nbsp;

Diego Costa helped Atletico Madrid take a big step toward the Europa League quarter-finals by scoring in a 3-0 victory over Lokomotiv Moscow on Thursday

Diego Costa helped Atletico Madrid take a big step toward the Europa League quarter-finals by scoring in a 3-0 victory over Lokomotiv Moscow on Thursday. Atletico will carry a commanding lead into the second leg in Russia. Saul Niguez hit the net with a stunning strike at the Wanda Metropolitano before Costa made it two with an instinctive finish. Koke added a third late on to leave Lokomotiv with a mountain to climb next week. Costa has six goals in 12 appearances since moving to Atletico from Chelsea in January. "In the whole game we were superior," Atletico coach Diego Simeone said. Security around the game was ramped up amid fears of a repeat of the fan violence that marred Athletic Bilbao's match against Spartak Moscow a fortnight ago. Only around 500 Russian supporters were reported to have made the trip to the Spanish capital, however, and there was no visible sign of trouble before kick-off. Lokomotiv sit seven points clear at the top of the Russian Premier League but this is as far as the club has gone in Europe since reaching the Champions League last 16 in 2004. "In no way did I feel embarrassment for the team," Lokomotiv coach Yuri Semin said. "We do not consider the tie lost." Atletico, meanwhile, are rated as Europa League favourites with the bookmakers and, on this evidence, they will take some stopping. Lokomotiv managed only one shot on target in the 90 minutes. Both teams stood around the centre circle before kick-off as a minute that began in silence broke into applause in memory of Fiorentina defender Davide Astori, who died suddenly on Sunday. Atletico controlled possession early on but it took a thunderbolt from distance to break the deadlock. Saul picked the ball up 30 yards out and without a better option unleashed a left-footed shot that sailed into the top corner. They should have doubled their lead before half-time. Lokomotiv goalkeeper Guilherme rushed out and was robbed of the ball by Antoine Griezmann on the touchline. With the goal gaping, the Frenchman could only guide his long-range effort wide of the far post. Costa was more precise early in the second half, however, steering home the rebound after Griezmann had seen his close-range finish saved. Saul had provided the brilliant pass. Griezmann was taken off in the 66th minute and Costa followed eight minutes later. But there was still time for a third when Koke burst into the box and prodded a shot into the corner.

Costa leads Atletico rout over Lokomotiv Moscow

Arsenal&nbsp;manager Arsene Wenger expressed his relief after his side&#39;s Europa League success at AC Milan on Thursday by describing it as an important win after a nightmare week.

&quot;I am happy with the spirit and response we gave,&quot; said the Frenchman after a 2-0 victory at San Siro in the last 16 first leg tie ended a run of four successive defeats.

&ldquo;We were not in a position to take risks, but we could not be too cautious as you lose fluidity. We defended with resilience until the end,&quot; he said.

&quot;When you are knocked down like a boxer, you don&rsquo;t have time to react and you are only halfway up, but you have to respond. Your pride and desire to show quality has to come through in the game.

&quot;It is an important win of course after we had a nightmare week,&quot; added Wenger, whose side came to Milan after losing to Premier League leaders Manchester City -- who also beat them in last month&#39;s League Cup final -- and Brighton &amp; Hove Albion.

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Squad ????<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeAreTheArsenal?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeAreTheArsenal</a> <a href="https://t.co/6WwNDnCaq3">pic.twitter.com/6WwNDnCaq3</a>
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Arsenal&#39;s Germany midfielder Mesut Ozil described the win in Milan as &quot;our best away performance for some time&quot;, while Aaron Ramsey, scorer of the second goal, called it a &quot;great response.&quot;

Arsenal&nbsp;are 13 points adrift of the Champions League places in the Premier League and are pinning their hopes on winning the Europa League to qualify for Europe&#39;s elite club competition.

Not surprisingly, Milan coach Gennaro Gattuso was far from happy after seeing his team&#39;s 13-match unbeaten run end.

&quot;We made too many mistakes,&quot; he said. &quot;We never played as a compact team and they deserved the win.

&quot;Every time they attacked, they could have scored. Playing at this level is something new for our lads but there were too many mistakes,&quot; he added.

However, the famously fiery coach refused to throw in the towel in the tie.

&quot;In football, you never say never,&quot; he said. &quot;We&#39;ll go to London to try and win, we&#39;re not going on an excursion. This is Milan and there is a shirt we have to respect.&quot;

&nbsp;

It is an important win of course after we had a nightmare week: Arsene Wenger

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger expressed his relief after his side's Europa League success at AC Milan on Thursday by describing it as an important win after a nightmare week. "I am happy with the spirit and response we gave," said the Frenchman after a 2-0 victory at San Siro in the last 16 first leg tie ended a run of four successive defeats. “We were not in a position to take risks, but we could not be too cautious as you lose fluidity. We defended with resilience until the end," he said. "When you are knocked down like a boxer, you don’t have time to react and you are only halfway up, but you have to respond. Your pride and desire to show quality has to come through in the game. "It is an important win of course after we had a nightmare week," added Wenger, whose side came to Milan after losing to Premier League leaders Manchester City -- who also beat them in last month's League Cup final -- and Brighton & Hove Albion. Squad ????#WeAreTheArsenal pic.twitter.com/6WwNDnCaq3 — Arsenal FC (@Arsenal) March 9, 2018 × Arsenal's Germany midfielder Mesut Ozil described the win in Milan as "our best away performance for some time", while Aaron Ramsey, scorer of the second goal, called it a "great response." Arsenal are 13 points adrift of the Champions League places in the Premier League and are pinning their hopes on winning the Europa League to qualify for Europe's elite club competition. Not surprisingly, Milan coach Gennaro Gattuso was far from happy after seeing his team's 13-match unbeaten run end. "We made too many mistakes," he said. "We never played as a compact team and they deserved the win. "Every time they attacked, they could have scored. Playing at this level is something new for our lads but there were too many mistakes," he added. However, the famously fiery coach refused to throw in the towel in the tie. "In football, you never say never," he said. "We'll go to London to try and win, we're not going on an excursion. This is Milan and there is a shirt we have to respect."

Arsenal beat AC Milan to register much-awaited victory

The official draw for round of 16 of UEFA Europa League is out&nbsp;as the&nbsp;second Leg was concluded on Thursday but with some bittersweet memories. A lot of things happened in the Leg 2 of the round of 32. On one hand, some mediocre clubs fought their ways back and entered last 16 but on the other hand, one Basque police officer died on Thursday as security forces clashed with fans of Russian club Spartak Moscow in the Spanish city of Bilbao. Arsenal, the north London giants survived entry to Leg 2 because of a 4-2 win on aggregate despite 2-1 second-leg defeat by Ostersunds. The Swedish club displayed a quality run and gave a tough fight Arsenal.&nbsp;Here is the result of draw:

<ul>
	<li>Lazio VS&nbsp;Dynamo Kyiv</li>
	<li>RB Leipzig VS&nbsp;Zenit Saint-Petersburg</li>
	<li>Atletico Madrid VS&nbsp;Lokomotiv Moscow</li>
	<li>Lyon VS&nbsp;CSKA Moscow</li>
	<li>Athletic Club VS&nbsp;Marseille</li>
	<li>Sporting CP VS&nbsp;Plzen</li>
	<li>Borussia Dortmund VS&nbsp;Salzburg</li>
	<li>Arsenal VS&nbsp;AC Milan</li>
</ul>

Arsenal, the last surviving British club, on Friday drew seven-time European champion AC Milan in the last 16 of the Europa League.

Arsenal struggled to overcome Swedish minnows Ostersunds in the last round, being booed off by their fans at the Emirates after losing 2-1 on Thursday but going through 4-2 win on aggregate.

Atletico Madrid and French striker Antoine Griezmann were paired with Lokomotiv Moscow.&nbsp;

Bilbao will face 1993 European champions Marseille for the matches on March 8 and 15.

Another French side, Lyon, must overcome CSKA Moscow to keep alive their hopes of appearing in the final which will be played at their own stadium on May 16.

Lyon were comfortable 4-1 aggregate winners over Villarreal in the round of 32 and former club stalwart Bernard Lacombe welcomed the draw which sees the second leg played in France.

&quot;We qualified well against Villarreal, who is a good club. Obviously, it would be fantastic to play in our own stadium (in the final) but there are high-level opponents left in the competition and we have to respect that,&quot; he told beIN Sports.

RB Leipzig, who dropped into the competition after being eliminated from the Champions League, will play Zenit Saint-Petersburg, who won the Europa League in 2008.

Borussia Dortmund meanwhile faces potentially the weakest team in the last 16, Czech side Plzen.

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The official result of the Round of 16 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UELdraw?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UELdraw</a>! 
 
