Right then, like Unai Emery any day now, I’ll be off. Bye!
Here’s Nick Ames’ match report from the Emirates:
For 54 minutes it was tempting to wonder whether this low-key encounter, watched by a sparse attendance and trundling along nicely enough in Arsenal’s favour, might one day go down in history as the night a troubled head coach began clawing his way back from the brink. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s goal had left them looking as comfortable as this team ever can, and there was even the good news story of a quiet reintegration for Granit Xhaka, who had performed tidily enough. Then Daichi Kamada struck two bolts from the blue for Eintracht Frankfurt and it is impossible to escape the conclusion that, no matter what Unai Emery tries, his tenure is doomed to fail.
Much more here:
Unai Emery faces the cameras:
Yes, we lost here and for the Europa League we continue. We have the last match to achieve our objective. Today I think we improve. In the first half we deserved to win. The second half, the first five, 10 minutes or so wasn’t good for us. We lost control for 15 minutes and they scored two goals. The first half we controlled all the game. We created chances to score a second goal. The second half as well, for five or 10 minutes was positive. Then we lost control of the game, they pushed and scored two goals. We tried again to come back, but really we didn’t push, we didn’t create a big opportunity to score. We think we deserved more, but we lost control of the game for 15 minutes and they achieved their result in that moment.
I am being positive but above all realistic. We lost a very good opportunity to reach the next round tonight. I’m thinking about the next match.
I rather missed the complete Rosenbergness of the Malmo match. Here’s the scene before kick-off:
La historia del día: el canterano Markus Rosenberg jugaba su último partido ante la gente del Malmo y en la previa se vivió esta fiesta espectacular. El sueco de 37 años terminó marcando ¡en la última jugada! el 4-3 ante Dinamo Kiev que les da vida en la #UELxESPN. pic.twitter.com/W2Ha10zr53
— SportsCenter (@SC_ESPN) November 28, 2019
He captains the team, and scores twice in an absolute humdinger of a game, including in the winner in the fourth minute of stoppage time:
SEGER!
— Malmö FF (@Malmo_FF) November 28, 2019
En bra bit in på den sex minuter långa tilläggstiden kliver han fram. I sin sista match någonsin på Stadion.
Markus Rosenberg!
Malmö FF!
💙#MFFFCD | 4–3 | #UEL pic.twitter.com/U6O9hCR7Ob
Followed by wild post-game celebrations, curtain-calls and tributes:
Tack @M_Rosenberg82! För alltid himmelsblå för alltid en legend ! #MarkusRosenberg #MalmöFF #legend #UEL pic.twitter.com/fBAOXN4Ozd
— Måns Ingvarsson ⭐⭐ (@IngvarssonMans) November 28, 2019
Malmo v Dynamo Kyiv got the last-minute winner it deserved, incidentally. Markus Rosenberg scored it. It is his last home game for Malmo, ahead of his imminent retirement. Fairytale stuff.
All the final scores of tonight’s 8pm kick-offs:
Group A
Dudelange 0-2 Apoel Nicosia
Sevilla 2-0 Qarabag
Group B
Lugano 0-1 Copenhagen
Malmo 4-3 Dynamo Kyiv
Group D
Rosenborg 1-2 LASK
Sporting 4-0 PSV Eindhoven
Group E
Celtic 3-1 Rennes
Lazio 1-0 Cluj
Group F
Arsenal 1-2 Eintracht Frankfurt
Vitoria Guimaraes 1-1 Standard Liege
“We just witnessed an absolute shambles of a performance in the second half,” rages Martin Keown.
Final score: Arsenal 1-2 Eintracht Frankfurt
Boos echo around a largely already-empty Emirates Stadium as the final whistle blows on another Arsenal defeat. Seven games without a win now, and is there any way back from this for Unai Emery?
Final score: Celtic 3-1 Rennes
Another European win for Celtic, who are now guaranteed first place in Group E after a comfortable victory over Rennes.
90+2 mins: Guendouzi throws a frustrated elbow into the nearest opponent, and is booked.
90+1 mins: There will be three minutes of stoppage time at Arsenal. Celtic, meanwhile, are playing the last of four advertised minutes.
90 mins: The corner is worked to Saka, whose shot from 20 yards is blocked.
89 mins: The Arsenal fans don’t know whether to boo or leave. Their team is making a late effort, and Willock’s cross is headed behind for a corner.
89 mins: A penalty shout! Saka goes down in the area, but the referee couldn’t be less interested.
