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UEFA Europa League 2020/21 Season | Discussion Thread

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MenInG

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The draw took place on Monday 31 August at the House of European Football in Nyon. It was streamed live on UEFA.com.

Second qualifying round ties: 17 September
Champions Path
Inter Escaldes (AND) vs Dundalk (IRL)
KuPS (FIN) vs Slovan Bratislava (SVK)
Linfield (NIR) vs Floriana (MLT)
Riga (LVA) vs Tre Fiori (SMR)
Djurgården (SWE) vs Europa (GIB)
Flora Tallinn (EST) vs KR Reykjavík (ISL)
Sileks (MKD) vs Drita (KOS)
Astana (KAZ) vs Budućnost Podgorica (MNE)
Ararat-Armenia (ARM) vs Fola Esch (LUX)
Connah's Quay Nomads (WAL) vs Dinamo Tbilisi (GEO)

Main Path
Hammarby (SWE) vs Lech (POL)
Kaysar Kyzylorda (KAZ) vs APOEL (CYP)
Nõmme Kalju (EST) or Mura (SVN) vs AGF Aarhus (DEN)
Maccabi Haifa (ISR) or Željezničar (BIH) vs Kairat Almaty (KAZ)
Locomotive Tbilisi (GEO) vs Dynamo Moskva (RUS)
Neftçi (AZE) vs Galatasaray (TUR)
B36 Tórshavn (FRO) vs TNS (WAL)
Coleraine (NIR) vs Motherwell (SCO)
IFK Göteborg (SWE) vs Copenhagen (DEN)
Bačka Topola (SRB) vs FCSB (ROU)
Teuta (ALB) vs Granada (ESP)
OFI Crete (GRE) vs Apollon Limassol (CYP)
Progrès (LUX) vs Willem II (NED)
Viking (NOR) vs Aberdeen (SCO)
Bala (WAL) vs Standard Liège (BEL)
Sfintul Gheorghe Suruceni (MDA) vs Partizan (SRB)
CSKA-Sofia (BUL) vs BATE Borisov (BLR)
Botoşani (ROU) vs Shkëndija (MKD)
Lokomotiv Plovdiv (BUL) vs Tottenham (ENG)
Laç (ALB) vs Hapoel Beer-Sheva (ISR)
Aris (GRE) vs Kolos Kovalivka (UKR)
Budapest Honvéd (HUN) vs Malmö (SWE)
Ventspils (LVA) vs Rosenborg (NOR)
Riteriai (LTU) vs Slovan Liberec (CZE)
Lincoln Red Imps (GIB) vs Rangers (SCO)
Servette (SUI) vs Reims (FRA)
Borac Banja Luka (BIH) vs Rio Ave (POR)
Renova (MKD) vs Hajduk Split (CRO)
Olimpija Ljubljana (SVN) vs Zrinjski (BIH)
Kukës (ALB) vs Wolfsburg (GER)
Dunajská Streda (SVK) vs Jablonec (CZE)
Piast Gliwice (POL) vs Hartberg (AUT)
Osijek (CRO) vs Basel (SUI)
Shamrock Rovers (IRL) vs AC Milan (ITA)
Hibernians (MLT) vs Fehérvár (HUN)
Bodø/Glimt (NOR) vs Žalgiris Vilnius (LTU)

• This season all qualifying ties will be single-leg matches behind closed doors, with extra time and a penalty shoot-out if required. Winners advance to the UEFA Europa League third qualifying round.

Seedings
Ahead of the draw, the teams in each draw were divided between seeded and unseeded clubs in accordance with the club coefficient rankings.

Champions Path
Group 1

Seeded
Linfield (NIR)
KuPS (FIN)
Floriana (MLT)
Dundalk (IRL)
Slovan Bratislava (SVK)

Unseeded
Inter Escaldes (AND)

Group 2

Seeded
Djurgården (SWE)
Europa (GIB)
KR Reykjavík (ISL)
Flora Tallinn (EST)
Riga (LVA)

Unseeded
Tre Fiori (SMR)

Group 3

Seeded
Ararat-Armenia (ARM)
Connah's Quay Nomads (WAL)
Fola Esch (LUX)
Sileks (MKD)
Budućnost Podgorica (MNE)
Dinamo Tbilisi (GEO)
Astana (KAZ)

