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UEL: Eintracht Frankfurt win Europa League

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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...

UEL: Spurs start Europa League campaign with a win

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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...

UCL: PSV thrash Rangers

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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...

UECL: Draw made for first qualifying round of Conference League

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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 2021ā€“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...

Own goal leaves Tottenham with work to do against Alkmaar

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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 Ā£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...

UEL reaction: Arsenal clinch top spot

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 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 ...

UCL: Irish side looks set to drop into Europa League

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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 ā€“ 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...

Turkey: Mourinho set to be named as Fenerbahce manager

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 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? šŸ”„šŸ˜„ pic.twitter.com/PgbdiegcjE ā€” FenerbahƧe 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...

Chelsea take control of Conference League tie

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FC Copenhagen 1 - 2 Chelsea Chelsea took a significant step towards the Europa Conference League quarter-finals with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Copenhagen in Denmark. Author - Lauren W Stadium - Parken Enzo Marescaā€™s side were uninspiring in the first half, failing to register a shot on target, but they burst into life immediately after the break. Marc Cucurella, introduced at half-time for the injured Malo Gusto, made an instant impact by surging down the left and cutting the ball back for captain Reece James, who lashed a superb low drive into the bottom corner from 30 yards out. Copenhagen came agonisingly close to an equaliser moments later when Viktor Claessonā€™s angled strike cannoned off the inside of the post and fell kindly into the hands of relieved Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez. The Blues made their hosts pay for that missed opportunity in the 65th minute. Cucurella, once again influential, won possession high up the pitch before Christopher Nkunku played in T...

UCL: Barcelona knocked out and Benfica qualify

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It was a dramatic night in Champions League group E as Barcelona were knocked out and Bayern Munich finished with a 100% record. Benfica will join Bayern in the next round after they beat Dynamo Kiev 2-0. Despite only having 36% possession, it was a fairly comfortable win that was secured by goals from Yaremchuk and Junior. You can watch the highlights in the video below. One Benfica fan told us: "I would have been happy with 3rd place and getting into the Europa League but I am very happy that we are staying in the Champions League." A horror night for Barcelona Barcelona lost 3-0 to Bayern Munich to miss out on the Champions League knockout stages for the first time in 17 years. They have not been absent from the last 16 since 2003-04. It was a terrible night for the club. They never really looked like troubling Bayern and the home side ran away comfortable winners. The draw for the Europa League takes place on Monday at 12:00 GMT in Nyon, Switzerland and Barca will p...

UEL: Ajax qualify after epic shootout

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Ajax 0 - 1 Panathinaikos It finished 1-1 on aggregate with Ajax winning 13-12 on penalties Ajax beat Panathinaikos on penalties after an epic shootout featuring 34 spot-kicks to reach the Europa League qualifying play-off round. Ajax Goalkeeper Remko Pasveer saved five penalties and scored one, while defender Anton Gaaei scored the winning kick for Ajax. The Dutch side won despite Netherlands striker Brian Brobbey missing two spot-kicks, with Bertrand Traore and Youri Baas were also off target for the home side.  This was the second-highest penalty shootout score in a European competition, just behind Glentoran's 14-13 loss to Gzira United in last season's Conference League qualifiers. The match went to penalties after the Greek team secured a 1-0 win in Amsterdam, bringing the overall score to 1-1. Tete's goal in the 89th minute forced extra time. The match ultimately ended without any further goals. Best reaction William, a Liverpool fan from Bradford, watched the...

UEL: Sevilla win Europa League

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 Sevilla 1 - 1 Roma (Sevilla won 4-1 on penalties) Sevilla claimed a record-extending seventh Europa League title as they beat Roma on penalties at the Puskas Arena in Budapest. Gonzalo Montiel scored the winning penalty for the Spanish side following a 1-1 draw. You can watch the highlights of the match in the video below. Footage from BT Sport.  Sevilla v Roma (1-1) (Sevilla win 4-1 on penalties) | Mourinho Heartbreak | Europa League Highlights - YouTube   The Spanish side have now won all seven of the finals they have played in the competition since 2006. This most recent success sees them qualify for next season's Champions League despite finishing outside the top four in La Liga. There will be a feeling that it could have been so different for Roma and their manager Jose Mourinho, who had won all five of the previous European finals he had been involved in and guided the club to inaugural Europa Conference League success last term. šŸ—£ļø Mendilibar: "I thank the ...