Updated
GOAL! Celtic 3-1 Rennes (Hunou, 89 mins)
A consolation for Rennees in Glasgow! It’s a fine cross from the left and a fine run from Hunou, across the defender, and his header flashes in at the near post.
Updated
84 mins: Eintracht keep threatening, but they also keep trying to dribble round lots of Arsenal players in the penalty area. If they just hurried up and shot, they might score another yet.
83 mins: Abraham, the Frankfurt captain, goes down for a while in apparent pain. And then he gets up and walks away. His antics earn him some loud booing.
80 mins: Arsenal have basically stopped attacking. Or at least, they’ve stopped shooting. The game is drifting away from them.
Updated
They just won’t stop scoring at Malmo. Dynamov Kyiv’s Benjamin Verbic has made it 3-3 there now.
76 mins: Mustafi has indeed had to go off, and Torreira has come on to replace him, forcing Xhaka into defence. A team that started with three centre-backs on the pitch now has one.
GOAL! Celtic 3-0 Rennes (Johnston, 74 mins)
A fine one-two with Ntcham, a great first touch, and a precise low finish across goal from Michael Johnston puts Celtic in a three-goal lead, and they are totally bossing Group E!
Updated
69 mins: Nearly a third for Frankfurt! Gacinovic is played in down the left, but Sokratis manages to keep up with him, and get a boot in the way of the shot when it comes.
67 mins: Mustafi required a bit of treatment after that second goal, and it looks like he might have to go off here. That would be Arsenal’s final substitution, and certainly not how Emery would like to use it.
GOAL! Arsenal 1-2 Eintracht Frankfurt (Kamada, 64 mins)
Ozil’s arrival hasn’t changed the course of the Gunners game! Martínez makes an excellent save, but when the ensuing corner is headed to the edge of the area there are three black shirts there, in all sorts of space. Kamada collects the ball, composes himself, and under no pressure whatsoever sends it arrowing towards the bottom corner!
Updated
The goals are flying in now across the continent. Erdal Rakip has made it Malmo 3-2 Dynamo Kyiv in what sounds like an absolute belter, Meanwhile Bryan Gil has scored for Sevilla against Qarabag, which is great news for Ciaran.
Updated
60 mins: Emery has acted, by taking off Martinelli and bringing on Ozil.
57 mins: The goal has been coming, even if Eintracht hadn’t created many clear chances. They made two changes at half-time, bringing on Kohr and Gacinovic for Fernandes and Andre Silva, and they have dominated the game since the restart.
GOAL! Arsenal 1-1 Eintracht Frankfurt (Kamada, 55 mins)
An equaliser! Kamada collects the ball on the edge of the area, on the right-hand side, facing away from goal. He’s allowed to spin, come infield and curl a lovely left-footer inside the far post!
Updated
47 mins: Chance for Arsenal! And another chance for Arsenal! Martinelli tees up Willock, whose shot should have gone in but instead went wide, off a defender’s leg. And from the corner Xhaka ghosts past his man and pulls back to Chambers, who wellies his shot way high!
The goals just keep coming in Malmo, where Markus Rosenberg, who is presumably on loan from the 2006 World Cup, has equalised for the home side against Dynamo Kyiv. Rosenberg is 37 now.
Ciarán is at the Ramón Sanchez Pijuan for the Sevilla v Qarabag game! And he’s sent in a half-time report. There the good news ends, though:
Just in case you’re wondering, there’s absolutely nothing going on. Sevilla, somehow, started the game eight points above second place, and played with an obvious and understandable lack of energy. Chicharito, looking a lot heavier than I remembered him, hasn’t even tested Asmir Begovic in what they’re already calling the battle of former Premier League players.
Play is back under way at Celtic. And probably some other places. Not, though, at Arsenal, thanks to all those first-half stoppages.
On one hand, the Arsenal match has been very slow-paced and underwhelming. On the other hand, there’s hardly anyone there so on a per-capita basis they’ve surely had more excitement per head than normal.
And a report from Feyenoord, where a point was single-handedly won for Rangers by Morelos, more or less:
And some half-time reading, firstly a report on Wolves’ ding-dong Braga-based draw:
All your half-time scores:
Group A
Dudelange 0-2 Apoel Nicosia
Sevilla 0-0 Qarabag
Group B
Lugano 0-1 Copenhagen
Malmo 1-2 Dynamo Kyiv
Group D
Rosenborg 1-1 LASK
Sporting 3-0 PSV Eindhoven
Group E
Celtic 2-0 Rennes
Lazio 1-0 Cluj
Group F
Arsenal 1-0 Eintracht Frankfurt
Vitoria Guimaraes 1-1 Standard Liege
45+4 mins: They’re playing five minutes of stoppage time at Arsenal, where Xhaka is back on the pitch and skewing a shot wide from the edge of the box.
