Europa League roundup: Roma edge out Feyenoord on penalties to reach last 16
Roma beat Feyenoord 4-2 on penalties to advance to the Europa League last 16 on Thursday following a 1-1 draw after extra-time in a repeat of the first leg result.
Roma goalkeeper Mile Svilar denied David Hancko and Alireza Jahanbakhsh in the shootout to send his side into the knockout stages. Nicola Zalewski scored the winning spot-kick.
Roma 1-1 Feyenoord (agg 2-2, pens 4-2): Europa League – as it happened
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Santiago Giménez gave Feyenoord the lead in the fifth minute with a deflected close-range shot before Roma captain Lorenzo Pellegrini levelled 10 minutes later, sending a stunning curled shot into the top corner.
Clearly fired up, Roma pushed for the lead and Bryan Cristante, Pellegrini and Rick Karsdorp all had chances as the hosts kept Feyenoord under pressure for the remainder of the first half.
Feyenoord’s defence, however, continued to make things difficult for Roma and goalkeeper Timon Wellenreuther denied Romelu Lukaku’s attempt from a rebound shortly before the game went into extra-time. Wellenreuther denied the Belgium striker again in the dying minutes before saving his shot in the penalty shootout.
Milan reached the Europa League last 16 despite a 3-2 loss at Rennes on Thursday as Benjamin Bourigeaud’s hat-trick was not enough for the hosts to stop the Italian side completing a 5-3 aggregate victory.
Rennes, facing an uphill battle after Milan secured an emphatic 3-0 home win in the first leg, started aggressively in rainy conditions.
Bourigeaud scored with a shot into the bottom corner after 11 minutes before Luka Jovic levelled with a powerful header. Bourigeaud converted a penalty nine minutes into the second half after Simon Kjær’s trip on Martin Terrier, before Rafael Leão equalised in the 58th minute for Milan.
“We gave it our all from start to finish, regardless of the position we were in and the goals we conceded. This hat-trick is the reward for a whole team’s effort,” Bourigeaud told uefa.com.
Rennes were awarded another penalty in the 68th minute after a handball by Jovic and Bourigeaud completed his hat-trick from the spot.
“We will all have our opinions coming back, but we have qualified. Getting through to the next round seemed easy in the first leg, it wasn’t an easy affair, but we still have a lot of situations to evaluate,” Milan manager Stefano Pioli told Sky Sports Italy.
Milan, who dropped into the Europa League after finishing third in their Champions League group, will find out who they play in the round of 16 on Friday. “I think tonight’s match confirmed that we have a lot of potential going forwards. But we have to concede fewer chances against our opponents,” Pioli added.
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Azerbaijan’s Qarabag advanced after a thrilling game against Portuguese side Braga which they lost 3-2 after extra time but won the tie 6-5 on aggregate. Qarabag, down to 10 men early in the second half, forced their match against Braga into extra time before Nariman Akhundzade’s late goal sent them through.
Benfica and Toulouse shared the spoils in a goalless draw as the Portuguese champions advanced to the last 16 after beating the struggling French team 2-1 at home in the first leg.
Freiburg beat Lens 3-2 after extra-time following a goalless first leg in France. David Costa and Elye Wahi scored for Lens before the break and Roland Sallai pulled one back for hosts Freiburg before equalising in stoppage time. Michael Gregoritsch emerged as Freiburg’s hero with a goal in extra-time to send the German side through.
Sparta Prague recovered from a 3-2 first-leg defeat by Galatasaray to upset the Turkish giants with a 4-1 home win to advance 6-4 on aggregate. The Czech champions scored three goals after the visitors were down to 10 men when Kaan Ayhan was sent off in the 68th minute.
Sporting advanced 4-2 on aggregate against Young Boys after the Swiss side scored late in the game to grab a 1-1 consolation draw in the return leg.
Marseille came from a goal down to beat Ukraine’s Shakhtar Donetsk 3-1 following a 2-2 draw last time out. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who levelled for the French side in the 23rd minute, became the competition’s all-time top scorer with 31 goals.