Reaction from Scotland: Rangers win Scottish Cup

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 Rangers 2 - 0 Heart of Midlothian Let's have a look at all the best reactions and reports as Rangers lifted the Scottish Cup for the first time in 13 years. Watch the highlights in the video below. Footage from Premier Sports. Goals from substitutes Ryan Jack and Scott Wright saw Rangers win the Scottish Cup against Hearts and eased the pain of their Europa League final defeat. The Ibrox club won the trophy for the first time in 13 years after Jack crashed a shot in off the bar from the edge of the box, before Wright finished low past Craig Gordon. The Rangers end of Hampden celebrated joyfully at the full-time whistle, just three days after their Europa League journey ended in heartbreak on penalties against Eintracht Frankfurt in Davo šŸ’™ pic.twitter.com/MykajALVfZ ā€” Rangers Football Club (@RangersFC) May 21, 2022  Hearts manager Robbie Neilson told the media after the match: "Not winning it is a huge disappointment. We have to take that on the chin. We've come up fr...

Spurs ease into Europa League last 16

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Tottenham Hotspur 3 - 0 Elfsborg Tottenham battled through yet another injury setback to book their place in the last 16 of the Europa League, with teenage sensation Mikey Moore capping off the victory over Elfsborg in style. Author - Greg S Stadium - Tottenham Hotspur Stadium Already missing 12 players due to injury and ineligibility, Spurs suffered another blow when substitute defender Radu Dragusin went off injured in the second half with the game still goalless. However, 20-year-old Dane Scarlett lifted the mood at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, heading the hosts into the lead in the 70th minute. Fellow substitute Damola Ajayi, 19, then doubled the advantage, before 17-year-old winger Moore sealed the win in stoppage time with a stunning low finish after a surging run. In doing so, the London-born youngster (17 years and 172 days) made history, breaking Jimmy Greavesā€™ long-standing record (set at 17 years and 245 days in October 1957) to become the youngest-ever English goa...

Brighton & Hove Albion: 23/24 Season Review

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 2023/2024 was another historic campaign for Brighton & Hove Albion. Let's explore what happened. This was the 122nd season in the history of Brighton & Hove Albion and their seventh consecutive season in the Premier League.  They also competed in the Premier League, the FA Cup, the EFL Cup and a debut appearance in UEFA Europa League.  Some of the match reports from their campaign. On August 12th, they welcomed Luton Town for the opening game of the seaso n, marking the Hatters' debut in the Premier League. Albion emerged victorious with a 4ā€“1 win. This match also saw the debuts of several players, including JoĆ£o Pedro and Simon Adingra. Against Newcastle United in September,  Evan Ferguson scored a hat-trick to show off his extraordinary potential. Amy, a Brighton fan, was delighted with their performance. She said: "We played well against one of the best teams in the Premier League. All the fans are delighted with the attitude of the players. It has b...

UEL: Roma to face Sevilla in final

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 Let's explore all the key moments from a dramatic night in the Europa League Bayer 04 Leverkusen 0 - 1 Roma (Roma won 1-0 on aggregate) Jose Mourinho's Roma reached the Europa League final after holding Bayer Leverkusen to a goalless draw in the second leg of the semi-final. Xabi Alonso's Leverkusen side could not find the breakthrough as Jose Mourinho delivered a tactical masterclass.  You can hear what Mourinho had to say in the video below. Footage:  JOSƉ MOURINHO | POST MATCH INTERVIEW | BAYER-ROMA - YouTube Is he still the Special One? Click here to read the latest Mourinho news stories. Can the iconic manager win yet another European trophy? His side can look forward to a second European final in as many years having not reached one for 31 years before last season. Who would they be facing though? They would have to wait another 30 minutes before finding out. UECL: Roma win Europa Conference League (eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com) Sevilla 2 - 1 Juventus (Sevi...