GOAL! Celtic 2-0 Rennes (Christie, 45+2 mins)
Ryan Christie has doubled Celtic’s lead just before half-time! It’s a decent shot, and it bounces nastily on its way inside the near post from 20 yards or so, but the keeper should absolutely have got a bit of himself in the way of that one.
Updated
GOAL! Arsenal 1-0 Eintracht Frankfurt (Aubameyang, 45+2 mins)
Martinelli slides the ball across the area from the right, and Aubameyang’s shot hits the bottom of a defender’s outstretched leg, and the top of the goalkeeper’s outstretched leg, and then the bottom of the crossbar, and then bounces, and then goes in!
Updated
A couple of away goals to tell you about: Maxime Lestienne has given Standard Liege a 1-0 lead at Guimaraes, in Arsenal’s group. And Giorgos Merkis makes it Dudelange 0-1 Apoel Nicosia.
43 mins: Another injury at Arsenal, where Xhaka has had lengthy treatment to his right knee.
41 mins: Saka has a chance at the end of a bizarrely slow-paced Arsenal move, but it’s straight at the keeper.
It’s all going off in Malmo, where Viktor Tsygankov has given Dynamo Kyiv a 2-1 lead.
34 mins: Martinelli gets a caution for fouling Kostic, who was himself booked a while ago. Consider yourselves up to date on Arsenal-based bookings.
32 mins: David Luiz has played on for a while, but is unable to run off the mysterious injury that mysteriously injured him earlier. He’s off, and Guendouzi is on.
Updated
30 mins: Saka is played through, but Rönnow comes out well to get in the way of the shot. He seems to have hurt his ankle in the process, and the physios are now on.
Updated
Lazio lead Cluj 1-0, thanks to a goal from Joaquin Correa. Not to be confused with Eddie Izzard, who’s had a joking career.
Updated
28 mins: Another chance for Celtic! Ntcham shoots from just outside the area, and aims it expertly for the far post, but the keeper makes a good save.
GOAL! Celtic 1-0 Rennes (Morgan, 21 mins)!
An excellent cut-back, a fine first-time finish and Celtic are in the lead! That was a fine move, filleting the French side down their left flank, and an all-round good goal.
Updated
Dynamo Kyiv have equalised at Malmo! The young defender Vitaliy Mykolenko has done the scoring. Also, Thomas Goiginger has given LASK a 0-1 advantage at Rosenborg.
Updated
More goals: Uros Matic has scored from the spot to give Apoel Nicosia a 0-1 lead at Dudelange. And Bruno Fernandes has doubled Sporting’s lead over PSV.
16 mins: Amazing miss/save combo! And then a goalline clearance! Xhaka swings in a corner, and an absolutely bonkers defensive header sends the ball straight to Martinelli, unmarked and six yards out, who’s got a tap-in! He taps straight into the keeper. Another corner, and this time Martinelli heads it at the near post, and it’s headed off the line at the far!
Updated
Sporting have taken the lead against PSV, through Luiz Phellype. Victory would take the Portuguese side through tonight.
David Luiz is currently on the turf, apparently hurt. Watching replays of the incident it’s hard to see how he’s managed to get himself injured, but such is life. He is, interestingly, playing as a midfield anchor tonight.
11 mins: Arsenal nearly score! It’s a lovely cross from the left, and either Willock or Aubameyang had to nod it in at the back stick! But instead of one of them having a free header they mark each other, put each other off, and Aubameyang heads wide.
Updated
The only goal of the 8pm kick-offs so far has come at Malmo, who have taken a second-minute lead against Dynamo Kyiv through Rasmus Bengtsson.
5 mins: Action at Arsenal, where Unai Emery has been told to take off his black jacket, which combined with his black trousers might lead people to think he’s playing for Eintracht Frankfurt, who are clad all in black.
Updated
1 min: Peeeeeep! We’re off!
Ruddy Buquet is perhaps my No1 top favourite referee’s name. Not to be confused with this, which is of course a ruddy bouquet.
The Emirates is at the very most half full tonight. It’s come to something when fans can’t even be relied on to turn up and boo.
