European Super Football

Eintracht Frankfurt 1 - 1 Rangers (Eintracht Frankfurt win 5-4 on penalties) Rangers suffered a penalty shootout defeat in their fifth European final as Eintracht Frankfurt triumphed. Rafael Borre put home the decisive spot-kick after Aaron Ramsey was denied just moments earlier in front of the Rangers fans at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium. Those same people had been euphoric when last season's Scottish champions took the lead through Joe Aribo's ice-cool second-half finish in Seville However, Borre then created some incredible scenes in a jam-packed Eintracht end 12 minutes later as he steered in a soft equaliser to send this energy-sapping contest all the way. Immediate reaction The Rangers players crumpled to their feet as the 11th-placed side in the Bundesliga prevailed in the shootout, executing five composed penalties to claim their second European trophy and a place in next season's Champions League group stages. With the Scottish Cup final in just three days...

Tottenham Hotspur 3 - 0 Qarabag Tottenham kicked off their Europa League campaign with an impressive win against Qarabag, despite being reduced to 10 men just seven minutes into the match. This was great preparation as Spurs will face an important few weeks in different competitions. For this match, there was a 35-minute delay to the start due to various travel disruptions across London. A closer look at what happened Spurs suffered an early setback when defender Radu Dragusin was sent off for a last-man foul on Juninho, who was through on goal. Nevertheless, five minutes later Brennan Johnson found the net, capitalising on Qarabag's sloppy attempt to play out from the back. Dominic Solanke set up the 23-year-old, who calmly slotted the ball into the bottom corner, marking his third goal in as many games. Tottenham doubled their lead in the 52nd minute through Pape Sarr, who controlled a loose ball at the far post before firing it home. Qarabag were awarded a penalty just three...

Rangers 0 - 2 Roma Rangers endured another punishing Europa League night as Roma inflicted a fourth straight defeat in this season’s competition. Author | Mark Lee Stadium | Ibrox Danny Rohl’s team were booed off at half-time, two goals down and fortunate the margin was not greater. Only Jack Butland’s sharp goalkeeping and some wasteful Roma finishing spared further damage. Lorenzo Pellegrini’s exquisite strike ten minutes before the interval effectively settled the contest, the captain guiding home after a flowing Roma move. Earlier, his teasing corner had been glanced on by Matias Soule, the Argentine forward heading into an empty net to give the visitors the lead. At 2-0, memories resurfaced of the heavy Champions League qualifying defeat by Brugge in August. Rangers rarely troubled Mile Svilar, though Djeidi Gassama’s lively runs at least forced some defensive scrambling from the Italians. A bad night for Scottish teams in the Europa League Super Local Sports News | Glasgow ...

Aberdeen 2 - 2 FCSB Dante Polvara and Ester Sokler came off the bench to breathe life into Aberdeen’s Europa League ambitions, rescuing a draw against 10-man FCSB after trailing by two goals. Author | Mark Lee Stadium | Pittodrie Pre match atmosphere Defensive errors threatened to undo the Scottish Cup winners in the play-off first leg at Pittodrie, even after the Romanian champions were reduced to 10 men for almost an hour. Jack Milne and Gavin Molloy collided under a high ball, allowing Daniel Birligea to break the deadlock while both sides were still at full strength. Just after the interval, Molloy and substitute Mats Knoester failed to clear their lines and Birligea capitalised again, squaring for Darius Olaru to double the lead. That lapse undermined the advantage Aberdeen might have gained from Juri Cisotti ’s dismissal shortly before half-time for a rash challenge on Nicolas Milanovic . READ MORE |  Europa League 25/26 season But Polvara ’s introduction shifted the m...

Nottingham Forest 3 - 0 Malmo Forest swept past Malmo in the Europa League to tighten their hold on a play-off spot. Author | Frank L Stadium | The City Ground Players and fans celebrate Goals from captain Ryan Yates, Arnaud Kalimuendo and Nikola Milenkovic completed a routine victory in a fixture that echoed the 1979 European Cup final, when Forest overcame the Swedish champions. It marked a third straight win for Forest, their best run since the turn of the year. A slump in form during the latter half of last season explains why they find themselves in the Europa League rather than the Champions League. Analysis  | Sean Dyche has steadied a turbulent situation since taking charge Nuno Espirito Santo departed the club after clashing with global sporting director Edu and owner Evangelos Marinakis, while Ange Postecoglou lasted only 39 days in the aftermath. Saturday’s 3-0 win at a struggling Liverpool moved Forest out of the Premier League relegation zone. Their latest success at ...