Most exciting tie? ???? <a href="https://t.co/t8txcYPtwg">pic.twitter.com/t8txcYPtwg</a>
&mdash; UEFA Europa League (@EuropaLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuropaLeague/status/967011107931066368?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 23, 2018</a></blockquote>
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It had to be hat-trick hero and goalscoring sensation <a href="https://twitter.com/ciroimmobile?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ciroimmobile</a> ????????????<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UEL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UEL</a> <a href="https://t.co/LEVfxZM3Vq">pic.twitter.com/LEVfxZM3Vq</a>
&mdash; UEFA Europa League (@EuropaLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuropaLeague/status/967046237043286016?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 23, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

The official draw for round of 16 of UEFA Europa League is out as the second Leg was concluded on Thursday

The official draw for round of 16 of UEFA Europa League is out as the second Leg was concluded on Thursday but with some bittersweet memories. A lot of things happened in the Leg 2 of the round of 32. On one hand, some mediocre clubs fought their ways back and entered last 16 but on the other hand, one Basque police officer died on Thursday as security forces clashed with fans of Russian club Spartak Moscow in the Spanish city of Bilbao. Arsenal, the north London giants survived entry to Leg 2 because of a 4-2 win on aggregate despite 2-1 second-leg defeat by Ostersunds. The Swedish club displayed a quality run and gave a tough fight Arsenal. Here is the result of draw: Lazio VS Dynamo Kyiv RB Leipzig VS Zenit Saint-Petersburg Atletico Madrid VS Lokomotiv Moscow Lyon VS CSKA Moscow Athletic Club VS Marseille Sporting CP VS Plzen Borussia Dortmund VS Salzburg Arsenal VS AC Milan Arsenal, the last surviving British club, on Friday drew seven-time European champion AC Milan in the last 16 of the Europa League. Arsenal struggled to overcome Swedish minnows Ostersunds in the last round, being booed off by their fans at the Emirates after losing 2-1 on Thursday but going through 4-2 win on aggregate. Atletico Madrid and French striker Antoine Griezmann were paired with Lokomotiv Moscow. Bilbao will face 1993 European champions Marseille for the matches on March 8 and 15. Another French side, Lyon, must overcome CSKA Moscow to keep alive their hopes of appearing in the final which will be played at their own stadium on May 16. Lyon were comfortable 4-1 aggregate winners over Villarreal in the round of 32 and former club stalwart Bernard Lacombe welcomed the draw which sees the second leg played in France. "We qualified well against Villarreal, who is a good club. Obviously, it would be fantastic to play in our own stadium (in the final) but there are high-level opponents left in the competition and we have to respect that," he told beIN Sports. RB Leipzig, who dropped into the competition after being eliminated from the Champions League, will play Zenit Saint-Petersburg, who won the Europa League in 2008. Borussia Dortmund meanwhile faces potentially the weakest team in the last 16, Czech side Plzen. The official result of the Round of 16 #UELdraw! Most exciting tie? ???? pic.twitter.com/t8txcYPtwg — UEFA Europa League (@EuropaLeague) February 23, 2018 × It had to be hat-trick hero and goalscoring sensation @ciroimmobile ????????????#UEL pic.twitter.com/LEVfxZM3Vq — UEFA Europa League (@EuropaLeague) February 23, 2018 ×

Europa League last 16: Arsenal will face Milan, Dortmund to meet Salzburg

The second Leg of the round of 32 in Europa league concluded with some bittersweet memories. A lot of things happened in the Leg 2 of the round of 32. On one hand, some mediocre clubs&nbsp;fought their ways back and entered last 16 but on the other hand, one Basque <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/europa-league-police-officer-dies-as-violence-mars-bilbao-vs-spartak-clash-33751">police officer died</a>&nbsp;on Thursday as security forces clashed with fans of Russian club Spartak Moscow in the Spanish city of Bilbao. Arsenal, the north London giants survived entry to Leg 2 because of a 4-2 win on aggregate despite 2-1 second-leg defeat by Ostersunds. The Swedish club displayed a quality run and gave a tough fight Arsenal.

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Your <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UEL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UEL</a> round of 16 line-up ???? 
 
???????? Milan 
???????????????????????????? Arsenal 
???????? Athletic 
???????? Atl&eacute;tico 
???????? CSKA Moskva 
???????? Dortmund 
???????? Dynamo Kyiv 
???????? Lazio 
???????? Lokomotiv Moskva 
???????? Lyon 
???????? Marseille 
???????? Plzeň 
???????? Leipzig 
???????? Salzburg 
???????? Sporting CP 
???????? Zenit <a href="https://t.co/4XdIf4eYQ3">pic.twitter.com/4XdIf4eYQ3</a>
&mdash; UEFA Europa League (@EuropaLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuropaLeague/status/966796933913370626?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 22, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Napoli came agonisingly close to pulling off a dramatic Europa League comeback when they won 2-0 at RB Leipzig but went out on away goals at the last 32 stage on Thursday while Arsenal got through despite an embarrassing 2-1 home defeat by Ostersund.

Borussia Dortmund snatched a late goal at Atalanta to progress with a 1-1 draw, while AC Milan and Atletico Madrid, both with a three-goal lead from the away legs, completed the formality of qualifying with 1-0 wins at home on Thursday.

The evening was marred by the death of a policeman in Bilbao after rivals fans fought in the streets before the match between local side Athletic and Spartak Moscow, won 2-1 by the Russian team who still went out 4-3 on aggregate.

Arsenal had a three-goal lead from last week&#39;s win in Sweden but was rattled when Hosam Aiesh and Ken Sema scored twice in two minutes for Ostersund midway through the first half.

The North London side was spared further humiliation, though, after Ronald Mukiibi miscued when trying to clear a cross and defender Sead Kolasinac thumped the ball into the net from close range two minutes into the second half.

Napoli lost 3-1 in last week&#39;s first leg against Leipzig with a performance that embarrassed coach Maurizio Sarri, though he has emphasised that winning Serie A is the priority.

They restored some pride in the return as Piotr Zielinski scored from a rebound in the 33rd minute and Lorenzo Insigne turned in Jose Callejon&#39;s cross with five minutes to go.

That set up a rousing finale and Callejon could even have won the tie in stoppage time but his shot sailed over.

Last gasp Dortmund

Atalanta scored against Dortmund when Rafael Toloi prodded the ball home at the far post after Mattia Caldara flicked on a corner in the 11th minute to make it 3-3 on aggregate.

There were then chances at both ends until Dortmund&#39;s Marcel Schmelzer snapped up the rebound after Etrit Berisha failed to hold a Marco Reus shot, to put the Bundesliga side through.

Lazio striker Ciro Immobile got a hat-trick in a 5-1 win over FCSB, formerly Steaua Bucharest, after a 1-0 first-leg loss.

Russian pair Lokomotiv Moscow and Zenit St Petersburg both won at home in frigid conditions to also progress.

Igor Denisov&#39;s first-half goal gave Lokomotiv a 1-0 win over Nice, completing a 4-2 aggregate victory, while Zenit beat Celtic 3-0 to go through 3-1 with goals from Branislav Ivanovic, Daler Kuzyaev, and Aleksandr Kokorin.

&quot;We dominated the game. We didn&rsquo;t concede any chances until the 70th minute,&quot; said Zenit coach Roberto Mancini after a match which kicked off at a temperature of minus 13 Celsius.

&quot;After 70 minutes we tired a bit but this is normal, but in the end, we deserved to win.&quot;

Atletico Madrid, leading 4-1 from the first leg, completed their tie at home to FC Copenhagen when Kevin Gameiro&#39;s early goal gave them a 1-0 victory and AC Milan beat Ludogorets by the same score with a Fabio Borini goal for a 4-0 aggregate win.

Dynamo Kiev, Sporting, Viktoria Plzen, Olympique Lyonnais, Olympique Marseille and Salzburg also qualified and will go into the hat for the last 16 draw which will be made on Friday.