Unseeded
Drita (KOS)

Main Path
Group 1

Seeded
1 APOEL (CYP)
2 AGF Aarhus (DEN)
3 Lech (POL)

Unseeded
4 Nõmme Kalju (EST) or Mura (SVN)
5 Kaysar Kyzylorda (KAZ)
6 Hammarby (SWE)

Group 2

Seeded
1 Dynamo Moskva (RUS)
2 Galatasaray (TUR)
3 Kairat Almaty (KAZ)

Unseeded
4 Neftçi (AZE)
5 Locomotive Tbilisi (GEO)
6 Maccabi Haifa (ISR) or Željezničar (BIH)

Group 3

Seeded
1 Motherwell (SCO)
2 Copenhagen (DEN)
3 TNS (WAL)

Unseeded
4 IFK Göteborg (SWE)
5 Coleraine (NIR)
6 B36 Tórshavn (FRO)

Group 4

Seeded
1 Granada (ESP)
2 Apollon Limassol (CYP)
3 FCSB (ROU)

Unseeded
4 OFI Crete (GRE)
5 Teuta (ALB)
6 Bačka Topola (SRB)

Group 5

Seeded
1 Aberdeen (SCO)
2 Standard Liège (BEL)
3 Willem II (NED)

Unseeded
4 Bala (WAL)
5 Viking (NOR)
6 Progrès (LUX)

Group 6

Seeded
1 BATE Borisov (BLR)
2 Shkëndija (MKD)
3 Partizan (SRB)

Unseeded
4 Botoşani (ROU)
5 CSKA-Sofia (BUL)
6 Sfintul Gheorghe Suruceni (MDA)

Group 7

Seeded
1 Hapoel Beer-Sheva (ISR)
2 Kolos Kovalivka (UKR)
3 Tottenham (ENG)

Unseeded
4 Aris (GRE)
5 Laç (ALB)
6 Lokomotiv Plovdiv (BUL)

Group 8

Seeded
1 Rosenborg (NOR)
2 Slovan Liberec (CZE)
3 Malmö (SWE)

Unseeded
4 Riteriai (LTU)
5 Ventspils (LVA)
6 Budapest Honvéd (HUN)

Group 9

Seeded
1 Reims (FRA)
2 Rio Ave (POR)
3 Rangers (SCO)

Unseeded
4 Borac Banja Luka (BIH)
5 Servette (SUI)
6 Lincoln Red Imps (GIB)

Group 10

Seeded
1 Zrinjski (BIH)
2 Wolfsburg (GER)
3 Hajduk Split (CRO)

Unseeded
4 Kukës (ALB)
5 Olimpija Ljubljana (SVN)
6 Renova (MKD)

Group 11

Seeded
1 Hartberg (AUT)
2 Basel (SUI)
3 Jablonec (CZE)

Unseeded
4 Osijek (CRO)
5 Piast Gliwice (POL)
6 Dunajská Streda (SVK)

Group 12

Seeded
1 Fehérvár (HUN)
2 Žalgiris Vilnius (LTU)
3 AC Milan (ITA)

Unseeded
4 Bodø/Glimt (NOR)
5 Hibernians (MLT)
6 Shamrock Rovers (IRL)

How the draw worked
The UEFA administration formed groups for the draws to avoid clubs without an approved stadium being drawn against each other, in accordance with the principles set by the Club Competitions Committee. Sides from the same association could not be drawn against each other.

Champions Path draw
For each group the balls containing the names of the seeded teams were placed in one bowl and the ball containing the name of the unseeded team was put into another bowl. One ball was taken from each bowl and placed in a large empty bowl in the middle, where they were shuffled. The first team drawn will play the tie at home. As the unseeded team had already been paired, the draw then became open and seeding no longer applied.

League Path draw
The balls containing the names of the seeded teams were placed in one bowl and the balls containing the names of the unseeded teams were put into another bowl. One ball was taken from each bowl and placed in a large empty bowl in the middle, where they were shuffled. The first team drawn will play the tie at home.

https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/draws/2021/2001237/
 
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Europa League draw: Tottenham to face Lokomotiv Plovdiv

Tottenham will travel to Bulgarian side Lokomotiv Plovdiv in the second round of Europa League qualifying.

All qualifying ties are being played as single-leg encounters behind closed doors on 17 September.