Another season. Another sacking of a Rangers manager. Why do they keep getting it wrong and how can they avoid making same mistakes again? Author | Mark Lee With champagne dripping from his hair and a 2020-21 Scottish Premiership winner's medal around his neck, then manager Steven Gerrard urged Rangers to "fix the roof while the sun is shining". Four years on, the roof remains in disrepair and the sunshine has long faded. Since that title triumph, Rangers have gone through four managers: Gerrard, Giovanni van Bronckhorst, Michael Beale and Philippe Clement, before reaching Martin. Under Van Bronckhorst, the club came agonisingly close to European glory, losing the Europa League final on penalties before lifting the Scottish Cup days later. He departed with Rangers nine points adrift of Celtic the following season. Beale and Clement both started brightly but their tenures quickly unravelled. Beale was dismissed with Rangers seven points behind Celtic; Clement’s side we...

Celtic 0 - 2 Braga Celtic suffered further European disappointment as goals in each half and a controversial disallowed equaliser earned Braga victory in what was a chaotic encounter. Author |  Sean M Stadium |  Celtic Park Kick-off Kasper Schmeichel had an error-strewn game in goal and failed to keep out Ricardo Horta 's early long-range effort, which stunned the Celtic Park crowd into silence. The Dane then did well to keep out a late shot but was helpless when the ball bounced off Gabri Martinez in a botched clearance and rebounded into the net to seal all the points. After their Champions League qualification failure against Kairat Almaty , and an opening Europa League draw with Red Star Belgrade , this continued Celtic's disappointing start to their European campaign. In fact, so sharp has been the drop-off since last season, that Brendan Rodgers ' side may struggle to qualify for the latter stages of the Europa League unless they can find their way again, and q...

Hibernian 1 - 2 Midtjylland (Midtjylland won 3-2 on aggregate) Hibernian suffered European heartache as Junior Brumado's sensational goal for Midtjylland in the last moments of extra-time knocked them out of Europa League qualifying. Author | Sean M Stadium | Easter Road A bumper crowd inside Easter Road were silenced by the piece of brilliance from the Brazilian, whose winner came as the game looked destined for a penalty shootout. The second-round tie was finely poised at 1-1 after the first leg, and it took until four minutes into extra-time in Edinburgh before Dario Osorio's powerful strike from distance opened the scoring in the second. Rocky Bushiri responded to draw Hibs level as bedlam ensued in the stands, but Brumado would have the final say with a magical finish. Hibernian now drop into Conference League qualifying where they will face Partizan Belgrade next week. More analysis of what happened After holding their own in Denmark against seasoned European camp...

PSV 5 - 1 Rangers (PSV won 7-3 on aggregate) A 5-1 demolition by PSV Eindhoven ended Rangers' hopes of playing in the Champions League again. Stadium - Philips Stadion Ismael Saibari headed in to put PSV ahead on aggregate for the first time in the tie. He added a second after the break. In the minutes following James Tavernier's strike and a brief Rangers lifeline, Luuk de Jong nodded home before Joey Veerman added another goal. Rangers' chastening evening was completed by an own goal by Connor Goldson. This result and poor performance means that instead of joining their Old Firm rivals in the Champions League, they will return to the Europa League group stage. One Rangers fan told us: "This was a terrible night and performance but being in the Europa League might be good for us." Click here for more PSV news and stories. A terrible night for the away side Rangers played poorly, carrying almost no threat until it was too late. PSV warmed to their task very qu...

The second season of UEFA's third competition is about to start Clubs qualify for the UEFA Europa Conference League based on their performance in their national leagues and cup competitions. It is the third tier of active European club football competitions, after the Champions League and the Europa League. England's representation in the upcoming season will be West Ham. They finished 7th in the Premier League. First contested in the 2021–22 season, the competition serves as the bottom level of the Europa League, which was reduced from 48 to 32 teams in the group stage. It was eventually won by A.S. Roma after an fascinating season. UECL: Roma win Europa Conference League (eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com) The draw for the first qualifying round of the 2022/2023 competition. Let's have a look at who will be playing who. Bala Town (WAL) vs Sligo Rovers (IRL) A relatively short trip for both of these sides will have been welcomed.  Sligo's Rovers record in European com...