&nbsp;

Arsenal entered into the last 16 of the Europa League despite a 2-1 second-leg defeat by Ostersunds but the round of 32 ended with a tragic death of a police officer as security forces clashed with fans of Russian club Spartak Moscow

The second Leg of the round of 32 in Europa league concluded with some bittersweet memories. A lot of things happened in the Leg 2 of the round of 32. On one hand, some mediocre clubs fought their ways back and entered last 16 but on the other hand, one Basque police officer died on Thursday as security forces clashed with fans of Russian club Spartak Moscow in the Spanish city of Bilbao. Arsenal, the north London giants survived entry to Leg 2 because of a 4-2 win on aggregate despite 2-1 second-leg defeat by Ostersunds. The Swedish club displayed a quality run and gave a tough fight Arsenal. Your #UEL round of 16 line-up ???? ???????? Milan ???????????????????????????? Arsenal ???????? Athletic ???????? Atlético ???????? CSKA Moskva ???????? Dortmund ???????? Dynamo Kyiv ???????? Lazio ???????? Lokomotiv Moskva ???????? Lyon ???????? Marseille ???????? Plzeň ???????? Leipzig ???????? Salzburg ???????? Sporting CP ???????? Zenit pic.twitter.com/4XdIf4eYQ3 — UEFA Europa League (@EuropaLeague) February 22, 2018 × Napoli came agonisingly close to pulling off a dramatic Europa League comeback when they won 2-0 at RB Leipzig but went out on away goals at the last 32 stage on Thursday while Arsenal got through despite an embarrassing 2-1 home defeat by Ostersund. Borussia Dortmund snatched a late goal at Atalanta to progress with a 1-1 draw, while AC Milan and Atletico Madrid, both with a three-goal lead from the away legs, completed the formality of qualifying with 1-0 wins at home on Thursday. The evening was marred by the death of a policeman in Bilbao after rivals fans fought in the streets before the match between local side Athletic and Spartak Moscow, won 2-1 by the Russian team who still went out 4-3 on aggregate. Arsenal had a three-goal lead from last week's win in Sweden but was rattled when Hosam Aiesh and Ken Sema scored twice in two minutes for Ostersund midway through the first half. The North London side was spared further humiliation, though, after Ronald Mukiibi miscued when trying to clear a cross and defender Sead Kolasinac thumped the ball into the net from close range two minutes into the second half. Napoli lost 3-1 in last week's first leg against Leipzig with a performance that embarrassed coach Maurizio Sarri, though he has emphasised that winning Serie A is the priority. They restored some pride in the return as Piotr Zielinski scored from a rebound in the 33rd minute and Lorenzo Insigne turned in Jose Callejon's cross with five minutes to go. That set up a rousing finale and Callejon could even have won the tie in stoppage time but his shot sailed over. Last gasp Dortmund Atalanta scored against Dortmund when Rafael Toloi prodded the ball home at the far post after Mattia Caldara flicked on a corner in the 11th minute to make it 3-3 on aggregate. There were then chances at both ends until Dortmund's Marcel Schmelzer snapped up the rebound after Etrit Berisha failed to hold a Marco Reus shot, to put the Bundesliga side through. Lazio striker Ciro Immobile got a hat-trick in a 5-1 win over FCSB, formerly Steaua Bucharest, after a 1-0 first-leg loss. Russian pair Lokomotiv Moscow and Zenit St Petersburg both won at home in frigid conditions to also progress. Igor Denisov's first-half goal gave Lokomotiv a 1-0 win over Nice, completing a 4-2 aggregate victory, while Zenit beat Celtic 3-0 to go through 3-1 with goals from Branislav Ivanovic, Daler Kuzyaev, and Aleksandr Kokorin. "We dominated the game. We didn’t concede any chances until the 70th minute," said Zenit coach Roberto Mancini after a match which kicked off at a temperature of minus 13 Celsius. "After 70 minutes we tired a bit but this is normal, but in the end, we deserved to win." Atletico Madrid, leading 4-1 from the first leg, completed their tie at home to FC Copenhagen when Kevin Gameiro's early goal gave them a 1-0 victory and AC Milan beat Ludogorets by the same score with a Fabio Borini goal for a 4-0 aggregate win. Dynamo Kiev, Sporting, Viktoria Plzen, Olympique Lyonnais, Olympique Marseille and Salzburg also qualified and will go into the hat for the last 16 draw which will be made on Friday.

Europa League: Arsenal enters last 16 despite losing in second leg

A Basque police officer died Thursday as security forces clashed with fans of Russian club Spartak Moscow in the Spanish city of Bilbao where a Europa League match was taking place.

&quot;We can confirm that a Basque policeman died Thursday,&quot; said a press spokesman for the Ertzaintza regional police.

However, he refused to comment on Spanish media speculation that he had died as a result of the fighting which took place before the game.

He added that an autopsy would have to be performed before they were in a position to comment on the cause of death.

The deputy minister for security at the Basque regional government, Josu Zubiaga, told Cadena Ser radio that pending the &quot;forensic reports, everything seems to indicate that there was no violent contact that may have resulted in the death&quot;.

More than 500 police officers had been deployed for the high-risk return leg of the tie.

Earlier in the evening, police made a number of arrests as the violence and injuries escalated.

&quot;Five people have been arrested. We do not know if they are all supporters of Spartak, but many of them are Russians,&quot; a spokesman for Ertzaintza told AFP.

The trouble began as Spartak ultras arrived at the San Mames stadium in Bilbao for the game.

Some lit and threw smoke bombs and garbage cans before police charged at them.

Spartak won the match 2-1, but Bilbao went through 4-3 on aggregate.

More than 500 police officers had been deployed for the high-risk return leg of the tie.

A Basque police officer died Thursday as security forces clashed with fans of Russian club Spartak Moscow in the Spanish city of Bilbao where a Europa League match was taking place. "We can confirm that a Basque policeman died Thursday," said a press spokesman for the Ertzaintza regional police. However, he refused to comment on Spanish media speculation that he had died as a result of the fighting which took place before the game. He added that an autopsy would have to be performed before they were in a position to comment on the cause of death. The deputy minister for security at the Basque regional government, Josu Zubiaga, told Cadena Ser radio that pending the "forensic reports, everything seems to indicate that there was no violent contact that may have resulted in the death". More than 500 police officers had been deployed for the high-risk return leg of the tie. Earlier in the evening, police made a number of arrests as the violence and injuries escalated. "Five people have been arrested. We do not know if they are all supporters of Spartak, but many of them are Russians," a spokesman for Ertzaintza told AFP. The trouble began as Spartak ultras arrived at the San Mames stadium in Bilbao for the game. Some lit and threw smoke bombs and garbage cans before police charged at them. Spartak won the match 2-1, but Bilbao went through 4-3 on aggregate.

Europa League: Police officer dies as violence mars Bilbao vs Spartak clash

Napoli went down 3-1 at home to RB Leipzig, Arsenal and AC Milan enjoyed comfortable away wins, and Borussia Dortmund&#39;s Michy Batshuayi scored twice to secure a 3-2 victory in Europa League last 32, first leg action on Thursday.

Italian league leaders Napoli went ahead against Leipzig but slumped to a 3-1 defeat after a Timo Werner brace, Arsenal overcame Sweden&#39;s Ostersunds 3-0 helped by an own goal and Milan won by the same score against Bulgarian champions Ludogorets.

Batshuayi took his tally to five goals in three games since joining Dortmund on loan from Chelsea, with his double against Atalanta hauling the Germans side back from 2-1 down after Josip Ilicic scored twice in five minutes for the Italians.

Nice striker Mario Balotelli also scored two goals against Lokomotiv Moscow only to be upstaged by a Manuel Fernandes hat-trick as the visitors hit back to win 3-2.

Twice former winners Atletico Madrid recovered from an early fright to win 4-1 at FC Copenhagen as Saul Niguez, Kevin Gameiro, Antoine Griezmann and Vitolo shared the goals after Victor Fischer had put the Danish side in front.

FCSB, formerly Steaua Bucharest, beat Lazio 1-0 and Celtic overcame Zenit St Petersburg by the same score.

Napoli coach Maurizio Sarri has made it clear that his priority lies in Serie A and a disappointingly sparse crowd turned up for the visit of Leipzig.

Adam Ounas gave Napoli the lead early in the second half, the Algerian&#39;s first goal for the club, but the away side made the most of shoddy defending to turn the game around.

Werner levelled with an opportunist finish, then Bruma finished off a counter-attack and Werner added another in stoppage time as Napoli were again caught on the break.

Best Hope

Arsenal&#39;s Nacho Monreal and Mesut Ozil were on target at Ostersunds either side of a Sotirios Papagiannopoulos own goal.

Like the Londoners, Milan&#39;s best hope of Champions League football next season appears to be by winning the Europa League. Patrick Cutrone, a Ricardo Rodriguez penalty and Fabio Borini gave them an impressive win at Bulgarian champions Ludogorets.

Balotelli took his tally to 21 goals this term for Nice, where he is in his second season enjoying a new lease of life.

The maverick Italian slotted home after four minutes and converted a penalty in the 28th, sending Lokomotiv keeper Guilherme the wrong way after a Nemanja Pejcinovic handball.

Not to be outdone, Fernandes replied with a penalty before halftime and curled in a free kick to equalize in the 67th before completing his second Europa League hat-trick this term from Anton Miranchuk&#39;s cross.

Athletic Bilbao striker Aritz Aduriz, 37, scored twice in a 3-1 win at Spartak Moscow, while their Basque rivals Real Socieded were held 2-2 at home by Salzburg.

Sporting&#39;s Bruno Fernandes, Gelson Martins and Seydou Doumbia scored in an eight-minute spell after halftime as they came from behind to win 3-1 on Astana&#39;s artificial pitch in Kazakhstan where Marin Tomasov gave the hosts an early lead.

