Football

Europa League wrap: Ajax and Roma win big as Man Utd suffer late setback

Tottenham Hotspur’s English striker Harry Kane (R) celebrates scoring his team’s second goal during the English Premier League football match between Sheffield United and Tottenham Hotspur at Bramall Lane in Sheffield, northern England on January 17, 2021. (Photo by Stu Forster / POOL / AFP)


Ajax Amsterdam and AS Roma recorded emphatic first leg round of 16 victories in the UEFA Europa League on Thursday as Manchester United conceded a potentially damaging late goal at Old Trafford.

United had to withstand an early onslaught as Rafael Leao and Franck Kessie had goals chalked off for varying offences before youngster, Ahmad Diallo netted his first official goal for United with an intelligent backward header off a brilliant pass from Bruno Fernandes.

Simon Kjær however netted late on for Milan with a stunning header off an excellently delivered corner by Rade Krunic
Milan will now head into the second leg at San Siro as slight favourites.  AS Roma turned on the style at the Stadio Olimpico to thrash Shakhtar Donetsk 3-0 with Lorenzo Pellegrini, Stephan El-Shaarawy and Gianluca Mancini the goalscorers for the eternal city club.

Ajax Amsterdam won emphatically, 3-0 against Swiss club, Young Boys to take a commanding lead in the tie. Davy Klaassen, Dusan Tadic and Brian Brobbey netted for the Dutch side at the Johan Cruijff Arena.

Tottenham Hotspur won 2-0 against Dinamo Zagreb with Harry Kane netting a brace at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
Arsenal netted three away goals against Olympiacos in Greece in a 3-1 victory at the Karaiskaki Stadium.
Martin Ødegaard, Gabriel and Mohammed El-Neny scored for the Gunners in the decisive victory. 
Pau Torres and Raul Albiol scored as Villarreal won 2-0 at Dynamo Kyiv while Jorge Molina and Roberto Soldado claimed the goals as Granada overpowered Molde at Estadio Nuevo Los Carmenes.
Glasgow Rangers claimed a priceless 1-1 draw with Slavia Prague at the Sinobo Stadium.
Nicolas Stanciu opened the scoring for the hosts in the seventh minute but they were pegged back by a Filip Helanda effort nine minutes before half time.

Results 
Ajax 3-0 Young BoysDynamo Kyiv 0-2 VillarrealManchester United 1-1 AC MilanSlavia Prague 1-1 RangersGranada 2-0 MoldeOlympiacos 1-3 ArsenalRoma 3-0 Shakhtar DonetskTottenham Hotspur 2-0 Dinamo Zagreb

Sammy Wejinya

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