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Man Utd, Arsenal set for Europa League quarters Paris (AFP) – Manchester United head to Spanish surprise package Granada while Arsenal take on Slavia Prague, but Ajax against Roma may be the tie of the round. AFP Sport looks ahead to the Europa League quarter-finals ahead of the first legs on Thursday at 1900 GMT: – Emery the Europa League expert – Dinamo Zagreb (CRO) v Villarreal (ESP) Unai Emery won the Europa League in three consecutive years with Sevilla and took Arsenal to the 2019 final. When he was appointed by Villarreal last summer he said he dreamed of winning a trophy with a club that has been one of the most consistent in Spain in the last 15 years, with nine top-five finishes in La Liga. There have been four European semi-finals too, but they have never won a major trophy or reached a final. With Emery, they are currently sixth in La Liga and have been excellent in Europe, cruising through their group before eliminating Red Bull Salzburg and Dynamo Kiev. Now they face perennial Croatian champions Dinamo Zagreb who are enjoying their best European run since the 1960s after stunning Jose Mourinho’s Tottenham Hotspur in the last 16. Croatian international Mislav Orsic is the man to watch after his brilliant hat-trick did for Spurs. – Ajax eyeing another final – Ajax (NED) v Roma (ITA) On paper this is the tie of round, as the runaway Dutch league leaders welcome visitors from Serie A to Amsterdam for the first leg. Four-time European champions Ajax are enjoying another deep run in continental competition soon after reaching the Europa League final in 2017 and the Champions League semi-finals in 2019. Erik ten Hag was in charge two years ago and is still at the helm now with Ajax beating Lille and Young Boys after dropping out of the Champions League in the group stage. Roma’s hopes of qualifying for the Champions League from Serie A have been hit by a slump in form so the opportunity to get there by winning this competition should not be sniffed at. They have already eliminated Braga and Shakhtar Donetsk in the knockout rounds. – Slavia threat for Arsenal – Arsenal (ENG) v Slavia Prague (CZE) For the second year running Arsenal’s poor league form under Mikel Arteta has left them looking to cup competitions for success. FA Cup winners last year, the Gunners’ only hope of silverware this season is in the Europa League, and this competition — in which they reached the 2019 final — almost certainly offers their best chance of returning to the Champions League next season. After winning all six group games and then edging Benfica and Olympiakos, Arsenal can nevertheless not afford to take Slavia Prague lightly. The Czech champions are on a 21-game unbeaten run which includes knocking Leicester City and Rangers out of Europe. The latter tie was marred by accusations by Rangers midfielder Glen Kamara that he was racially abused by Slavia centre-back Ondrej Kudela, who will miss Thursday’s game in London with what his club described as “a bruised nose” and “high fever”. – Man Utd too strong for Granada? – Granada (ESP) v Manchester United (ENG) United shrugged off the disappointment of being knocked out of the Champions League in the group stage to claim impressive wins against Real Sociedad and AC Milan in the Europa League. The Old Trafford side are chasing a first trophy since winning this competition in 2017 and on paper they should be too strong for Granada, even if Anthony Martial is out injured and Eric Bailly has tested positive for Covid-19. Granada have slumped to ninth in La Liga but have enjoyed a brilliant debut European campaign, notably beating PSV Eindhoven away in the group stage and eliminating Napoli in the last 32 before defeating United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s old club Molde of Norway in the round of 16. “On Thursday we are going to play one of the most important matches in our history,” said Granada coach Diego Martinez, who won the Europa League during his time as an assistant coach to Emery at Sevilla.

Paris (AFP) – Manchester United head to Spanish surprise package Granada while Arsenal take on Slavia Prague, but Ajax against Roma may be the tie of the round. AFP Sport looks ahead to the Europa League quarter-finals ahead of the first legs on Thursday at 1900 GMT: – Emery the Europa League expert – Dinamo Zagreb (CRO) v Villarreal (ESP) Unai Emery won the Europa League in three consecutive years with Sevilla and took Arsenal to the 2019 final. When he was appointed by Villarreal last summer he said he dreamed of winning a trophy with a club that has been one of the most consistent in Spain in the last 15 years, with nine top-five finishes in La Liga. There have been four European semi-finals too, but they have never won a major trophy or reached a final. With Emery, they are currently sixth in La Liga and have been excellent in Europe, cruising through their group before eliminating Red Bull Salzburg and Dynamo Kiev. Now they face perennial Croatian champions Dinamo Zagreb who...