The roof was closed for the match with temperatures hovering around minus 20 Celsius outside.

&nbsp;

Napoli went down 3-1 at home to RB Leipzig, Arsenal and AC Milan enjoyed comfortable away wins, and Borussia Dortmund's Michy Batshuayi scored twice to secure a 3-2 victory in Europa League last 32, first leg

Napoli went down 3-1 at home to RB Leipzig, Arsenal and AC Milan enjoyed comfortable away wins, and Borussia Dortmund's Michy Batshuayi scored twice to secure a 3-2 victory in Europa League last 32, first leg action on Thursday. Italian league leaders Napoli went ahead against Leipzig but slumped to a 3-1 defeat after a Timo Werner brace, Arsenal overcame Sweden's Ostersunds 3-0 helped by an own goal and Milan won by the same score against Bulgarian champions Ludogorets. Batshuayi took his tally to five goals in three games since joining Dortmund on loan from Chelsea, with his double against Atalanta hauling the Germans side back from 2-1 down after Josip Ilicic scored twice in five minutes for the Italians. Nice striker Mario Balotelli also scored two goals against Lokomotiv Moscow only to be upstaged by a Manuel Fernandes hat-trick as the visitors hit back to win 3-2. Twice former winners Atletico Madrid recovered from an early fright to win 4-1 at FC Copenhagen as Saul Niguez, Kevin Gameiro, Antoine Griezmann and Vitolo shared the goals after Victor Fischer had put the Danish side in front. FCSB, formerly Steaua Bucharest, beat Lazio 1-0 and Celtic overcame Zenit St Petersburg by the same score. Napoli coach Maurizio Sarri has made it clear that his priority lies in Serie A and a disappointingly sparse crowd turned up for the visit of Leipzig. Adam Ounas gave Napoli the lead early in the second half, the Algerian's first goal for the club, but the away side made the most of shoddy defending to turn the game around. Werner levelled with an opportunist finish, then Bruma finished off a counter-attack and Werner added another in stoppage time as Napoli were again caught on the break. Best Hope Arsenal's Nacho Monreal and Mesut Ozil were on target at Ostersunds either side of a Sotirios Papagiannopoulos own goal. Like the Londoners, Milan's best hope of Champions League football next season appears to be by winning the Europa League. Patrick Cutrone, a Ricardo Rodriguez penalty and Fabio Borini gave them an impressive win at Bulgarian champions Ludogorets. Balotelli took his tally to 21 goals this term for Nice, where he is in his second season enjoying a new lease of life. The maverick Italian slotted home after four minutes and converted a penalty in the 28th, sending Lokomotiv keeper Guilherme the wrong way after a Nemanja Pejcinovic handball. Not to be outdone, Fernandes replied with a penalty before halftime and curled in a free kick to equalize in the 67th before completing his second Europa League hat-trick this term from Anton Miranchuk's cross. Athletic Bilbao striker Aritz Aduriz, 37, scored twice in a 3-1 win at Spartak Moscow, while their Basque rivals Real Socieded were held 2-2 at home by Salzburg. Sporting's Bruno Fernandes, Gelson Martins and Seydou Doumbia scored in an eight-minute spell after halftime as they came from behind to win 3-1 on Astana's artificial pitch in Kazakhstan where Marin Tomasov gave the hosts an early lead. The roof was closed for the match with temperatures hovering around minus 20 Celsius outside.

Europa League: Napoli lose at home, Arsenal and Milan win away

Everton&#39;s miserable Europa League run continued as they lost 2-1 at home to Olympique Lyonnais on Thursday and remained bottom of their group as Arsenal beat 10-man Red Star Belgrade 1-0 thanks to an acrobatic late goal by Olivier Giroud.

Everton badly needed a win against Lyon after taking one point from their previous two games but they went behind in the sixth minute to a penalty by Nabil Fekir.

Ashley Williams headed them level in the 69th after being fortunate to only be yellow-carded for igniting a mass brawl when he shoved visiting goalkeeper Anthony Lopes.

Everton nearly went ahead when a Gilfi Sigurdsson free kick came off the far post but former Chelsea forward Bertrand Traore struck to restore Lyon&#39;s lead, leaving Ronald Koeman&#39;s side at the foot of Group E with one point from three games.

The Dutch coach is under pressure as his side have only won three games out of 12 in all competitions and are 16th in the Premier League standings.

&quot;We always feel pressure, from ourselves and pressure from outside,&quot; Everton defender Williams told reporters.

&quot;It&rsquo;s disappointing we didn&rsquo;t get a result tonight because I felt we had a good attitude, and I thought we had a lot of chances.&quot;

Serie A side Atalanta lead the group on seven points after beating Apollon Limassol.

Arsenal were given a fright in Belgrade when Richmond Boaqye hit the woodwork but they took advantage of Milan Rodic getting sent off in the 81st minute as Giroud leapt to scoop a cushioned header from Theo Walcott into the top corner, completing a sweeping move through the middle.

Arsenal top Group H with a maximum nine points from three games after returning to winning ways following their 2-1 defeat by Watford in the Premier League.

&quot;It was a very difficult game amid high and heated intensity,&quot; said Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger.

&quot;The (home crowd) support was absolutely amazing, it was fantastic. Red Star are a massive club with a big history and the people here know their football.&quot;

BATE Borisov are second after beating Bundesliga side FC Koln, who have lost all three games in their first European campaign in 20 years.

Zenit St Petersburg, FCSB and Lazio are the only other teams to have won all three of their group games as seven-times European champions AC Milan lost their 100 percent record after a goalless home draw with AEK Athens.

Mario Balotelli opened the scoring for Nice against Lazio but the Serie A side quickly turned the game on its head to win 3-1, with Felipe Caicedo levelling soon after Balotelli&#39;s opener and Serb Sergej Milinkovic-Savic striking twice after halftime.

RECORD AWAY WIN

Real Sociedad hammered FK Vardar 6-0 to set a competition record for the biggest away win with the help of four goals from Brazilian forward Willian Jose, while fellow Liga side Athletic Bilbao were left on the brink of elimination as they drew 2-2 at Swedish side Ostersund.

A late goal from veteran striker Aritz Aduriz prevented a second consecutive defeat for the 2012 finalists, who are third in Group J on two points, four behind second-placed Zorya and five behind leaders Ostersund.

FC Copenhagen&#39;s game at Czech side Fastav Zlin was suspended in the 70th minute due to fog, but play resumed soon afterwards and the match ended 1-1.

Everton's miserable Europa League run continued as they lost 2-1 at home to Olympique Lyonnais on Thursday and remained bottom of their group as Arsenal beat 10-man Red Star Belgrade 1-0 thanks to an acrobatic late goal by Olivier Giroud.

Everton's miserable Europa League run continued as they lost 2-1 at home to Olympique Lyonnais on Thursday and remained bottom of their group as Arsenal beat 10-man Red Star Belgrade 1-0 thanks to an acrobatic late goal by Olivier Giroud. Everton badly needed a win against Lyon after taking one point from their previous two games but they went behind in the sixth minute to a penalty by Nabil Fekir. Ashley Williams headed them level in the 69th after being fortunate to only be yellow-carded for igniting a mass brawl when he shoved visiting goalkeeper Anthony Lopes. Everton nearly went ahead when a Gilfi Sigurdsson free kick came off the far post but former Chelsea forward Bertrand Traore struck to restore Lyon's lead, leaving Ronald Koeman's side at the foot of Group E with one point from three games. The Dutch coach is under pressure as his side have only won three games out of 12 in all competitions and are 16th in the Premier League standings. "We always feel pressure, from ourselves and pressure from outside," Everton defender Williams told reporters. "It’s disappointing we didn’t get a result tonight because I felt we had a good attitude, and I thought we had a lot of chances." Serie A side Atalanta lead the group on seven points after beating Apollon Limassol. Arsenal were given a fright in Belgrade when Richmond Boaqye hit the woodwork but they took advantage of Milan Rodic getting sent off in the 81st minute as Giroud leapt to scoop a cushioned header from Theo Walcott into the top corner, completing a sweeping move through the middle. Arsenal top Group H with a maximum nine points from three games after returning to winning ways following their 2-1 defeat by Watford in the Premier League. "It was a very difficult game amid high and heated intensity," said Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger. "The (home crowd) support was absolutely amazing, it was fantastic. Red Star are a massive club with a big history and the people here know their football." BATE Borisov are second after beating Bundesliga side FC Koln, who have lost all three games in their first European campaign in 20 years. Zenit St Petersburg, FCSB and Lazio are the only other teams to have won all three of their group games as seven-times European champions AC Milan lost their 100 percent record after a goalless home draw with AEK Athens. Mario Balotelli opened the scoring for Nice against Lazio but the Serie A side quickly turned the game on its head to win 3-1, with Felipe Caicedo levelling soon after Balotelli's opener and Serb Sergej Milinkovic-Savic striking twice after halftime. RECORD AWAY WIN Real Sociedad hammered FK Vardar 6-0 to set a competition record for the biggest away win with the help of four goals from Brazilian forward Willian Jose, while fellow Liga side Athletic Bilbao were left on the brink of elimination as they drew 2-2 at Swedish side Ostersund. A late goal from veteran striker Aritz Aduriz prevented a second consecutive defeat for the 2012 finalists, who are third in Group J on two points, four behind second-placed Zorya and five behind leaders Ostersund. FC Copenhagen's game at Czech side Fastav Zlin was suspended in the 70th minute due to fog, but play resumed soon afterwards and the match ended 1-1.