Updated
The 8pm kick-offs in full:
Group A
Dudelange v Apoel Nicosia
Sevilla v Qarabag
Group B
Lugano v Copenhagen
Malmo v Dynamo Kyiv
Group D
Rosenborg v LASK
Sporting v PSV Eindhoven
Group E
Celtic v Rennes
Lazio v Cluj
Group F
Arsenal v Eintracht Frankfurt
Vitoria Guimaraes v Standard Liege
Hello world! No time for shilly-shallying: the players are already coming out at the Emirates, where Granit Xhaka returns to the side for the first time since his post-substitutional strop precisely one month and one day ago. Unai Emery keeps five of the team that drew with Southampton at the weekend, and changes the rest.
Arsenal: Martinez, Mustafi, Papastathopoulos, Luiz, Chambers, Willock, Xhaka, Tierney, Martinelli, Aubameyang, Saka. Subs: Leno, Lacazette, Ozil, Torreira, Pepe, Nelson, Guendouzi.
Eintracht Frankfurt: Ronnow, Abraham, Hasebe, Hinteregger, Da Costa, Sow, Fernandes, Kostic, Kamada, Paciencia, Andre Silva. Subs: Ndicka, Joveljic, Gacinovic, Toure, Chandler, Kohr, Zimmermann.
Referee: Ruddy Buquet (France)
Updated
Still plenty more matches to come today, including those featuring Arsenal, Celtic and Dudelange. And here comes Simon Burnton to take you through them. So it’s bye from me. Bye!
Here are all today’s results so far:
Astana 2-1 Manchester United
Braga 3-3 Wolves
Feyenoord 2-2 Rangers
AZ Alkmaar 2-2 Partizan
Krasnodor 1-0 Basel
Trabzonspor 0-1 Getafe
Young Boys 1-2 Porto
CSKA 1-1 Ludogorets
Oleksandra 0-1 Wolfsburg
Ferencvaros 2-2 Espanyol
BAsaksehir 0-3 Roma
Saint Etienne 0-0 Gent
WAC 0-1 Monchengladbach
Besiktas 2-1 Slovan Bratislava
Young Boys 1-2 Porto
Full-time: Braga 3-3 Wolves
Wolves are through to the last 32. But Nuno will be annoyed that they let slip a 3-1 lead here, with this result meaning they remain second in the group behind Braga.
Full-time: Feyenoord 2-2 Rangers
Two goals by Morelos means Rangers are top of their group going into the last game, in which they will need to avoid defeat at home to Young Boys.
90 min: Saïss swings his left foot at the ball from 25 yards. He makes a reasonable connection but it swirls over the bar.
88 min: Braga threaten to hurt Wovles on the counter-attack, but the decisive pass is just too long for Fransergio.
Porto are now leading 2-1 against Young Boys, so all four teams could be still in contention going into the last group game.
GOAL! Braga 3-3 Wolves (Fransergio 78)
They’ve come back from 3-1 down! And the equaliser is a dreadfully sloppy from a Wolves’ viewpoint. Coady cleared a corner but then a cross came back in from the left and Fransergio was free to nod in from close range.
Updated
GOAL! Besiktas 1-1 Slovan Bratislava (Roco 76). That means that both Braga and Wolves would go through to the next round, ceteris paribus.
Updated
75 min: Marvellous play by Moutinho. He wins the ball in midfield and then flips a sublime pass with the outside of his foot to Neto, who bombs down the right and sends over a delivery .... that comes to nothing.
73 min: Paulinho booked for nearly rugby tackling Traoré to the ground, which, in fairness, is no mean feat.
Updated
GOAL! Feyenoord 2-2 Rangers (Sinisterra 66)
Super forward play by another Colombian. Sinisterra sent a bamboozled Helander spinning backwards onto his backside before dinking the ball over the advancing McGregor.
Updated
GOAL! Braga 2-3 Wolves (Paulinho 64)
Braga pounce on a slack pass by Saïss. Galeno feeds Paulinho, who finishes well.
Updated
GOAL! Feyenoord 1-2 Rangers (Morelos 65)
Another perfect finish from the Colombian. Barasic’s cross from the left was ideal, and the striker leapt between two defenders to glance a header into the top corner from 10 yards. A brilliant goal that could clinch Rangers’ place in the next round.
Updated
63 min: Morelos has an appeal for a penalty turned down after the centreback climbs over him.
Celtic team
Here is the side that will host Rennes.