Man Utd, Arsenal into Europa League quarters as Spurs collapse Paris (AFP) – Paul Pogba scored the winner on his return from injury as Manchester United beat AC Milan 1-0 on Thursday to join Arsenal in the Europa League quarter-finals, while Dinamo Zagreb knocked out Tottenham Hotspur after extra time in Croatia. The France midfielder struck the only goal at the San Siro four minutes after replacing Marcus Rashford as a half-time substitute, scooping home after an ugly scramble inside the Milan area. United goalkeeper Dean Henderson produced an excellent reflex save to deny Zlatan Ibrahimovic an equaliser against his old club and secure a 2-1 aggregate victory for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team. The three-time European champions are one of two English clubs in Friday’s draw for the last eight, as Arsenal also qualified despite suffering a 1-0 loss to Olympiakos in the second leg. Youssef El-Arabi’s deflected second-half strike earned Olympiakos another victory at the Emirates but Arsenal advanced 3-2 on aggregate, avenging their exit to the Greeks on away goals last season. “Really happy to be through. We had a tough opponent, so happy to be through. Sometimes we have to be fair with ourselves — we were nowhere near the levels we could be,” Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta told BT Sport. Jose Mourinho’s Spurs crashed out of the competition after surrendering a 2-0 lead from the first leg, with Mislav Orsic scoring a brilliant hat-trick for Croatian champions. Dinamo coach Zoran Mamic resigned this week after being sentenced to four years and eight months in jail for multi-million euro fraud involving Luka Modric’s move to Tottenham and other transfers. However, Orsic curled in a marvellous shot from the corner of the area to give Dinamo the lead on 62 minutes and then capped off a fine move with a thumping finish to send the match to extra time. Orsic completed his treble in style as he ran past three players and hammered a low drive beyond Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Lloris from the edge of area on 106 minutes. Harry Kane nearly snatched a late goal that would have put Spurs through on away goals but his effort was clawed out by Dinamo goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic as the hosts won 3-2 on aggregate. – ‘Basics of life’ – “My team didn’t bring to the game the basics of football or life –- to respect our jobs and give everything. I can only apologise to the Tottenham supporters,” said Mourinho. “If I forget the last 10 minutes of extra time, where we did something to get a different result, the 90 minutes and first half of extra time was one team leaving everything on the pitch. “My team didn’t look like it was playing an important match. Another attitude is needed. To say I feel sad is not enough. What I feel is much more than sadness.” Steven Gerrard’s Rangers finished with nine men in a 2-0 home loss to Slavia Prague, as the Czech side won 3-1 on aggregate. Peter Olayinka gave Slavia an early lead at Ibrox and Rangers’ hopes of a comeback suffered a double blow with Kemar Roofe and then Leon Balogun sent off for the Scottish champions in the second half. Nicolae Stanciu’s free-kick immediately after Balogun’s dismissal ensured victory for Slavia. Ajax made sure of their passage into the next round as a David Neres goal and Dusan Tadic penalty rounded off a 5-0 aggregate win over Young Boys. Gerard Moreno’s double in Spain gave Villarreal a second 2-0 victory over Dynamo Kiev in as many weeks, while Granada extended their European debut, going through 3-2 overall, despite a 2-1 loss to Norway’s Molde in Budapest. Roma also progressed as a 2-1 victory courtesy of two goals from Real Madrid loanee Borja Mayoral against Shakhtar Donetsk in Kiev wrapped up a 5-1 win on aggregate.

Paris (AFP) – Paul Pogba scored the winner on his return from injury as Manchester United beat AC Milan 1-0 on Thursday to join Arsenal in the Europa League quarter-finals, while Dinamo Zagreb knocked out Tottenham Hotspur after extra time in Croatia. The France midfielder struck the only goal at the San Siro four minutes after replacing Marcus Rashford as a half-time substitute, scooping home after an ugly scramble inside the Milan area. United goalkeeper Dean Henderson produced an excellent reflex save to deny Zlatan Ibrahimovic an equaliser against his old club and secure a 2-1 aggregate victory for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team. The three-time European champions are one of two English clubs in Friday’s draw for the last eight, as Arsenal also qualified despite suffering a 1-0 loss to Olympiakos in the second leg. Youssef El-Arabi’s deflected second-half strike earned Olympiakos another victory at the Emirates but Arsenal advanced 3-2 on aggregate, avenging their exit to the Gree...