Everton lose to Lyon, Giroud's acrobatic goal lifts Arsenal

With <a href="http://www.wionews.com/football/real-madrid-beat-juventus-to-win-champions-league-16396">Real Madrid defeating Juventus</a>&nbsp;in the Champions League final last week, we turn our attention to next season&#39;s European club competitions. Who&#39;s qualified so far from the major football leagues?

<a href="https://kassiesa.home.xs4all.nl/bert/uefa/seedcl2017.html">22&nbsp;teams</a> have qualified directly for the 2017-18 UEFA Champions League. 57 teams in total will be fighting to qualify for the remaining 10 places in the group stages.&nbsp;Five teams, including Liverpool and Napoli,&nbsp;will be going into the 4th round of qualifiers for the competition.

The first round of qualifying for the Champions League <a href="http://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/newsid=2435148.html">starts on</a> June 27, 2017.&nbsp;The final line-up for the group stages will be determined on August 23, 2017, with the draw to take place on August 24, 2017.

<img src="http://i.imgur.com/rEJVsV2.png" style="margin:0 auto;width: 350px;height:auto;" />

<a href="https://kassiesa.home.xs4all.nl/bert/uefa/seedel2017.html">16 teams</a> have qualified directly for the 2017-18 UEFA Europa League, including big names such as Arsenal and AC Milan. A&nbsp;total of 141 teams will be in qualifiers, fighting&nbsp;for the remaining 32&nbsp;places in the group stages. The first round of qualifying <a href="http://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/news/newsid=2435180.html">starts on</a> June 19, 2017.&nbsp;The final line-up for the group stages will be determined on August 24, 2017.

<img src="http://i.imgur.com/uGFpuJa.png" style="margin:0 auto;width: 350px;height:auto;" />

With the Champions League over, we turn our attention to next season's European competitions and who'll be playing in them

With Real Madrid defeating Juventus in the Champions League final last week, we turn our attention to next season's European club competitions. Who's qualified so far from the major football leagues? 22 teams have qualified directly for the 2017-18 UEFA Champions League. 57 teams in total will be fighting to qualify for the remaining 10 places in the group stages. Five teams, including Liverpool and Napoli, will be going into the 4th round of qualifiers for the competition. The first round of qualifying for the Champions League starts on June 27, 2017. The final line-up for the group stages will be determined on August 23, 2017, with the draw to take place on August 24, 2017. 16 teams have qualified directly for the 2017-18 UEFA Europa League, including big names such as Arsenal and AC Milan. A total of 141 teams will be in qualifiers, fighting for the remaining 32 places in the group stages. The first round of qualifying starts on June 19, 2017. The final line-up for the group stages will be determined on August 24, 2017.

Football: Who's qualified for Europe next season?

Manchester United face Ajax Amsterdam in the final of the Europa League tonight in Stockholm. Can their record in previous competitions give us an idea of what&#39;s going to happen? Here&#39;s some numbers to help you make sense of where these clubs have been and where they&#39;re headed.

How many European titles have they won?

Interestingly, Manchester United (Man United) has never won the Europa League or its previous incarnation, the UEFA Cup. Ajax Amsterdam did win the UEFA Cup back in 1992.

Ajax has won four Champions League titles (or European Cups as it used to be called before 1991) while Manchester United has won three.

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What is their record against each other? 

For two clubs with such a history in European competition, they have faced each other just four times, all in the Europa League or UEFA Cup. The first two matches were in 1976 as part of two-leg tie in the first round of the UEFA Cup back in 1976. The next two matches were part of a two-leg tie in 2012 as part of the Round of 32 in the Europa League. Man United won both those ties on aggregate.

How do they perform&nbsp;against teams from each other&#39;s countries?

The last time Man United played a Dutch team was in 2016 when they played Feyenoord in the group stage of the Europa League. Man Utd. won that match at home 4-0. The last time Ajax played an English team was five years ago in 2012 when they played Manchester City in Manchester in the group stage of the Champions League. That match was drawn 2-2. They did beat Manchester City that same year though 3-1&nbsp;in Amsterdam.

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How have they fared in Europe over the past five seasons?

It&#39;s been a long time since Ajax have progressed this far in European competition. Otherwise over the past five seasons, they have gone past the Round of 32 just once in 2014/15. Man United hasn&#39;t done much better either, with the Champions League quarterfinals in 2013/14 the furthest they&#39;ve gone in the past five years.

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How have they done domestically over the past five seasons?

Let&#39;s leave Europe aside for a moment and see if their domestic form gives us any pointers on how strong these teams actually are.&nbsp;Neither side has much to crow about though, as it&#39;s been a long time since either club won their domestic title. The last time Man United won the Premier League was in 2013 and they even&nbsp;placed as low as sixth this season in England. Ajax last won the title in 2014 but have not fallen out of the top two since.

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Manchester United face Ajax Amsterdam hoping to win their first European title in nine years. Here are some numbers to give you a perspective on the final

Manchester United face Ajax Amsterdam in the final of the Europa League tonight in Stockholm. Can their record in previous competitions give us an idea of what's going to happen? Here's some numbers to help you make sense of where these clubs have been and where they're headed. How many European titles have they won? Interestingly, Manchester United (Man United) has never won the Europa League or its previous incarnation, the UEFA Cup. Ajax Amsterdam did win the UEFA Cup back in 1992. Ajax has won four Champions League titles (or European Cups as it used to be called before 1991) while Manchester United has won three. What is their record against each other? For two clubs with such a history in European competition, they have faced each other just four times, all in the Europa League or UEFA Cup. The first two matches were in 1976 as part of two-leg tie in the first round of the UEFA Cup back in 1976. The next two matches were part of a two-leg tie in 2012 as part of the Round of 32 in the Europa League. Man United won both those ties on aggregate. How do they perform against teams from each other's countries? The last time Man United played a Dutch team was in 2016 when they played Feyenoord in the group stage of the Europa League. Man Utd. won that match at home 4-0. The last time Ajax played an English team was five years ago in 2012 when they played Manchester City in Manchester in the group stage of the Champions League. That match was drawn 2-2. They did beat Manchester City that same year though 3-1 in Amsterdam. How have they fared in Europe over the past five seasons? It's been a long time since Ajax have progressed this far in European competition. Otherwise over the past five seasons, they have gone past the Round of 32 just once in 2014/15. Man United hasn't done much better either, with the Champions League quarterfinals in 2013/14 the furthest they've gone in the past five years. How have they done domestically over the past five seasons? Let's leave Europe aside for a moment and see if their domestic form gives us any pointers on how strong these teams actually are. Neither side has much to crow about though, as it's been a long time since either club won their domestic title. The last time Man United won the Premier League was in 2013 and they even placed as low as sixth this season in England. Ajax last won the title in 2014 but have not fallen out of the top two since.

Analysis: Can Manchester United win the Europa League tonight?

Manchester United survived a fraught finale, featuring an ugly brawl and a red card for each side, to draw 1-1 at home to Celta Vigo and reach the Europa League final on Thursday.

United, who won 2-1 on aggregate, will face Ajax Amsterdam in Stockholm on May 24 after the Dutch side overcame Olympique Lyonnais 5-4 on aggregate after a 3-1 defeat in Lyon.

United will play in their first Europa League final and their first European showpiece match since losing in the 2011 Champions League. They also never reached the UEFA Cup final.

Leading 1-0 from the first leg of the semi-final in Spain, United thought they had killed off the tie when Marouane Fellaini headed them in front after 17 minutes.

United sat back and allowed Celta to dominate possession but looked comfortable until Facundo Roncaglia headed the visitors level in the 85th minute, meaning another goal for the Spaniards could have put them through on away goals.

Tempers flared shortly afterwards when United&#39;s Ivory Coast defender Eric Bailly lashed out at John Guidetti, who fell to the ground, before Argentina international Roncaglia got involved. Roncaglia and Bailly were sent off.

Guidetti had a chance to win the tie for Celta with the last kick of the game but failed to control the ball six metres from goal.

Best Team

&quot;We were the best team in the first leg but we never kill, we never score goals related to the chances we have. It was an open game at home, all the pressure on our side,&quot; said United coach Jose Mourinho.