Meanwhile, Motherwell visit Northern Ireland side Coleraine, while Rangers will travel to Gibraltar to play against Lincoln Red Imps.

Aberdeen are away to Viking of Norway, while Republic of Ireland side Shamrock Rovers host Italian giants AC Milan.

Welsh side Bala Town have been drawn at home to 10-time Belgian champions Standard Liege.

The one-off ties will go to extra time and a penalty shootout if required.

Following their early exit from Champions League qualifying, Celtic will enter the Europa League in the third qualifying round.

After the play-off round, FA Cup winners Arsenal and fifth-placed Premier League side Leicester City will enter at the group stage.

Second qualifying round ties involving British & Irish sides:

Inter Escaldes v DUNDALK

LINFIELD v Floriana

CONNAH'S QUAY NOMADS v Dinamo Tbilisi

B36 Torshavn v THE NEW SAINTS

COLERAINE v MOTHERWELL

Viking v ABERDEEN

BALA TOWN v Standard Liege

Lokomotiv Plovdiv v TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR

Lincoln Red Imps v RANGERS

SHAMROCK ROVERS v AC Milan

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/53970926
 
UEFA Europa League 2020-21 Season | Discussion Thread

Qualifiers are ongoing at the moment:

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Ibrahimovic inspires AC Milan to win at Shamrock Rovers

Goals from Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Hakan Calhanoglu saw AC Milan beat League of Ireland side Shamrock Rovers in their Europa League qualifier in Dublin.

Ibrahimovic clinically fired home from the edge of the box on 23 minutes after playing a one-two with Calhanoglu.

The Swede hit the bar, before playing his part in a precise passing move which set up Turkey forward Calhanoglu, who scored with a tidy finish on 67.

Rovers' Aaron Greene forced three good saves from Gianluigi Donnarumma.

The Milan goalkeeper twice denied Greene in the first half and made another fine stop after the interval at a Tallaght Stadium devoid of spectators in line with Uefa guidelines.

Ibrahimovic's first-half strike was perfectly placed as he took one touch and slammed the ball right-footed past Alan Mannus at his near post.

The 38-year-old striker almost grabbed his second when a looping shot over his head cannoned off the woodwork and then Davide Calabria's inswinging shot forced a smart save from Mannus.

Aaron McEneff cleared off the line from Theo Hernandez while Ronan Finn saw his header saved by Donnarumma at the end of the first half.

Read more:

Milan aiming to emulate past glories

The victory will provide a boost for the Serie A side in their first competitive fixture of their new Covid-19 delayed season.

The 18-times Italian champions are aiming to rebuild their reputation as one of Europe's major forces in club competition after being unable to challenge for the top honours in recent years.

Milan missed out on playing in Europe last season as they were handed a one-year ban from European football for breaching Uefa's Financial Fair Play rules.

The seven-time European Cup winners finished sixth in Serie A last season and manager Stefano Pioli has been tasked with plotting the club's way back to the highest echelons of European football.

His team will face Bodo Glimt of Norway in the third qualifying round of the Europa League next week and must then also negotiate the play-off round if they are to progress to the group stage of the competition.

Shamrock Rovers were the first League of Ireland club to make the group stages in 2011 but their defeat at the hands of the Italian giants leaves them to concentrate on the Irish Premier Division, which they currently head by eight points from Bohemians.

The Dublin side exited the Europa League at the same stage of the competition last season - losing 4-3 after extra-time on aggregate over two legs to Cypriot outfit Apollon.
https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/54177394
 
<a href="https://freeimage.host/i/2GQGDl"><img src="https://iili.io/2GQGDl.md.jpg" alt="2GQGDl.md.jpg" border="0"></a>
 
The Europa League draw is on Friday (12:00 BST), after the final qualifiers were played on Thursday night.
 
FA Cup winners Arsenal will face League of Ireland side Dundalk, Rapid Vienna and Molde in Group B of the 2020-21 Europa League.

Tottenham have been drawn alongside Bulgarian champions Ludogorets, LASK and Royal Antwerp in Group J.

Leicester City will face Braga, AEK Athens and Ukrainian side Zorya Luhansk in Group G.

Scottish champions Celtic face a tough task in Group H as they take on AC Milan, Lille and Sparta Prague.

Rangers are in Group D alongside Benfica, Standard Liege and Lech Poznan.