How many English sides will be in Europe next season? England and Germany are on track to secure the two additional Champions League places available for next season. Author | Josh T Champions League night | City v Leverkusen The competition expanded from 32 to 36 teams at the start of the 2024-25 campaign, prompting UEFA to introduce two extra qualifying spots for the nations with the strongest overall performance across European competitions in the previous season. UEFA determines this through association rankings, which allocate points for wins and draws in the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League. The two nations with the highest totals are each awarded an extra Champions League berth for the following season. Clubs collect two points for a win and one for a draw across the three competitions, with bonus points awarded for progressing through the rounds. Sides in the Champions League receive greater bonuses than those in the Europa League or Conference League. Po...

Rangers 1 - 1 Braga Rangers claimed their first point of this Europa League campaign but will reflect on a wasted chance after a mistake from Nasser Djiga cost them victory in a draw with 10-man Braga. Author | Mark Lee Stadium | Ibrox James Tavernier put the Scottish Premiership side in front from the penalty spot deep into first-half stoppage time, and their position strengthened when Rodrigo Zalazar was sent off for appearing to move his head towards Nicolas Raskin. Yet Djiga’s misjudged header from a throw into the Rangers area dropped invitingly for Gabri Martinez, who swept in the equaliser and left Danny Rohl’s side without the win they badly needed. The result brings an end to their run of seven consecutive European defeats, but with daunting trips to Ferencvaros and Porto to come, either side of a home meeting with Ludogorets, their prospects of progressing remain slim with just one point from five matches. A further setback arrived in stoppage time when Mohamed Diomande w...

AZ Alkmaar 1 - 0 Tottenham Hotspur Lucas Bergvall's unfortunate own goal condemned Tottenham to a flat and uninspiring defeat in the first leg of their Europa League last-16 tie against AZ Alkmaar. Author - Greg S Stadium - AFAS Stadion Ange Postecoglou's side offered little in attack, failing to muster a shot on target until the closing stages, and only managing two touches inside AZ's box all evening. The decisive moment came from teenage midfielder Bergvall, who inadvertently diverted Troy Parrott's cross into his own net as he attempted to clear the danger. Spurs had goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario to thank for keeping them in the tie, producing three crucial saves. This included one to deny former Tottenham striker Parrott, who joined AZ for £6.7m last summer. However, Tottenham's hopes of progression took another blow with midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur now suspended for next week's return leg after picking up his third booking of the competition. Postecogl...

 Arsenal 1-0 Zurich Let's look at all the best reaction as Arsenal clinched top spot in their Europa League group Kieran Tierney's stunning 20-yard drive into the bottom right corner ensured the Gunners finished top of Group A on 15 points, two clear of PSV Eindhoven. It was their 10th victory in 12 matches in all competitions. This was the reaction of  ArsenalVision Podcast - YouTube What did the papers say? The Guardian's match report said: "In this uniquely concertinaed season, matches played every few days, squads in permanent rotation, results are probably all that matter. Though performances remain important, too, and as Arsenal lost focus against opponents who grew in belief, it appeared their minds had drifted to Sunday, and Chelsea. Three matches remain before Arsenal sign off for the World Cup, two in the Premier League, and still being leaders when football turns its focus on Qatar is clearly top priority. "  Arsenal seal Europa League top spot after ...

Daniel Levy’s exit marks the end of an era at Tottenham Tottenham Hotspur’s executive chairman Daniel Levy, who has stepped aside after almost 25 years in charge, will remain one of the most divisive figures in the club’s history. Author | Greg S The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium   |  The ground Levy helped build He oversaw the creation of the world-class infrastructure Spurs now enjoy, from the £1bn stadium that ranks among the finest in world football to the training headquarters at Hotspur Way in Enfield . Yet for all these achievements, his tenure will always be judged by many through the lens of underachievement on the pitch. Although retaining a minority stake, Levy will no longer be involved in the day-to-day running of the club. His exit will be celebrated by a sizeable section of the fanbase, who long associated his chairmanship with stagnation as much as progress. READ MORE |  Latest Premier League news and stories  READ MORE | What else has been happening ...