&quot;We suffered until the end... After 14 matches we are in the final. If we win the Europa League I am more than happy. It would be amazing.&quot;

Mourinho, who has targeted a Europa League triumph as a way for United to qualify for next season&#39;s Champions League, described Ivorian defender Bailly&#39;s performance as phenomenal.

&quot;The game was emotional for everyone. Some kept control better than others,&quot; he said.

&quot;Facundo Roncaglia is not new in these situations, Bailly was probably naive. We now lose a very important player for the final, and we don&#39;t have many.&quot;

Celta, whose fans made most of the noise, were lively from the start but United went ahead when Fellaini got in front of his marker to head in at the far post after Marcus Rashford drifted out to the left and delivered a perfect cross.

The hosts were then happy to sit back and contain Celta, making the game strangely subdued. The visitors moved the ball around nicely but failed to make the most of their chances.

The game changed dramatically when Roncaglia headed home Theo Bongonda&#39;s cross.

United kept the visitors at bay during six minutes of stoppage time and the Celta players sank to their knees in despair as the whistle blew seconds after Guidetti&#39;s miss.

(Reuters)

United, who won 2-1 on aggregate, will face Ajax Amsterdam in Stockholm on May 24 after the Dutch side overcame Olympique Lyonnais 5-4 on aggregate after a 3-1 defeat in Lyon

Manchester United survived a fraught finale, featuring an ugly brawl and a red card for each side, to draw 1-1 at home to Celta Vigo and reach the Europa League final on Thursday. United, who won 2-1 on aggregate, will face Ajax Amsterdam in Stockholm on May 24 after the Dutch side overcame Olympique Lyonnais 5-4 on aggregate after a 3-1 defeat in Lyon. United will play in their first Europa League final and their first European showpiece match since losing in the 2011 Champions League. They also never reached the UEFA Cup final. Leading 1-0 from the first leg of the semi-final in Spain, United thought they had killed off the tie when Marouane Fellaini headed them in front after 17 minutes. United sat back and allowed Celta to dominate possession but looked comfortable until Facundo Roncaglia headed the visitors level in the 85th minute, meaning another goal for the Spaniards could have put them through on away goals. Tempers flared shortly afterwards when United's Ivory Coast defender Eric Bailly lashed out at John Guidetti, who fell to the ground, before Argentina international Roncaglia got involved. Roncaglia and Bailly were sent off. Guidetti had a chance to win the tie for Celta with the last kick of the game but failed to control the ball six metres from goal. Best Team "We were the best team in the first leg but we never kill, we never score goals related to the chances we have. It was an open game at home, all the pressure on our side," said United coach Jose Mourinho. "We suffered until the end... After 14 matches we are in the final. If we win the Europa League I am more than happy. It would be amazing." Mourinho, who has targeted a Europa League triumph as a way for United to qualify for next season's Champions League, described Ivorian defender Bailly's performance as phenomenal. "The game was emotional for everyone. Some kept control better than others," he said. "Facundo Roncaglia is not new in these situations, Bailly was probably naive. We now lose a very important player for the final, and we don't have many." Celta, whose fans made most of the noise, were lively from the start but United went ahead when Fellaini got in front of his marker to head in at the far post after Marcus Rashford drifted out to the left and delivered a perfect cross. The hosts were then happy to sit back and contain Celta, making the game strangely subdued. The visitors moved the ball around nicely but failed to make the most of their chances. The game changed dramatically when Roncaglia headed home Theo Bongonda's cross. United kept the visitors at bay during six minutes of stoppage time and the Celta players sank to their knees in despair as the whistle blew seconds after Guidetti's miss. (Reuters)

Manchester United vs Celta Vigo ends in 1-1 draw, Mourinho's team enters Europa League final

Marcus Rashford&#39;s stunning free-kick 23 minutes from time put Manchester United on the brink of reaching the Europa League final with a hard-fought 1-0 win at Celta Vigo on Thursday.

Celta goalkeeper Sergio Alvarez kept the Spaniards in the tie before half-time with a string of saves to deny Rashford, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Jese Lingard.

However, he was wrong-footed by Rashford&#39;s free-kick as United took a giant step towards reaching the final in Stockholm on May 24.

The two sides meet again at Old Trafford for the second leg on May 11.

Rashford&#39;s 11th goal of the season was just reward for United&#39;s superiority as they close in on not just the prestige of winning the Europa League for the first time, but also the prize of guaranteed Champions League football next season it would bring.

Celta, by contrast, failed to rise to the challenge of their first ever European semi-final, but they did have the first big chance just 10 minutes in.

Nemanja Radoja&#39;s cross picked out the unmarked Daniel Wass, but the Dane miscued his header horribly wide with just Sergio Romero to beat.

Thereafter, it fell on Alvarez to keep Celta in the game before the break.

His best stop came on 21 minutes when Rashford took aim from just outside the box and his shot was curling into the top corner only for Alvarez&#39;s fingertips to turn the ball behind.

Pione Sisto shot to fame by scoring twice for Midtjylland against United in last season&#39;s Europa League, but couldn&#39;t repeat the trick when his tame effort was easily claimed by Romero.

Paul Pogba was making his return after missing United&#39;s last two outings, and the world&#39;s most expensive player looked a class apart in midfield.

A powerful run from the Frenchman teed up Mkhitaryan for the visitors best chance of the first 45 minutes. However, Alvarez rushed from his line to block from the Armenian.

And Alvarez was called into action again moments later to parry Lingard&#39;s imprecise shot after he had been played in by Rashford&#39;s through ball.

Celta&#39;s top scorer Iago Aspas was anonymous before the break, but started the second-half brightly and saw flicked header float just wide.

Sisto was then denied by a fine save from Romero as the Dane&#39;s deflected shot threatened to loop over the Argentine.

Celta&#39;s greater attacking intent was offering United more space on the counter-attack and Rashford didn&#39;t make the most of one promising opening after skipping past Gustavo Cabral.

However, the 19-year-old showed his class moments later as he won a free-kick on the edge of the area and then picked himself up to curl home a wonderful effort into the far corner.

Aspas had Celta`s best chance to respond but fired wide when Jonny`s cross was fired into him at an awkward height.

Celta have already overcome losing the first leg 1-0 at home on their run to the last four with a 2-0 win at Shakhtar Donetsk in the last 32.

But the Galicians need lightning to strike twice at Old Trafford as United look set for their first European final since 2011.

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Manager of Manchester United, Jos&eacute; Mourinho praised Manchester United&rsquo;s gameplay against Celta Vigo (WION)
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(Reuters)

Marcus Rashford's stunning free-kick 23 minutes from time put Manchester United on the brink of reaching the Europa League final

Marcus Rashford's stunning free-kick 23 minutes from time put Manchester United on the brink of reaching the Europa League final with a hard-fought 1-0 win at Celta Vigo on Thursday. Celta goalkeeper Sergio Alvarez kept the Spaniards in the tie before half-time with a string of saves to deny Rashford, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Jese Lingard. However, he was wrong-footed by Rashford's free-kick as United took a giant step towards reaching the final in Stockholm on May 24. The two sides meet again at Old Trafford for the second leg on May 11. Rashford's 11th goal of the season was just reward for United's superiority as they close in on not just the prestige of winning the Europa League for the first time, but also the prize of guaranteed Champions League football next season it would bring. Celta, by contrast, failed to rise to the challenge of their first ever European semi-final, but they did have the first big chance just 10 minutes in. Nemanja Radoja's cross picked out the unmarked Daniel Wass, but the Dane miscued his header horribly wide with just Sergio Romero to beat. Thereafter, it fell on Alvarez to keep Celta in the game before the break. His best stop came on 21 minutes when Rashford took aim from just outside the box and his shot was curling into the top corner only for Alvarez's fingertips to turn the ball behind. Pione Sisto shot to fame by scoring twice for Midtjylland against United in last season's Europa League, but couldn't repeat the trick when his tame effort was easily claimed by Romero. Paul Pogba was making his return after missing United's last two outings, and the world's most expensive player looked a class apart in midfield. A powerful run from the Frenchman teed up Mkhitaryan for the visitors best chance of the first 45 minutes. However, Alvarez rushed from his line to block from the Armenian. And Alvarez was called into action again moments later to parry Lingard's imprecise shot after he had been played in by Rashford's through ball. Celta's top scorer Iago Aspas was anonymous before the break, but started the second-half brightly and saw flicked header float just wide. Sisto was then denied by a fine save from Romero as the Dane's deflected shot threatened to loop over the Argentine. Celta's greater attacking intent was offering United more space on the counter-attack and Rashford didn't make the most of one promising opening after skipping past Gustavo Cabral. However, the 19-year-old showed his class moments later as he won a free-kick on the edge of the area and then picked himself up to curl home a wonderful effort into the far corner. Aspas had Celta`s best chance to respond but fired wide when Jonny`s cross was fired into him at an awkward height. Celta have already overcome losing the first leg 1-0 at home on their run to the last four with a 2-0 win at Shakhtar Donetsk in the last 32. But the Galicians need lightning to strike twice at Old Trafford as United look set for their first European final since 2011. Manager of Manchester United, José Mourinho praised Manchester United’s gameplay against Celta Vigo (WION) × (Reuters)

Football: Rashford edges Manchester United towards Europa League final

Juan Mata scored the only goal as Manchester United recorded an underwhelming 1-0 victory over FC Rostov on Thursday to reach the Europa League quarter-finals.