Arsenal, Man Utd, Rangers into Europa League last 16 as Leicester exit Paris (AFP) – Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored twice including a late winner as Arsenal qualified for the last 16 of the Europa League on Thursday with a 3-2 victory over Benfica in Greece, while Manchester United and Rangers cruised through to the next round. The Gabon striker put Arsenal ahead at the Karaiskakis stadium in Piraeus in their home leg of a tie relocated due to Covid-19 travel restrictions between Portugal and the United Kingdom. Diogo Goncalves levelled the contest with a magnificent free-kick and Rafa Silva gave Benfica a 2-1 lead on the night when he took advantage of an error from Dani Ceballos on the hour. Kieran Tierney rifled in an equaliser and Aubameyang headed in the decisive goal from Bukayo Saka’s cross on 87 minutes, earning the Gunners a 4-3 aggregate victory and saving them from an unusual away goals exit following a 1-1 draw in the first leg in Rome. “Everyone is happy tonight. This is what gives me power every day, take errors from the past and transform to strength,” Aubameyang told BT Sport. “The team showed a lot of character and we deserved the win. It was a hard game. What we showed tonight will be an example for the future.” United cemented their place in Friday’s draw with a 0-0 draw at home to Real Sociedad, having effectively clinched the tie last week with an emphatic 4-0 win on neutral ground in Italy. Mikel Oyarzabal’s awful penalty miss represented the best chance at Old Trafford for La Real, while Bruno Fernandes rattled the crossbar and Axel Tuanzebe’s header was disallowed for a foul. Leicester City, who are behind second-placed United in the Premier League only on goal difference, were knocked out after sliding to a 2-0 loss at home to Czech champions Slavia Prague. Lukas Provod fired Slavia in front just after half-time following a goalless draw in the first leg, and Senegalese teenager Abdallah Sima ensured the visitors extended their run in the competition. “We didn’t create enough over two legs. We didn’t defend with any intensity. We gave away two disappointing goals. The better team won,” said Leicester coach Brendan Rodgers. – Gerrard praises ‘outstanding’ Rangers – Steven Gerrard’s Rangers progressed following their 5-2 win over Belgian side Antwerp at Ibrox, with five different players on target for the Scottish league leaders. After a dramatic 4-3 win in the first leg last week, goals from Alfredo Morelos, Nathan Patterson and Ryan Kent put Rangers in control before late penalties from Borna Barisic and Cedric Itten wrapped up the tie 9-5 on aggregate. “I’m very satisfied, the performance was outstanding in a lot of areas,” said Gerrard. “The first three were top high-level goals. But, as a perfectionist, we still have to look at the areas we went wrong tonight.” AC Milan squeezed past Red Star Belgrade on away goals after a 1-1 draw in a clash of former European champions at the San Siro. Franck Kessie’s early penalty was enough to book Milan’s place in the last 16 despite El Fardou Ben Nabouhane equalising as the tie finished 3-3 over the two legs. Napoli’s dismal run continued as they were knocked out 3-2 on aggregate by Granada despite winning 2-1 in the return fixture in Italy. Ajax eliminated French Ligue 1 leaders Lille with a 2-1 victory in Amsterdam to complete a 4-2 overall win, while Gerard Moreno netted both goals as Villarreal dumped out Salzburg 4-1 on aggregate. Egyptian forward Ahmed Hassan’s 88th-minute strike in Eindhoven sent Olymiapkos through at the expense of PSV 5-4 on aggregate, while Roma and Young Boys brushed aside Braga and Bayer Leverkusen respectively. Former winners Shakhtar Donetsk completed a 3-0 aggregate victory over Maccabi Tel-Aviv, while Norwegians Molde dumped out Hoffenheim 5-3 on aggregate following a 2-0 win in Germany. Dinamo Zagreb and Dynamo Kiev complete the line-up for the last 16, with Tottenham Hotspur also in the mix after destroying Wolfsberg of Austria by an aggregate score of 8-1 on Wednesday.

