🇪🇺 UEL: Arsenal top Group A; Roma come from behind; United progress | OneFootball

Top spots and knock-out qualification were all up for grabs this Thursday evening as the Europa League group stage draws to a close.

Here’s how it went down.

Group A:

Arsenal edge past Zürich to top the group

Scorers: Tierney 17′

Despite a strong start from Zürich, pinning Arsenal in their half for the opening exchanges of the game, Mikel Arteta’s side found the breakthrough. The ball broke to Kieran Tierney on the edge of the area who rifled a shot into the bottom corner.

The visitors thought they were on the board and level when Adrián Guerrero fired in at the near post. The Spaniard, however, had strayed into an offside position before receiving the ball and the goal was ruled out.

A nervy finished ensued as the Gunners were unable to put the game to bed and their Swiss opponents pressed for a late equaliser. In the end, Arsenal held firm to win the game and top their group.

PSV win in Norway but settle for second

Scorers: Sampsted 35′ (OG), Bakayoko 52′

The visitors took the lead ten minutes before the interval through a Bodø-Glimt own-goal. Luuk de Jong rose highest from a corner kick the head the ball towards the back post where PSV defender Ki-Jana Hoever hit the ball of the back of Alfons Sampsted’s head and into the back of the net.

Johan Bakayoko doubled PSV’s lead shortly after the second-half restart. The 19-year-old Belgian forward broke swiftly alongside Coady Gakpo who, with the goal gaping, unselfishly squared the ball for Bakayoko to tap into an unprotected net.

PSV Eindhoven had already qualified for the knock-out rounds of the Europa League whereas their opponents, Bodø/Glimt, are relegated to the Conference League.

Group B:

Rennes v AEK Larnaca

Scorers: Abline 17′; Lopes 76′

Rennes were held at home to a 1-1 draw with AEK Larnaca meaning they had to settle to runners-up in Group B behind Fenerbahçe, whilst AEK Larnaca were relegated to the Conference League.

Dynamo Kyiv v Fenerbahçe

Scorers: Zabarnyi 68′; Güler 23′, Arão 45+2′

Fenerbahçe defeated Dynamo Kyiv to win Group B as Rennes were held against AEK Larnaca.

Group C:

Roma v Ludogorets

Scorers: Pellegrini 56′, 64′, Zaniolo 87′; Rick 41′

In a game where they only needed to avoid defeat, the visitors took a deserved lead on the stroke of halftime thanks to a wonderful goal by Rick Morais. Picking up the ball in his own half, Rick ran the length of the field before unleashing a powerful strike from the top of the box to break the deadlock.

Roma were given a lifeline back into the encounter as, ten minutes after the restart, half-time substitute Nicoló Zaniolo was brought down in the penalty area and up-stepped Lorenzo Pellegrini to level the game for the hosts.

Ludogorets’ poor discipline would come back to bite them again less than ten minutes later as, once again, Zaniolo was bundled over in the penalty area. Pellegrini stepped up from the penalty spot once again and sent Sergio Padt the other way to complete the turnaround.

The visitors thought they had found the leveller as Rick, once again, drove forward for Ludogorets before the ball bounced around the penalty area and was swept home by Gustavo Nanato. However, after a VAR review, Rick was judged to have committed a foul in the build-up.

Roma put the same to bed in the final minutes through a wonderful individual effort by Zaniolo as Roma progressed as runners-up.

Real Betis v HJK

Scorers: Ruibal 20′, 40′

Real Betis, who has already qualified as top of Group C before the night began, advanced to the knock-out rounds in perfect fashion brushing aside HJK.

Group D:

Union Saint-Gilloise v Union Berlin

Scorers: Michel 6′

The Bundesliga leaders made a fast start against Group D leaders Union SG. Sheraldo Becker played a perfectly weighted ball into the heart of the defence and, at full stretch, Sven Michel poked the ball into the back of the net.

With that result, Union Berlin followed their opponents on the night ad the two sides that progress through Group D

Braga v Malmö

Scorers: Horta 36′, Djaló 55′; Sejdiu 77′

Braga’s victory was only enough to confirm their relegation to the Europa Conference League following Union Berlin’s defeat of Union SG, as Malmö finish the group stage with zero points.

Group E:

Man United win but Sociedad top the group

Scorers: Garnacho 17′

Manchester United overcame a stubborn Real Sociedad with a 1-0 win at the Estadio Anoeta as the Spanish side top Group E.

The visitors took an early lead as youngster Alejandro Garnacho scored his first goal for the club. Cristiano Ronaldo picked up the ball in midfield before feeding the youngster who finished into the roof of the net from a tight angle.

Ronaldo then wasted a great chance to double the lead but got too much on his lobbed effort before David de Gea pulled off a remarkable double save – the second of which with his head – to keep United in front at the break.

In desperate need of more goals in order to top their group, manager Erik ten Hag turned to reinforcement from the bench, notably Harry Maguire who was brought on to partner Ronaldo up front but the visitors struggled to fashion scoring opportunities.

Both sides had already qualified for the knock-out round ahead of their clash in Spain but Ten Hag’s side weren’t able to find the extra goal necessary to leapfrog their Spanish opponents and will have to play an extra knock-out round as a consequence.

Sheriff secure Conference League with win over Omonoia

Scorers: Akanbi 87′

Elsewhere in the group, Rasheed Akanbi’s late winner for Sheriff guaranteed their spot in the Europa Conference League in a fiercely contested encounter with Omonia who end the group stage with six defeats.

Group F:

Feyenoord top group as Lazio drop to Conference League

Scorers: Giménez 64′

Second-half substitute Santiago Giménez broke the deadlock for the hosts just after the hour mark in a somewhat controversial fashion.

The Mexican forward had been on the pitch for a matter of seconds when Quilindschy Hartman won the ball back high up the field before finding Giménez who bundled over two defenders and the keeper before putting the ball in the back of the net.

This result sees Feyenoord jump from the bottom of the group to the top as they progress alongside side Midtjylland whilst Lazio drop into the Conference League.

Midtjylland beat SK Sturm Graz to progress

Scorers: Dreyer 15′, 72′

Midtjylland who, like Feyenoord, started the night outside of the top two spots in the group have progressed to the knock-out rounds as runner-up thanks to Andres Dreyer’s double.

Group G:

Nantes through after away win at Olympiacos

Scorers: Mohamed 79′, Blas 90′

Nantes squeezed into the top two sides of Group G as thanks to late strikes by Mostafa Mohamed and Ludovic Blas saw the french side overcome Olympiacos.

Freiburg top the group with draw at Qarabag FK

Scorers: Kwabena 90+1′; Petersen 25′ (PEN)

Despite being held to a 1-1 draw away to 10-man Qarabag, German side Freiburg topped Group G whilst their opponents have to settle for Conference League football after being leapfrogged by Nantes.

Group H:

Monaco miss out on top spot against Red Star Belgrade

Scorers: Volland 5′, 27′, 87′, Rodić 50′ (OG); Kanga 54′ (PEN)

Monaco missed a great chance to top their group with a big win at home to Red Star Belgrade but, despite a Kevin Volland hattrick in a convincing victory, Philippe Clement’s side have to settle for runners-up as Red Star’s European campaign comes to an end.

Ferencváros top the group despite defeat to Trabzonspor

Scorers: Bakasetas 7′

Trabzonspor secured their place in the Europa Conference League thanks to Anastasios Bakasetas’s first-half goal which saw them beat group winners Ferencváros.