Mata struck 20 minutes from the end of a subdued game, completing a 2-1 aggregate win that sent United into the last eight of Europe&#39;s second-tier club competition for the first time since 1985.

But victory came at the cost of an injury to world-record signing Paul Pogba, who left the fray with an apparent hamstring injury early in the second half at an unseasonably cold Old Trafford.

United, who have never previously won the Europa League, will discover their last-eight opponents in Friday&#39;s draw in Nyon.

Jose Mourinho&#39;s men are seeking to add the trophy to the League Cup they won last month and have the added incentive of knowing it will yield a place in next season&#39;s Champions League.

Mourinho kept faith with the back three he had deployed in Monday&#39;s 1-0 FA Cup defeat at Chelsea, but whereas it was a defensive tactic at Stamford Bridge, there was very little defending to do against Rostov.

Decried for a below-par display at Chelsea, Pogba was able to spray diagonal passes around to his heart&#39;s content, such was the Russian side&#39;s stubborn determination to defend the edge of their own box.

Marcos Rojo had an early header swatted away by visiting goalkeeper Nikita Medvedev, with Zlatan Ibrahimovic putting the rebound against the post from a tight angle.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan ran through and chipped wide from Mata&#39;s pass and might have won a penalty in the 27th minute following a push by Medvedev, but Lithuanian referee Gediminas Mazeika said no.

Ibrahimovic also saw a shot deflected over by Medvedev and later left the right-hand post quaking with a thunderous shot, while Pogba&#39;s left-foot curler drew a full-length save from Medvedev.

Pogba departed in the 47th minute, Marouane Fellaini taking his place, and Rostov briefly threatened to take the upper hand, Sergio Romero saving from Sardar Azmoun and Christian Noboa.

United also lost Daley Blind after he took a bang to the head, which resulted in the curious sight of Phil Jones coming on as a jobbing left wing-back.

The hosts finally made the breakthrough in the 70th minute after Mata intercepted a loose pass in midfield and spread the ball wide to Mkhitaryan on the United right.

The Armenian&#39;s low cross was back-heeled towards goal by Ibrahimovic and Mata charged in at the back post to slam home from close range.

Aleksandr Bukharov, Rostov&#39;s scorer in the first leg, threatened to peg United back in the 79th minute, but Romero was equal to both his glancing header and Noboa&#39;s dangerous stoppage-time free-kick. 
 
(AFP)

 
&nbsp;

Juan Mata scored the only goal as Manchester United recorded an underwhelming 1-0 victory over FC Rostov

Juan Mata scored the only goal as Manchester United recorded an underwhelming 1-0 victory over FC Rostov on Thursday to reach the Europa League quarter-finals. Mata struck 20 minutes from the end of a subdued game, completing a 2-1 aggregate win that sent United into the last eight of Europe's second-tier club competition for the first time since 1985. But victory came at the cost of an injury to world-record signing Paul Pogba, who left the fray with an apparent hamstring injury early in the second half at an unseasonably cold Old Trafford. United, who have never previously won the Europa League, will discover their last-eight opponents in Friday's draw in Nyon. Jose Mourinho's men are seeking to add the trophy to the League Cup they won last month and have the added incentive of knowing it will yield a place in next season's Champions League. Mourinho kept faith with the back three he had deployed in Monday's 1-0 FA Cup defeat at Chelsea, but whereas it was a defensive tactic at Stamford Bridge, there was very little defending to do against Rostov. Decried for a below-par display at Chelsea, Pogba was able to spray diagonal passes around to his heart's content, such was the Russian side's stubborn determination to defend the edge of their own box. Marcos Rojo had an early header swatted away by visiting goalkeeper Nikita Medvedev, with Zlatan Ibrahimovic putting the rebound against the post from a tight angle. Henrikh Mkhitaryan ran through and chipped wide from Mata's pass and might have won a penalty in the 27th minute following a push by Medvedev, but Lithuanian referee Gediminas Mazeika said no. Ibrahimovic also saw a shot deflected over by Medvedev and later left the right-hand post quaking with a thunderous shot, while Pogba's left-foot curler drew a full-length save from Medvedev. Pogba departed in the 47th minute, Marouane Fellaini taking his place, and Rostov briefly threatened to take the upper hand, Sergio Romero saving from Sardar Azmoun and Christian Noboa. United also lost Daley Blind after he took a bang to the head, which resulted in the curious sight of Phil Jones coming on as a jobbing left wing-back. The hosts finally made the breakthrough in the 70th minute after Mata intercepted a loose pass in midfield and spread the ball wide to Mkhitaryan on the United right. The Armenian's low cross was back-heeled towards goal by Ibrahimovic and Mata charged in at the back post to slam home from close range. Aleksandr Bukharov, Rostov's scorer in the first leg, threatened to peg United back in the 79th minute, but Romero was equal to both his glancing header and Noboa's dangerous stoppage-time free-kick. (AFP)

Manchester United beat FC Rostov to reach Europa League quarter-finals

Schalke 04 hit back from two goals down to draw 2-2 and overcome fellow Germans Borussia Moenchenglach on away goals in their Europa League last 16 tie while Manchester United edged Rostov 1-0 to progress on Thursday.

Juan Mata&#39;s second-half goal gave the English Premier League&#39;s only survivors in the competition a 2-1 aggregate win over the Russians.

Olympique Lyon clung on to eliminate AS Roma 5-4 on aggregate despite a 2-1 defeat, while former European trophy winners Ajax Amsterdam and Anderlecht also went through along with Racing Genk.

Russia&#39;s interest in this season&#39;s European competitions ended as Krasnodar threw away a promising position at home to Celta and lost 2-0 for a 4-1 aggregate defeat.

Besiktas hammered Olympiakos Piraeus 4-1 (5-2 on aggregate) despite having Vincent Aboubakar, scorer of their first goal, sent off six minutes before halftime.

Schalke, trailing at halftime to a deflected shot from Andreas Christensen and a 30-metre rocket from Mahmoud Dahoud, were helped by a bumpy pitch as they hit back against Gladbach.

Leon Goretzka&#39;s low shot appeared to be going straight to Gladbach goalkeeper Yann Sommer but hit a divot and looped over the Swiss and into the net in the 54th minute. &quot;It&#39;s tough, I can&#39;t say anything other than that,&quot; said Sommer.

Dahoub then turned villain as his handball led to a Schalke penalty converted by Nabil Bentaleb in the 68th to give the Royal Blues an away goals win after a 3-3 aggregate draw.

Mata Strikes

Manchester United, who held Rostov 1-1 on a difficult pitch in the first leg, needed a 70th minute goal from Juan Mata, who turned the ball home from Zlatan Ibrahimovic&#39;s back-heel, and two good saves from Sergio Romero.

However, midfielder Paul Pogba was forced off with an injury in the second half, putting a dampener on the win.

Lyon took a 4-2 lead to the Stadio Olimpico and quickly added to it when Mactour Diakhaby was allowed a free header from six metres in the 16th minute against Roma.

Kevin Strootman levelled within a minute, turning in Daniele De Rossi&#39;s free kick at the back post, and it was one-way traffic after that as the home side poured forward.

Lyon&#39;s Lucas Tousart turned Stephan El Shaarawy&#39;s cross into his own net to put Roma 2-1 ahead on the hour and the hosts thought they had done enough to progress with an Edin Dzeko effort but the Bosnia forward was ruled offside.

First-half goals from Bertrand Traore and Kasper Dolberg gave Ajax a 2-0 win over FC Copenhagen which took the four-times European champions through 3-2 on aggregate.

Frank Acheampong&#39;s second half goal was enough for former European Cup Winners&#39; Cup and UEFA Cup holders Anderlecht to beat APOEL 1-0 and go through2-0 on aggregate.

Racing Genk coasted through 6-3 on aggregate against fellow Belgians Gent after a 1-1 draw.

Besiktas, who drew 1-1 at Olympiakos last week, got off to a flying start as Aboubakar and Ryan Babel scored inside the first 22 minutes.

The Greek side pulled one back with Tarik Elyounoussi&#39;s acrobatic volley in the 31st and were given more hope when Aboubakar was dismissed for violent conduct eight minutes later.

But Olympiakos left themselves too open and further late goals from Babel and Cenk Tosun saw the Turks ease through.

The draw for the quarter-finals will be held on Friday.