The first three group matches will take place on successive Thursdays from 22 October.

Arsenal qualified for the group stage after beating Chelsea to win their record 14th FA Cup in August.

Dundalk beat Faroe Islands club KI Klaksvik on Thursday to secure their spot, while Austrian side Rapid Vienna were eliminated from the Champions League third qualifying round.

Tottenham beat Maccabi Haifa in the play-off round, while Leicester were beaten to a top-four place on final day of the 2019-20 Premier League season to end up in the Europa League.

Celtic beat Bosnian side FK Sarajevo on Thursday to qualify and Rangers progressed against Turkish giants Galatasaray.

Draw in full
Group A: Roma, Young Boys, Cluj, CSKA Sofia

Group B: Arsenal, Rapid Vienna, Molde, Dundalk

Group C: Bayer Leverkusen, Slavia Prague, Hapoel Beer-Sheva, Nice

Group D: Benfica, Standard Liege, Rangers, Lech Poznan

Group E: PSV Eindhoven, PAOK, Granada, Omonoia

Group F: Napoli, Real Sociedad, AZ Alkmaar, Rijeka

Group G: Braga, Leicester, AEK Athens, Zorya Luhansk

Group H: Celtic, Sparta Prague, AC Milan, Lille

Group I: Villarreal, Qarabag, Maccabi Tel-Aviv, Sivasspor

Group J: Tottenham, Ludogorets, LASK, Royal Antwerp

Group K: CSKA Moscow, Dinamo Zagreb, Feyenoord, Wolfsberger

Group L: Gent, Red Star, Hoffenheim, Slovan Liberec

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/54387111
 
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<a href="https://ibb.co/SfN88qP"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/WVnwwS6/2020-10-29-3.jpg" alt="2020-10-29-3" border="0"></a><br /><a target='_blank' href='https://poetandpoem.com/critical-analysis-of-the-unknown-citizen'></a><br />
 
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Real Madrid duo Eden Hazard and Casemiro have both tested positive for coronavirus and will now undergo a period of self-isolation.

The 29-year-old Belgium forward and the 28-year-old Brazil midfielder will now miss Sunday's trip to Valencia.

In a statement, Real said that they were the only positive results after testing on Friday.

Real's Brazil defender Eder Militao is also ruled out after testing positive earlier this week.

Hazard had been named in the Belgium squad for their upcoming internationals, including against England on 15 November, despite limping off after 65 minutes during Real's 3-2 victory against Inter Milan in the Champions League on Tuesday.
 
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Manchester United will be "one of the top favourites" for the Europa League, says Tottenham manager Jose Mourinho.

United dropped into the competition after Tuesday's 3-2 Champions League loss at German side RB Leipzig meant they finished third in Group H.

United won the Europa League in 2017 under Mourinho, who has guided Spurs to this season's last 32.

"The teams that drop down are always strong teams, teams that normally don't belong to that level," he said.

"Manchester United are one of the top teams. The group was very hard - Paris St-Germain, Manchester and Leipzig, very hard.

"We all knew it was not going to be easy for any one of them and we all knew from that group a top team would drop into the Europa League."

The Portuguese took charge of Manchester United in 2016 and, as well as success in Europe, he also guided the Old Trafford club to victory in the Carabao Cup the same year.

But he was sacked in December 2018 after a string of poor results, before taking over at Tottenham the following November.

Mourinho has taken the north London side to the top of the Premier League and victory in Thursday's final Europa League group match at home to Royal Antwerp will guarantee first place.

"When you have eight new teams in the competition, and eight teams that belong to another level and they drop to the Europa League, of course the level of the competition is going to improve," added Mourinho.

"The quality improves, the intensity improves and it's a good thing for the competition.

"But from the sports point of view, I think it's not fair that a team that doesn't succeed in one competition drops to another."
 
Europa League early results:

Dundalk 2-4 Arsenal
Lech Poznan 0-2 Rangers
 
UEL Round of 32 Draw

Manchester United will face David Silva's La Liga leaders Real Sociedad in the last 32 of the Europa League, while Arsenal face Portuguese giants Benfica and Premier League leaders Tottenham face Austrian side Wolfsberger.