Paris (AFP) – Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored twice including a late winner as Arsenal qualified for the last 16 of the Europa League on Thursday with a 3-2 victory over Benfica in Greece, while Manchester United and Rangers cruised through to the next round. The Gabon striker put Arsenal ahead at the Karaiskakis stadium in Piraeus in their home leg of a tie relocated due to Covid-19 travel restrictions between Portugal and the United Kingdom. Diogo Goncalves levelled the contest with a magnificent free-kick and Rafa Silva gave Benfica a 2-1 lead on the night when he took advantage of an error from Dani Ceballos on the hour. Kieran Tierney rifled in an equaliser and Aubameyang headed in the decisive goal from Bukayo Saka’s cross on 87 minutes, earning the Gunners a 4-3 aggregate victory and saving them from an unusual away goals exit following a 1-1 draw in the first leg in Rome. “Everyone is happy tonight. This is what gives me power every day, take errors from the past and tran...

Man Utd, Arsenal Europa League matches moved to Italy Paris (AFP) – Manchester United and Arsenal’s first leg matches in the last 32 of the Europa League have been moved to Italy, UEFA announced Tuesday, as coronavirus restrictions hit travel across Europe. United will face Spain’s Real Sociedad in their away leg at Juventus’ Allianz Stadium in Turin, while Arsenal will travel to the Stadio Olimpico in Rome to face Benfica. In a statement, UEFA said that both matches would take place as originally scheduled on February 18, with United kicking off at 1755 GMT and Arsenal 2000 GMT. Molde’s home leg with Hoffenheim, also scheduled for 2000 GMT on the same day, has been moved to Villarreal’s Estadio de la Ceramica. United’s match was moved to the home of the Italian champions after the Spanish government on Tuesday extended a ban on flights from Britain, Brazil and South Africa from February 16 to March 2, in an attempt to stem the spread of new Covid-19 variants. Only legal residents or nationals of Spain and the neighbouring micro-state of Andorra are currently allowed in on flights from these countries. This is the fourth time that Spain has extended its restrictions on arrivals from Britain, which were initially put in place at the end of December. Arsenal meanwhile cannot make their way to Lisbon as the UK has ruled that only essential travel to and from Portugal is permitted. Spain’s decision to extend the ban on arrivals from the UK could also mean Chelsea’s visit to Atletico Madrid in the Champions League on February 23 is also moved. Spanish media report that La Liga leaders Atletico are considering Bucharest or Genoa in Italy as alternatives.

Paris (AFP) – Manchester United and Arsenal’s first leg matches in the last 32 of the Europa League have been moved to Italy, UEFA announced Tuesday, as coronavirus restrictions hit travel across Europe. United will face Spain’s Real Sociedad in their away leg at Juventus’ Allianz Stadium in Turin, while Arsenal will travel to the Stadio Olimpico in Rome to face Benfica. In a statement, UEFA said that both matches would take place as originally scheduled on February 18, with United kicking off at 1755 GMT and Arsenal 2000 GMT. Molde’s home leg with Hoffenheim, also scheduled for 2000 GMT on the same day, has been moved to Villarreal’s Estadio de la Ceramica. United’s match was moved to the home of the Italian champions after the Spanish government on Tuesday extended a ban on flights from Britain, Brazil and South Africa from February 16 to March 2, in an attempt to stem the spread of new Covid-19 variants. Only legal residents or nationals of Spain and the neighbouring micro-sta...