(Reuters)

&nbsp;

Manchester United went through after beating Rostov 1-0

Schalke 04 hit back from two goals down to draw 2-2 and overcome fellow Germans Borussia Moenchenglach on away goals in their Europa League last 16 tie while Manchester United edged Rostov 1-0 to progress on Thursday. Juan Mata's second-half goal gave the English Premier League's only survivors in the competition a 2-1 aggregate win over the Russians. Olympique Lyon clung on to eliminate AS Roma 5-4 on aggregate despite a 2-1 defeat, while former European trophy winners Ajax Amsterdam and Anderlecht also went through along with Racing Genk. Russia's interest in this season's European competitions ended as Krasnodar threw away a promising position at home to Celta and lost 2-0 for a 4-1 aggregate defeat. Besiktas hammered Olympiakos Piraeus 4-1 (5-2 on aggregate) despite having Vincent Aboubakar, scorer of their first goal, sent off six minutes before halftime. Schalke, trailing at halftime to a deflected shot from Andreas Christensen and a 30-metre rocket from Mahmoud Dahoud, were helped by a bumpy pitch as they hit back against Gladbach. Leon Goretzka's low shot appeared to be going straight to Gladbach goalkeeper Yann Sommer but hit a divot and looped over the Swiss and into the net in the 54th minute. "It's tough, I can't say anything other than that," said Sommer. Dahoub then turned villain as his handball led to a Schalke penalty converted by Nabil Bentaleb in the 68th to give the Royal Blues an away goals win after a 3-3 aggregate draw. Mata Strikes Manchester United, who held Rostov 1-1 on a difficult pitch in the first leg, needed a 70th minute goal from Juan Mata, who turned the ball home from Zlatan Ibrahimovic's back-heel, and two good saves from Sergio Romero. However, midfielder Paul Pogba was forced off with an injury in the second half, putting a dampener on the win. Lyon took a 4-2 lead to the Stadio Olimpico and quickly added to it when Mactour Diakhaby was allowed a free header from six metres in the 16th minute against Roma. Kevin Strootman levelled within a minute, turning in Daniele De Rossi's free kick at the back post, and it was one-way traffic after that as the home side poured forward. Lyon's Lucas Tousart turned Stephan El Shaarawy's cross into his own net to put Roma 2-1 ahead on the hour and the hosts thought they had done enough to progress with an Edin Dzeko effort but the Bosnia forward was ruled offside. First-half goals from Bertrand Traore and Kasper Dolberg gave Ajax a 2-0 win over FC Copenhagen which took the four-times European champions through 3-2 on aggregate. Frank Acheampong's second half goal was enough for former European Cup Winners' Cup and UEFA Cup holders Anderlecht to beat APOEL 1-0 and go through2-0 on aggregate. Racing Genk coasted through 6-3 on aggregate against fellow Belgians Gent after a 1-1 draw. Besiktas, who drew 1-1 at Olympiakos last week, got off to a flying start as Aboubakar and Ryan Babel scored inside the first 22 minutes. The Greek side pulled one back with Tarik Elyounoussi's acrobatic volley in the 31st and were given more hope when Aboubakar was dismissed for violent conduct eight minutes later. But Olympiakos left themselves too open and further late goals from Babel and Cenk Tosun saw the Turks ease through. The draw for the quarter-finals will be held on Friday. (Reuters)

Football: Schalke, Lyon and Ajax also advance to Europa League last eight

Under-pressure Frank de Boer saw his Inter Milan side hold on with 10 men to beat Premier League outfit Southampton 1-0 in their Europa League clash at San Siro on Thursday.

Antonio Candreva got the only goal of the game midway through the second half for the Serie A club, who were forced to play out the final 13 minutes a man down after Marcelo Brozovic was sent off.

It was a cruel result for Southampton, who had been the better side and saw Jay Rodriguez have a goal disallowed early in the second half.

The result sees Saints remain on four points in Group K, two points behind Sparta Prague, who beat Hapoel Beer-Sheva 1-0 in Israel.

For Inter, it was a first three points in the competition and the win against a team in good form in the Premier League should buy Dutch coach De Boer some time as the Nerazzurri struggle for results.

Captain Mauro Icardi, forced to issue an apology to fans in midweek and promise to reprint his autobiography after including an allegedly distorted description of a 2015 altercation with the club&#39;s hardline &#39;ultra&#39; supporters, started for the hosts.

Southampton boss Claude Puel made a host of changes to the team that beat Burnley at the weekend, including giving a first start at left-back to the young Sam McQueen.

It had the air of an historic evening for the English side, who were in the third tier when Inter won the Champions League in 2010.

An army of seven thousand travelling fans from England helped generate an atmosphere at a largely empty San Siro, but the Saints supporters were left frustrated by their team&#39;s inability to translate their dominance into goals.

Yuto Nagatomo had to clear off the line to prevent goalkeeper Samir Handanovic deflecting a McQueen cross into his own net just before the half-hour, and James Ward-Prowse fired narrowly over after being set up by the impressive Cuco Martina.

Rodriguez, sliding in at the back post, was then just unable to get a touch after Shane Long had flicked on a Martina cross, while all Inter offered in the first half was an Eder strike that flashed narrowly past.

The visitors replaced the injured Long with Charlie Austin just after half-time before Rodriguez had the ball in the net in the 51st minute.

After he had been prevented from getting a shot away by a great Joao Miranda tackle, he headed in from the subsequent corner but the Lithuanian referee&#39;s whistle had already blown for an apparent foul by the striker.

Inter went on to take the lead on 67 minutes as Davide Santon delivered a low ball from the left and Candreva came across Virgil van Dijk to finish emphatically into the roof of the net past Fraser Forster.

Croatian midfielder Brozovic was dismissed for a second yellow for catching Pierre Hojbjerg, and Southampton laid siege to the home goal in the closing stages.

However, skipper Van Dijk was denied by Handanovic at point-blank range and then saw a header cleared off the line.

Handanovic produced a great save from Austin before Ward-Prowse volleyed just past in the 95th minute.

Saints will hope to gain revenge when the teams met again at St Mary&#39;s in two weeks. 
 
(AFP)

An army of seven thousand travelling fans from England helped generate an atmosphere at a largely empty San Siro

Under-pressure Frank de Boer saw his Inter Milan side hold on with 10 men to beat Premier League outfit Southampton 1-0 in their Europa League clash at San Siro on Thursday. Antonio Candreva got the only goal of the game midway through the second half for the Serie A club, who were forced to play out the final 13 minutes a man down after Marcelo Brozovic was sent off. It was a cruel result for Southampton, who had been the better side and saw Jay Rodriguez have a goal disallowed early in the second half. The result sees Saints remain on four points in Group K, two points behind Sparta Prague, who beat Hapoel Beer-Sheva 1-0 in Israel. For Inter, it was a first three points in the competition and the win against a team in good form in the Premier League should buy Dutch coach De Boer some time as the Nerazzurri struggle for results. Captain Mauro Icardi, forced to issue an apology to fans in midweek and promise to reprint his autobiography after including an allegedly distorted description of a 2015 altercation with the club's hardline 'ultra' supporters, started for the hosts. Southampton boss Claude Puel made a host of changes to the team that beat Burnley at the weekend, including giving a first start at left-back to the young Sam McQueen. It had the air of an historic evening for the English side, who were in the third tier when Inter won the Champions League in 2010. An army of seven thousand travelling fans from England helped generate an atmosphere at a largely empty San Siro, but the Saints supporters were left frustrated by their team's inability to translate their dominance into goals. Yuto Nagatomo had to clear off the line to prevent goalkeeper Samir Handanovic deflecting a McQueen cross into his own net just before the half-hour, and James Ward-Prowse fired narrowly over after being set up by the impressive Cuco Martina. Rodriguez, sliding in at the back post, was then just unable to get a touch after Shane Long had flicked on a Martina cross, while all Inter offered in the first half was an Eder strike that flashed narrowly past. The visitors replaced the injured Long with Charlie Austin just after half-time before Rodriguez had the ball in the net in the 51st minute. After he had been prevented from getting a shot away by a great Joao Miranda tackle, he headed in from the subsequent corner but the Lithuanian referee's whistle had already blown for an apparent foul by the striker. Inter went on to take the lead on 67 minutes as Davide Santon delivered a low ball from the left and Candreva came across Virgil van Dijk to finish emphatically into the roof of the net past Fraser Forster. Croatian midfielder Brozovic was dismissed for a second yellow for catching Pierre Hojbjerg, and Southampton laid siege to the home goal in the closing stages. However, skipper Van Dijk was denied by Handanovic at point-blank range and then saw a header cleared off the line. Handanovic produced a great save from Austin before Ward-Prowse volleyed just past in the 95th minute. Saints will hope to gain revenge when the teams met again at St Mary's in two weeks. (AFP)

Europa League: Inter Milan 1-0 Southampton

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