Draw in full:

amir1.jpg
 
The first leg of Manchester United's Europa League last-32 tie with Real Sociedad has been moved from Spain to Juventus Stadium in Italy in order to satisfy the Spanish government's coronavirus rules.
 
Dele Alli scored a superb overhead kick as Tottenham cruised into the Europa League last 16 with an 8-1 aggregate win over Austrian side Wolfsberger.

Spurs were already in control of the tie following a 4-1 first-leg victory and quickly asserted their authority at home with Alli's spectacular effort.

It was in keeping with an impressive performance by Alli, who was at his creative best to also lay on two goals.

Carlos Vinicius scored twice, either side of a Gareth Bale effort.
 
FULL-TIME - Arsenal 3-2 Benfica (4-3 on aggregate)

Arsenal have done it the hard way, but Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's headed goal in the 87th minute takes them through. Just.
 
Arsenal 3-2 Benfica (Agg 4 - 3)
Rangers 5-2 Antwerp (Agg 9 - 5)
AC Milan 1-1 C Zvezda (Agg 3 - 3) AC Milan win on away goals Leverkuse 0-2 Young Boy (Agg 3 - 6)
Club Brug 0-1 Dynamo Ki (Agg 1 - 2)
Din Zagre 1-0 Krasnodar (Agg 4 - 2)
Leicester 0-2 Slavia Pr (Agg 0 - 2)
Man Utd 0-0 Sociedad (Agg 4 - 0)
PSV 2-1 Olympiako (Agg 4 - 5)
Roma 3-1 Braga (Agg 5 - 1)
Shakhtar Donetsk 1 Maccabi Tel-Aviv 0 (Agg 3-0)
Hoffenheim 0 Molde 2 (Agg 3-5)
Villarreal 2 RB Salzburg 1 (Agg 4-1)
Ajax 2 Lille 1 (Agg 4-2)
 
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Europa League last-16 draw in full:


Ajax v Young Boys
Dynamo Kyiv v Villarreal
Roma v Shaktar Donestsk
Olympiakos v Arsenal
Dinamo Zagreb v Tottenham
Manchester United v AC Milan
Slavia Prague v Rangers
Granada v Molde
 
Half-time scores

Ajax 0-0 Young Boys

Man Utd 0-0 AC Milan

Slavia 1-1 Rangers

Dynamo Kyiv 0-1 Villarreal
 
FULL-TIME

Man Utd 1-1 AC Milan

And that's it! A first goal conceded in five matches for Manchester United and it ends all square.

The hosts were so close to seeing it out.
 
British clubs doing well.

AC Milan will most likely knock out Man Utd in the 2nd leg.
 
Europa League quarter-final draw

Granada v Manchester United

Arsenal v Slavia Prague

Ajax v Roma

Dinamo Zagreb v Villarreal
 
amir1.jpg

An Arsenal vs Manchester United final on the cards
 
Man Utd & Arsenal in Europa League quarter-final action at 20:00

Man Utd v Granada (2-0 agg)

Red Devils in control after scoring two away goals in first leg

Slavia Prague v Arsenal (1-1) agg


Gunners must score to have chance of going through
 
Villarreal v Arsenal (20:00 BST)

This is interesting. It looks like Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has gone all Pep Guardiola on us, not selecting an out-and-out striker. It looks like Nicolas Pepe will play up top, with Martin Odegaard just behind him.

Odegaard's selection is the only change from the team that lost their last game, 1-0 to Everton. He comes in for Eddie Nketiah.

Alexandre Lacazette is not fit enough to make the squad, but Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is on the bench.

Unai Emery makes two changes to the Villarreal side that lost 2-1 to Barcelona.

One of them comes in goal, with Gero Rulli replacing Sergio Asenjo.

Former Liverpool left-back Alberto Moreno drops out of the side to be replaced by Alfonso Pedraza, who had a loan spell at Leeds during their time in the Championship in 2017.

On-loan Tottenham defender Juan Foyth starts.
 
Man Utd v Roma (20:00 BST)

Manchester United make three changes to the side held by Leeds last time out, with David de Gea replacing Dean Henderson in goal, Paul Pogba coming in for Daniel James and Edinson Cavani replacing Mason Greenwood up top.
 
HALF-TIME

Villarreal 2-0 Arsenal

Villarreal in control at the minute.

==

HALF-TIME

Man Utd 1-2 Roma

The half-time whistle goes as a Roma player gets treatment for an injury. They would be allowed to replace him at the break.
 