Messi v Ronaldo, Man Utd, Haaland: Champions League storylines to watch Paris (AFP) – The Champions League group stage kicks off on Tuesday with Bayern Munich beginning their defence of the trophy won in Lisbon in August. AFP Sport picks out some of the storylines to watch over the next few weeks: – Messi v Ronaldo – They are the two greatest players of their generation with 11 Ballons d’Or between them, and the two highest scorers in Champions League history. Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are now set to renew their individual rivalry when Barcelona and Juventus clash in Group G. They have not faced off since the Portuguese superstar left Real Madrid for Juventus in 2018. Ronaldo is currently self-isolating after testing positive for Covid-19 and will need to pass a negative test before being allowed to feature against Barca in Turin on October 28. The return at the Camp Nou is on December 8. Both sides should advance from a group also containing Dynamo Kiev and Ferencvaros, but both Messi and Ronaldo are running out of time to win the Champions League again. Messi, now 33, has featured in four victorious campaigns, while 35-year-old Ronaldo has won it five times. – Will Man Utd get out of their group? – Manchester United begin their campaign at Paris Saint-Germain in a repeat of their dramatic last-16 meeting in 2018-19, when the Red Devils progressed thanks to a controversial late penalty. That was arguably the high point of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s reign as Old Trafford manager. It was his 14th win in 17 games as caretaker, and soon after he got the job permanently. But United went out to Barcelona in the quarter-finals and did not qualify for last season’s Champions League. Solskjer’s first full campaign in charge saw United finish third to return to Europe’s top table, but serious doubts remain about his managerial ability and they are in a tough group, with last season’s semi-finalists RB Leipzig and the Turkish champions, Istanbul Basaksehir, as well as PSG. The knives will be out for the Norwegian if they fail to make the knockout stage. – Haaland to star again? – Erling Braut Haaland was the star of last season’s Champions League before the competition was interrupted by the coronavirus pandemic. The Norwegian was a sensation for Red Bull Salzburg in the group stage, scoring eight times. After moving to Borussia Dortmund in the winter he scored two more in the defeat of PSG in the last 16, first leg, although Dortmund ended up losing on aggregate. In total Haaland scored 44 club goals last season, all before turning 20 in July. He already has 11 this season for club and country and Dortmund will hope he can help them out of a group also containing Zenit Saint Petersburg, Lazio and Club Brugge. – Atalanta: Dark horses no more – Atalanta’s run to the quarter-finals, where they suffered an agonising defeat to PSG, would have been heartwarming even had it not coincided with their home city of Bergamo being devastated during the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic. Gian Piero Gasperini’s side qualified for the last 16 despite losing their first three group games and then beat Valencia 8-4 on aggregate in their debut Champions League campaign. They also finished third in Serie A to return to Europe’s elite club competition. But Atalanta are no longer a surprise package and are probably now favourites to advance from their group along with Liverpool, and ahead of Ajax and the Danish champions, Midtjylland. Will they continue to thrive despite no longer being the dark horses? – The debutants – Atalanta may no longer be the new boys but four teams are appearing in the group stage for the first time. The most interesting first-timers are Rennes, who had a best-ever third-place finish in France a year on from winning the French Cup. In Julien Stephan they have one of Europe’s best young coaches, while midfielder Eduardo Camavinga is possibly the hottest young prospect in world football. They are in a difficult group, though, with Chelsea, Sevilla and another newcomer in Russian side Krasnodar. Midtjylland will have it tough up against Liverpool, Atalanta and Ajax. Meanwhile, after breaking up the dominance of the Istanbul giants in Turkey, Basaksehir will hope to cause problems for PSG, Manchester United and Leipzig.

Paris (AFP) – The Champions League group stage kicks off on Tuesday with Bayern Munich beginning their defence of the trophy won in Lisbon in August. AFP Sport picks out some of the storylines to watch over the next few weeks: – Messi v Ronaldo – They are the two greatest players of their generation with 11 Ballons d’Or between them, and the two highest scorers in Champions League history. Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are now set to renew their individual rivalry when Barcelona and Juventus clash in Group G. They have not faced off since the Portuguese superstar left Real Madrid for Juventus in 2018. Ronaldo is currently self-isolating after testing positive for Covid-19 and will need to pass a negative test before being allowed to feature against Barca in Turin on October 28. The return at the Camp Nou is on December 8. Both sides should advance from a group also containing Dynamo Kiev and Ferencvaros, but both Messi and Ronaldo are running out of time to win the Champions...