Manchester United v Tottenham Hotspur preview In case you've missed, a crucial match is taking place in Bilbao between two Premier League sides.  Author - Liam C This article will explore the chances of both sides whilst getting comments from matchgoing fans who are making the trip to the Basque Country.  The Manchester United perspective  Unbeaten in the Europa League this season, Man Utd have mixed commanding performances and dramatic comebacks on their road to the Europa League final, The Red Devils won this competition under Ruben Amorim's compatriot José Mourinho in 2017, but more will remember the 2021 final defeat to Villarreal under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer . Bruno Fernandes captained the side in Gdansk, while Luke Shaw and Victor Lindelöf started. Harry Maguire and Amad Diallo watched on from the bench. In fact, Amad has two runners up medals in the competition after losing the final with Rangers during a loan spell in 2022.  Olivia T said: "I honestly can't...

Shamrock Rovers 0-2 Sparta Prague (1st leg) Shamrock Rovers' Champions League campaign seems to be coming to an end unless they can overturn a two-goal deficit in Prague next week. The Hoops conceded two soft goals, particularly the first one, when they lost possession while trying to pass the ball out from the back. Before Velkjo Birmancevic's 38th-minute goal, they looked comfortable against their strong opponents. But when Tomas Wiesner made it 2-0 in the 65th minute, the tie seemed almost over. However, the Tallaght side will head to next week's second leg needing to score only one goal. Josh Honohan came very close to scoring twice in injury time – the first was a header brilliantly saved by goalkeeper Peter Jensen, and the second, moments later, was a back-post effort that drifted inches wide. How last season's Champions League was won. Jensen could have cost his side a first-half goal when he rushed from his goal and sent the ball straight to the feet of Neil...

Manchester United 0 - 2 West Ham United It was another disappointing afternoon in the Premier League for the Europa League finalists. Author - Olivia T Stadium - Old Trafford Tomas Soucek and captain Jarrod Bowen were on target as West Ham ended a run of eight Premier League matches without a win, easing to victory over a Manchester United side whose preparations for the Europa League final appear increasingly uncertain. United named a starting XI featuring five players expected to line up against Tottenham in Bilbao on 21 May, but the match brought more questions than answers. Most troubling for Rúben Amorim was the injury to Leny Yoro, who left the pitch visibly distressed after sustaining a foot problem and headed straight down the tunnel. The setback prompted the immediate withdrawal of Luke Shaw, a potential option in the back three for the final in Spain. The defeat means United have now matched their longest winless run in the Premier League since 1992. On that occasion, the...

This is the place for all the latest news from the Europa League final It's Manchester United v Tottenham Hotspur. Who will save their season? Authors - Olivia T and Greg S Full-time | Manchester United 0 - 1 Tottenham Hotspur  Tottenham ended a 17-year trophy drought as Brennan Johnson's first-half goal secured a 1-0 win over Manchester United in the Europa League final.  The result delivers on Ange Postecoglou’s promise of silverware in his second season.  In contrast, United’s defeat compounds pressure on Ruben Amorim, whose side face Aston Villa in their final league game after a dismal campaign. Despite support from the club's hierarchy, Amorim's tactical choices are under scrutiny, particularly the decision to start Mason Mount over Alejandro Garnacho. With Bruno Fernandes largely anonymous, United offered little creativity and never looked likely to recover once they fell behind. History of Manchester United in European finals GM Super News reports on how Uni...

 Jose Mourinho is set to become the new manager of Fenerbahce The 61-year-old will take over from Ismail Kartal, who left Fenerbahce after they finished second in the league to city rivals Galatasaray.  Despite losing just one game and recording 99 points last season, Fenerbahce finished as runners-up. How much of an impact will have Mourinho in Turkey? The club hinted at Mourinho's appointment in a video featuring the Portuguese manager directly addressing the fans with the words "See you tomorrow". Are you ready for tomorrow? 🔥😄 pic.twitter.com/PgbdiegcjE — Fenerbahçe English (@Fenerbahce_EN) June 1, 2024 Mourinho, who has previously managed Chelsea, Real Madrid, and Manchester United, is the only manager to have won the Champions League, Europa League, and Europa Conference League .  Over his 24-year managerial career, he has won 21 major honors, beginning in his home country of Portugal at Benfica and including stints at Porto, Inter Milan, and Tottenham.  M...