Wow Man Utd 6 Roma 2

Manchester United came from behind to crush Roma with a stunning second-half performance which saw them take a giant step towards the Europa League final.

Bruno Fernandes opened the scoring before Lorenzo Pellegrini's penalty and Edin Dzeko's tap-in put Roma ahead.

But the Italian side fell apart in the second half as Edinson Cavani scored twice to restore United's lead.

Mason Greenwood and Paul Pogba were also on target to ensure United take a significant advantage to Rome.
 
Nicolas Pepe's second-half penalty gave Arsenal renewed hope of reaching the Europa League final despite a semi-final first-leg loss at Villarreal as both sides finished with 10 men.

With the Gunners trailing 2-0 and a man down following Dani Ceballos' sending off, Pepe stepped up and fired home a precious away goal from the spot after Bukayo Saka had been tripped in the box.

It means Mikel Arteta's side go into next Thursday's second leg with genuine hope of reaching a second Europa League final in three seasons and with the potential of qualifying for next season's Champions League.

They appeared to be sinking without trace when Manu Trigueros fired in an early low, angled drive for the home side before Raul Albiol slammed home at the back post following Gerard Moreno's flick-on from a corner.

Ceballos' red card with 30 minutes left, courtesy of a second booking for standing on the boot of Daniel Parejo, looked to have sealed their fate.

But Bernd Leno produced two good saves to keep the home side at bay before Pepe - playing as a false nine - had his say.

Villarreal may still have fancied their chances of scoring again, but this was hampered when they too were reduced to 10 men, as Etienne Capoue shown a second yellow for a late tackle on Saka.
 
Arsenal's final chance to get to the finals and a place in UEL - don't think it will happen!
 
Manchester United comfortably moved into the Europa League final, despite losing to Roma in the second leg.

The Serie A side needed to score five goals after Edinson Cavani opened the scoring for United in Rome.

Edin Dzeko and Bryan Cristante both netted in three second-half minutes for Roma before Cavani headed his second.

Nicola Zalewski gave Roma victory on the night but an 8-5 aggregate score sends United to Gdansk where they will face Villarreal on 26 May.
 
Arsenal's Europa League hopes were dashed as Villarreal sealed a semi-final victory that will almost certainly end the Gunners' unbroken 25-season run of appearing in European competition.

Trailing 2-1 from the first leg in Spain and knowing that victory in this tournament represented their only realistic route back into the Champions League, Mikel Arteta's side could not find a way past the visitors' stubborn defence.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang struck the post with a volley but it was a rare moment of threat in a display strangely passive for large parts and crucially lacking incision.

Nicolas Pepe and Emile Smith Rowe both fired efforts wide early in the second half and Aubameyang hit the post again with a downward header later in the game but such moments were few and far between.

That the defeat came at the hands of former boss Unai Emery will be especially galling for the Gunners. Emery was sacked in November 2019 after 18 months in charge, ultimately leading to the appointment of Arteta.

With Manchester United seeing off Roma in the other semi-final and Chelsea and Manchester City into the Champions League final, Arsenal's loss ruins a Premier League clean sweep of European competitions this season.

More importantly for the Gunners, though, the result effectively ends their season and their European chances.

It is a big blow to a club who, a little over two weeks ago, were one of 12 prepared to walk away from the Champions League in order to join the proposed European Super League.
 
Arsenal let the English sides down, shame there isnt an all English final now.

Average team with a manager who is tactically inept.

If Roma performed better in the first leg, they could have gone through too.

Villareal favs imo to take the trophy.
 
Man Utd will most likely win this "mickey mouse tournament". I remember that is what their fans called it during the devil's Champions League days. They will enviously look on when Man City are crowned champions of Europe. By the way we have won it six times!:afridi
 
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer says a Manchester United win over Villarreal in the Europa League final could be a "stepping stone for a big future".

United face Villarreal in Gdansk, Poland, on Wednesday (20:00 BST).

Solskjaer, a Champions League winner with United as a player, has yet to win a trophy since taking charge of the club in 2018-19.

"This is a team that we've rebuilt in the last few years, hopefully this is the start of something more," he said.

United have not won a major trophy for four years, but Solskjaer said he was "quietly confident" of beating Villarreal, who finished seventh in Spain's La Liga in 2020-21.