There's been a huge shock at Ibrox in the Scottish Cup

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Rangers 0 - 1 Queen's Park Championship side Queenā€™s Park pulled off one of the biggest upsets in Scottish Cup history by knocking Rangers out of the competition in their last-16 clash at Ibrox. Author - Mark Lee Stadium - Ibrox The shock result is set to have major repercussions for Rangers boss Philippe Clement, as it marks the first time since the 1966-67 season that the club has been eliminated from the Scottish Cup by lower-league opposition. The hero of the day was Queenā€™s Park goalkeeper Calum Ferrie, who produced a dramatic stoppage-time penalty save to deny James Tavernier and seal a historic victory. It had been 142 years since Queenā€™s Park last beat Rangers in the Scottish Cup, with their previous success coming in 1882 during the second round of the "Glasgow and Suburbs" section. Now, Scotlandā€™s oldest league club have booked their place in the quarter-finals for the first time since 1983. Their match-winner in 2025 was Seb Drozd, who capitalised on Ranger...

Premier League news: Pogba and Lingard to leave Man United

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Manchester United have announced that Paul Pogba and Jesse Lingard will leave the club once their contracts expire Both players drew widespread attention as part of United's Youth Cup winning side of 2011. Pogba departs again.  A statement on United's website reads: "The club can announce that Paul Pogba will leave Manchester United at the end of June, upon the expiry of his contract." The Frenchman has enjoyed a long association with United, having joined the club's Academy from Le Havre at the age of just 16. Pogba quickly progressed through the ranks, first impressing in the Under-18s and then swiftly moving upwards to the Reserves. In the 2011/2012 season, he made a few appearances. However, in the summer of 2012, due to strong competition for places at Old Trafford, Pogba joined Italian giants Juventus. He quickly became a success at Juve as he helped them lift four consecutive Serie A titles and two Coppa Italias. However, in 2016, he made the emotion...

Premier League: Man United drop points again

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AFC Bournemouth 2 - 2 Manchester United Manchester United's hopes of securing European football were dented again after they dropped one place to seventh following Newcastle United's 4-0 win over Tottenham earlier in the day.  They are currently two points clear of West Ham United having played one game less. They're 6 points ahead of Chelsea, however, the London side has played two games fewer.  A brief match report Bournemouth's positive start was rewarded by Dominic Solanke's goal in the 16th minute. Solanke got the better of Willy Kambwala and finished the ball confidently, low into the corner of the net. This goal motivated the home side further, as they continued to dominate the proceedings.  The home team missed several opportunities to score, and they ultimately paid the price when Fernandes scored from a pass by Alejandro Garnacho. Kluivert quickly restored the hosts' lead five minutes later with a straightforward pass from Marcos Senesi that exp...

How the 2023/2024 Bundesliga title was won

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 The 2023/2024 season will probably go down as one of the most iconic in the Bundesliga's history. The season began on 18 August 2023 and concluded on 18 May 2024.  On 14 April 2024, Bayer Leverkusen were crowned champions for the first time with five matches to spare following a 5ā€“0 win over Werder Bremen.  Theyy would go onto become the first Bundesliga team in history to finish a season unbeaten, ending the campaign with a record of 28 wins and six draws. They would also go onto win the German Cup and reach the Europa League final. It was in that Europa League final match where they lost their only game of the season. Let's explore some key stories match reports from the season.  In August, it was announced that Bayern Munich had signed Harry Kane. The transfer was completed for an initial sum of around 100 million euros (Ā£86.4 million), and there was believed to be additional provisions for performance-related bonuses.  At the time of the announcement, w...