Man Utd, Inter favourites for Europa League in unique German finale Paris (AFP) – Manchester United, Inter Milan and Sevilla headline a quintet of former champions travelling to Germany for a remodelled eight-team straight knockout tournament that will crown the winner of a Europa League campaign heavily disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic. All games from the quarter-finals onwards in this season’s competition will be played behind closed doors as one-off ties across four venues — Cologne, Duisburg, Dusseldorf and Gelsenkirchen — following a five-month interruption. While a Champions League berth still awaits the victor of the final in Cologne on August 21, much has changed since the COVID-19 outbreak that brought European football to a standstill in March. “There are rules and regulations on the bubble that’s going to travel. We’ve got to stick together, stay together in and around the hotel and the training ground,” United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said of the strict health protocols clubs must respect. Players and staff will undergo virus testing before departing for Germany and again on the eve of a match once arriving, a process repeated for each subsequent game in the final tournament. UEFA has advised teams to travel on charter flights and minimise contact with the general public, strongly recommending the use of exclusive hotels — to which players will largely be confined — in order to avoid potential cross-contamination. Masks will not be required for substitutes and coaching staff but they must maintain social distancing when seated, with players instructed to limit contact as much as possible when warming up. Match balls will be disinfected before kick-off and at half-time. United, the 2017 winners, face FC Copenhagen in Monday’s quarter-final in Cologne while Serie A runners-up Inter take on Bayer Leverkusen in a clash of former UEFA Cup champions at Dusseldorf Arena. – Premier League collision course – England forward Jesse Lingard, who played in United’s 2-0 win over Ajax in the final three years ago, is confident the team can capture the title for a second time. “We can’t wait to get there and play this game now. 100 per cent I want to win it again,” Lingard told MUTV. “Lifting a trophy is a special feeling you can’t really explain and winning it before you take that confidence forward. We have got a mixture of youth and experience in the squad and for the young lads to win their first trophy, it will be perfect for them.” Should United advance to the last four they would face either Sevilla — who have won the Europa League and its precursor, the UEFA Cup, a record five times — or Premier League rivals Wolves in Cologne on August 16. Wolves are through to a first European quarter-final since 1972 but were punished by UEFA in midweek after failing to comply with Financial Fair Play requirements. They take on Sevilla in Duisburg on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Inter beat Getafe 2-0 in a single-leg last-16 tie Wednesday in Gelsenkirchen, and Antonio Conte’s men harbour hopes of adding to the three UEFA Cups won in the 1990s. “This is an important competition. It doesn’t matter where and under what conditions you’re playing, you should only be focused on the upcoming match,” midfielder Christian Eriksen told Inter TV. “It’s certainly not as fun playing without fans, the atmosphere isn’t there. We’ll try to excite them while they’re watching on TV, and we’re hoping that we’ll be able to embrace our supporters again soon.” Ukrainian champions Shakhtar Donetsk, winners of the 2009 edition, play Swiss outfit Basel in the other quarter-final in Gelsenkirchen. This year’s Europa League final was initially due to be played in the Polish city of Gdansk in late May before the health crisis forced a change of plans. Gdansk will host next year’s final instead.

Paris (AFP) – Manchester United, Inter Milan and Sevilla headline a quintet of former champions travelling to Germany for a remodelled eight-team straight knockout tournament that will crown the winner of a Europa League campaign heavily disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic. All games from the quarter-finals onwards in this season’s competition will be played behind closed doors as one-off ties across four venues — Cologne, Duisburg, Dusseldorf and Gelsenkirchen — following a five-month interruption. While a Champions League berth still awaits the victor of the final in Cologne on August 21, much has changed since the COVID-19 outbreak that brought European football to a standstill in March. “There are rules and regulations on the bubble that’s going to travel. We’ve got to stick together, stay together in and around the hotel and the training ground,” United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said of the strict health protocols clubs must respect. Players and staff will undergo virus ...

Arsenal, Man Utd, Celtic target Europa League knockout berths Paris (AFP) – Last season’s Europa League finalists Arsenal and 2017 champions Manchester United can clinch places in the last 32 of the competition this week, while group leaders Celtic face a “titanic game” away to Lazio. Arsenal have won just twice in nine Premier League outings but are chasing a fourth straight victory in Group F away to bottom side Vitoria Guimaraes on Wednesday. Gunners boss Unai Emery has stripped Granit Xhaka of the captaincy in the wake of an emotional outburst towards supporters in last month’s draw at home to Crystal Palace. “I was speaking with him this morning and I decided he’s not one of the captains in our group and I decided that and I told him this morning,” Emery said Tuesday. “He accepted my decision.” Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who wore the armband at the weekend against Wolves and will take over the role full-time, was also left out the travelling squad along with Mesut Ozil and David Luiz. United can punch their ticket to the knockout phase on Thursday with another win over Partizan Belgrade, the Serbian side coached by former Aston Villa striker Savo Milosevic. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team registered a 1-0 win in Belgrade a fortnight ago and are one of just two clubs yet to concede a goal in the competition. The Norwegian urged his United players to bounce back from Saturday’s 1-0 loss at Bournemouth that left them a dismal 10th in the table. “You have got to react, you have got to recover,” said Solskjaer, who is still without Paul Pogba because of an ankle problem. “We have two more games before the international break, we’ve got a chance on Thursday to qualify in Europe and then Brighton at home – so we need a response.” – ‘Huge incentive’ – Back-to-back home wins have fired Celtic top of Group E and the Scottish champions could qualify with three points in the Italian capital, if Rennes fail to beat Cluj. Neil Lennon’s side will make the trip full of confidence after setting up a League Cup final clash with Rangers following a 5-2 win over Hibernian. “We know what a huge incentive it is to go to Rome and get a result, and off the back of the semi-final win and the feel-good factor, psychologically, the players will all be in a good place,” said Lennon. “It’s a titanic game ahead of us, we know the calibre of opposition we’ve got on Thursday night in Lazio, but it’s not beyond us.”