"This is the best club in the world," he added.

"That's the pleasure and the pressure of Manchester United. That's something the players are ready for. They wouldn't have signed here if they weren't top players.

"These are big nights for us. It might be the stepping stone for a big future.

"This group of players has been working for a year and a half together. The next step for them is to enjoy a game like this - I've seen something growing inside of the players."

Doubts remain about captain Harry Maguire's availability after he suffered ankle ligament damage two weeks ago.

Maguire was on crutches until last week but has travelled to Gdansk and hopes to feature. However, he did not take part in Tuesday's training session.

Solskjaer is without Anthony Martial and Phil Jones because of knee injuries.

The United boss has a big decision to make over who starts in goal.

David de Gea made some fine saves in the semi-final second leg against Roma, but Dean Henderson is also challenging for a starting place.

"It's always difficult to leave players out but it's throughout the whole season," added the United boss.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/57224112
 
Europa League final preview: Can Man Utd end their season with silverware against Villarreal?

Maguire has been named in Manchester United's 26-man squad for the Europa League final against Villarreal on Wednesday in Gdansk.

United's club captain missed the final four games of the domestic season due to an ankle injury and manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said last week the defender was "unlikely" to be available in Poland. Maguire had played every minute of every league game since his arrival at Old Trafford in the summer of 2019, but was forced off at Aston Villa two weeks ago with ankle ligament damage.

Anthony Martial appeared as a substitute during the 2017 Europa League final victory in Stockholm but will not be involved this time around.

The forward has been absent for two months due to a knee injury sustained with France during the March international break and, despite returning to training over recent weeks, he is deemed to be not yet ready for first-team action.

Man Utd's Europa League final squad
Goalkeepers: David de Gea, Dean Henderson, Lee Grant, Nathan Bishop

Defenders: Eric Bailly, Victor Lindelof, Harry Maguire, Luke Shaw, Alex Telles, Axel Tuanzebe, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Brandon Williams

Midfielders: Amad Diallo, Bruno Fernandes, Fred, Daniel James, Juan Mata, Nemanja Matic, Scott McTominay, Paul Pogba, Donny van de Beek

Forwards: Edinson Cavani, Anthony Elanga, Mason Greenwood, Marcus Rashford, Shola Shoretire.

https://www.skysports.com/football/...eir-season-with-silverware-against-villarreal
 
The final tonight, Man United vs Villarreal.

This is as big a opportunity as Ole will ever get to win his first trophy as Man United manager. They are clear favourites here with a superior team. But Emery, who won the Europa League 3 times in a row with Sevilla, shouldn't be taken lightly.
 
Man Utd fans were the target of an attack at a bar in Gdansk on Tuesday as supporters arrived in the Polish city ahead of the UEL final.
 
1-1 at the moment.

Rashford has just missed a sitter.

United on the front foot.
 
Villarreal win their first ever trophy.

What a penalty shootout.

De Geay misses the crucial spotkick.
 
Hahahaha!!:smith Just some week's back the devil's were laughing at how Liverpool will be playing in the "mickey mouse" Europa Cup next season now they have been found wanting in the very tournament:rp When the season is done and dusted we only finished five points behind them in second place, Man City ran away with the title rather comfortably. No one remembers runners up in any competition at all. Villareal are the winners of the Europa Leagure 2020/21 that is all the history books will remember:yk.
 
David de Gea failed at the end of a marathon penalty shootout as Villarreal dashed Manchester United's hopes of Europa League glory in Gdansk.

This was a disappointing contest lacking in quality and producing only three shots on target across 120 minutes - but drama arrived with the spot-kicks.

All 20 outfield players converted their penalties in the longest shootout in a final of any Uefa competition, and in an increasingly tense stadium Villarreal goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli blasted home his effort and then denied De Gea, who was crestfallen at the end.

It gave Villarreal a first major trophy in their history and saw former Arsenal boss Unai Emery lift the Europa League for an unprecedented fourth time.

However, on the anniversary of both Sir Matt Busby's birth and the epic Champions League final in 1999 that earned Ole Gunnar Solskjaer hero status among the Old Trafford faithful, there was to be no new 26 May landmark as United complete a fourth year without silverware.

United simply did not do enough, despite the massive gulf in transfer fees and salaries between the two clubs.