Paris (AFP) – Last season’s Europa League finalists Arsenal and 2017 champions Manchester United can clinch places in the last 32 of the competition this week, while group leaders Celtic face a “titanic game” away to Lazio. Arsenal have won just twice in nine Premier League outings but are chasing a fourth straight victory in Group F away to bottom side Vitoria Guimaraes on Wednesday. Gunners boss Unai Emery has stripped Granit Xhaka of the captaincy in the wake of an emotional outburst towards supporters in last month’s draw at home to Crystal Palace. “I was speaking with him this morning and I decided he’s not one of the captains in our group and I decided that and I told him this morning,” Emery said Tuesday. “He accepted my decision.” Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who wore the armband at the weekend against Wolves and will take over the role full-time, was also left out the travelling squad along with Mesut Ozil and David Luiz. United can punch their ticket to the knockout phase...

Man Utd, Arsenal carry English hopes in Europa League Paris (AFP) – Manchester United and last year’s finalists Arsenal headline an English trio that also features Europa League newcomers Wolves while record five-time champions Sevilla figure to be among the primary contenders as the group stage begins Thursday. Scottish rivals Celtic and Rangers face testing paths to the knockout rounds as bitter foes Roma and Lazio bid to end Italy’s two-decade wait for the title. Porto, PSV Eindhoven and Feyenoord are the other former European Cup winners in a competition that will welcome the eight third-place finishers from the Champions League groups for the knockout phase. United, Europa League winners in 2017, will host Astana in Group L as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side face opponents from Kazakhstan for the first time in club history. They will expected to progress with relative ease from a group that also includes Partizan Belgrade and former finalists AZ Alkmaar of the Netherlands. Unai Emery’s Arsenal return to the competition after last season’s 4-1 defeat by Chelsea in the final in Baku saw the Blues pip them to Champions League qualification. The Gunners visit Eintracht Frankfurt to kick off their campaign, with 10-time Belgian champions Standard Liege and Portugal’s Vitoria Guimaraes also in Group F. Wolves, in their first European campaign since 1980, will meet Portuguese club Braga in their opening game at Molineux. Nuno Espirito Santo’s team came through three ties just to reach the group stage. They beat Torino 5-3 on aggregate in the play-offs. “I think any team in the Europa League are a good team who we will respect going up against them. We will give everything, try to play and try to beat any team,” said Wolves winger Adama Traore. “Any player wants to play in Europe, but the Europa League is exciting, it is a new thing for us and it’s a good thing.” – Six newcomers – Scottish champions Celtic travel to French Cup holders Rennes in Group E, with Italian Cup holders Lazio and CFR Cluj, the Romanian side to whom they lost in Champions League qualifying, completing a tricky section. Steven Gerrard’s Rangers are at home to Jaap Stam’s Feyenoord on Thursday and will do well to navigate a group with Porto and Swiss champions Young Boys. Roma will take on Istanbul Basaksehir in their first game while Moenchengladbach host Austria’s Wolfsberg — not to be confused with German outfit Wolfsburg. Austria boast two representatives with LASK Linz among the six debutants — alongside Espanyol, Wolves, Wolfsberg, Olexandriya and Ferencvaros — in the tournament.

Paris (AFP) – Manchester United and last year’s finalists Arsenal headline an English trio that also features Europa League newcomers Wolves while record five-time champions Sevilla figure to be among the primary contenders as the group stage begins Thursday. Scottish rivals Celtic and Rangers face testing paths to the knockout rounds as bitter foes Roma and Lazio bid to end Italy’s two-decade wait for the title. Porto, PSV Eindhoven and Feyenoord are the other former European Cup winners in a competition that will welcome the eight third-place finishers from the Champions League groups for the knockout phase. United, Europa League winners in 2017, will host Astana in Group L as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side face opponents from Kazakhstan for the first time in club history. They will expected to progress with relative ease from a group that also includes Partizan Belgrade and former finalists AZ Alkmaar of the Netherlands. Unai Emery’s Arsenal return to the competition after l...