Solskjaer's side did not start well and fell behind to a soft goal from Gerard Moreno.

Edinson Cavani dragged United level 10 minutes into the second period after a Marcus Rashford shot had been deflected into his path, but United failed to build on that momentum and by the end Solskjaer was introducing Juan Mata and Alex Telles purely to take penalties in the shootout.

Both players scored. Although given De Gea had failed to save any of the previous 21 penalties he had faced, maybe Solskjaer should have followed the example of former United boss Louis van Gaal, who famously brought on Tim Krul purely for a shootout at the 2014 World Cup, which the Netherlands went on to win

For most of this season, no-one has been quite sure which United were going to turn up. It felt like that across the whole game in Gdansk, as they alternated between inventive and passive almost with each passing minute.

Evidently, Solskjaer felt he had no choice other than to stick with it.

In the final game of last season, he waited until the 87th minute of the semi-final defeat by Sevilla before making a change.

By then, his side were losing, so it was not a shock the Norwegian had not used any of the six he was allowed on this occasion as extra time began.

The brutal truth is, having gone with his strongest offensive starting XI, there was no-one on the bench Solskjaer felt confident could improve the situation.

In Cavani and Mason Greenwood, two of United's best performers were attackers. But Rashford had a poor game, which was summed up by the England man failing to convert when Greenwood had given him a clear sight at goal.

Any goal would have been ruled offside but Rashford was not to know that as his scuffed effort rolled wide.

Scott McTominay's midfield industry outshone both Bruno Fernandes and Paul Pogba, who both flitted in and out of the game without producing anything truly remarkable.

Defensive slip-up
It would be easy to point to the absence of captain Harry Maguire as the key factor in Moreno's opener.

But Maguire was on the pitch when United conceded a very similar kind of goal against Everton in February.

On that occasion it was Dominic Calvert-Lewin who slid the ball past De Gea as United's defence failed to deal with a free-kick floated from a deep position into their penalty area.

This time Moreno's run into the box went unchecked, allowing him to get in front of Victor Lindelof and turn Dani Parejo's free-kick into De Gea's goal.

It is the kind of routine situation Solskjaer's team have been vulnerable to all season and seemed to be something Emery had worked out given the number of times Villarreal put themselves in situations to deliver such crosses, without quite getting their execution right.

Not that nervous United defending was limited to set-pieces. The sight of Eric Bailly attempting an overhead-kick inside his own six-yard box in the opening stages of the second period would have been only marginally less worrying had he actually connected with the ball.

It could be argued Solskjaer should have addressed the issue before now. Some may claim it was for the powers-that-be to deal with it for him.

Now, having failed to win a trophy in two and a half seasons as manager, the familiar questions about his own ability will follow the Norwegian around all summer.

United's penalty shootout woes - the stats
Villarreal are the first side to win in their first appearance in a major European final since Shakhtar Donetsk in the 2008-09 Uefa Cup.
Manchester United have lost six of their last seven penalty shootouts in all competitions, only winning against Rochdale in the League Cup in September 2019 in that time.
Villarreal boss Unai Emery is the first manager to win either the Uefa Cup or Europa League four times, surpassing Giovanni Trapattoni.
Villarreal became the 13th side in Europe's big five leagues to hit the 100-goal milestone in all competitions this season (100).
The three shots on target produced in the game (one for Villarreal and two for Manchester United) was the lowest tally in a Europa League final since Porto v Sporting Braga in 2011 also saw just three.
Gerard Moreno netted his 82nd goal in all competitions for Villarreal, joining Giuseppe Rossi as the club's all-time top-scorer.
Moreno became the first player to score 30+ goals for Villarreal in a single season in all competitions since Giuseppe Rossi in 2010-11 (32).
Manchester United striker Edinson Cavani became just the third player aged 34 or above to score in a major European final for an English club, after Gary McAllister (36) for Liverpool in the Uefa Cup final versus Alaves in 2000-01 and Didier Drogba (34) for Chelsea in the Champions League final versus Bayern Munich in 2011-12
Manchester United's Edinson Cavani has scored 16 goals in his last 11 starts in the Europa League.
Manchester United's Mason Greenwood made his 52nd appearance this season in all competitions, the joint-most of any teenager with a team from Europe's big five leagues along with Barcelona's Pedri.

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