Celtic: Forster; Bauer, Ajer, Julien, Taylor; McGregor, Brown; Forrest, Christie, Morgan; Ntcham
62 min: Rangers are nothing like the limp side of the first half. They’re starting to really rattle their hosts now. Morelos comes close to scoring a second but is denied by the keeper, who paws his 20-yard shot out for a corner.
As things stand, with Rangers drawing and Porto losing, Steven Gerrard’s side would advance to the next round.
GOAL! Feyenoord 1-1 Rangers (Morelos 52)
Rangers are level! Davis sprayed the ball wide to Kent on the left. Kent sent a lovely cross to the far post, leaving Senesei not knowing how to deal with it. While the defender tried to make up his mind, Morelos kept his eye on the ball and, without out even having to jump, heads it past the keeper from six yards. That’s his 23rd goal of the season, his 12th in this competition!
Updated
51 min: Wolves almost add to their lead. A delightful run and cross by Traoré gave Jota a chance to outjump the defender and nod towards goals. But the keeper made a decent save.
Updated
“In the action photos from Braga, the stands appear to be as empty as a pocket,” notes poor Peter Oh. “Are the Portuguese club serving some sort of closed stadium ban, or are Wolves not deemed exciting enough of a draw?” It sure is a small crowd. Maybe the ticket prices were too high? Or folks have been put off by the awful weather? There are plenty of Wolves fans there, though. I can’t see them but they’re making plenty of noise. Nuno had a dream, apparently.
Arsenal team v Eintracht Frankfurt
Here is the side that the still employed Unai Emery hopes has picked. Xhaka is back!:
Arsenal: Martinez; Mustafi, David Luiz, Sokratis, Chambers, Willock, Xhaka, Tierney; Martinelli, Aubameyang, Sako
Updated
Lots of half-time scores:
Braga 1-3 Wolves
Feyenoord 1-0 Rangers
Young Boys 1-0 Porto
CSKA 0-0 Ludogorets
Ferencvaros 1-1 Espanyol
Olesandra 0-1 Wolfsburg
Saint Etienne 0-0 Gent
Basakeshir 0-3 Roma
WAC 0-0 Monchengladbach
Besiktas 0-1 Slovan Bratislava
AZ Alkmaar 0-2 Partizan
Half-time: Back in Portugal, against a team wearing something close to the Arsenal kit, Nuno is having a ball. Wolves have come from behind to lead 3-1 and they fully deserve it. Jimenez has been particularly brilliant in a splendid collective performance so far. As for Rangers at Feyenoord, not so much. They trail 1-0 after being dominated in the first half.
43 min: Tavernier curls in a dangerous freekick, but Feyenoord clear. Still, Rangers are at least ending the half at the right end of the pitch.
41 min: Rangers are being overwhelmed in Rotterdam and can be grateful to Feyenoord’s shoddy finishing for the score being only 1-0.
GOAL! Besiktas 0-1 Slovan Bratislava (Daniel 35) A win would keep the Slovaks in contention, making their final group game - at home to Braga - very interesting.
Updated
GOAL! Braga 1-3 Wolves (Traoré 35)
Two goals in 82 seconds! And this, too, is a super finish, as Traoré rockets a low shot under the keeper from 16 yards. Wolves are heading for the knockout phase!
Updated
GOAL! Braga 1-2 Wolves (Doherty 34)
A lovely goal by the Irishman! Jimenez clipped in a cross and Doherty, having charged into the box, slams a header downwards past the keeper.
Updated
GOAL! Feyenoord 1-0 Rangers (Helander og 33)
Feyenoord’s domination reaps its reward, albeit with unwitting assistance from Rangers. First,a header by Barasic was too weak to count as a clearance, then Toornstra’s shot from 20 yards skimmed off Helander’s knee and into the net!
Updated
GOAL! Basakeshir 0-1 Roma (Veretout 30). The Italians take the lead through a penalty. If this were to be the final score, they would be right back in qualification contention. If the Turks can turn it around, they will go through.
Updated
28 min: Doherty does well down the right again for Wolves, but the keeper rushes out to claim his cross. But Wolves are doing even better down the left, where Jonny and Jota are making regular gains. Jota has just cracked a low shot wide of the far post after another sharp move.
GOAL! AZ Alkmaar 0-2 Partizan (Soumah 27) The Dutch side could seal qualification today, but not by playing the way they are at the moment.
Updated
23 min: Sinisterra skies the ball over the bar from 10 yards after Feyenoord open up Rangers down the right. Meanwhile, William Hargreaves has a grievance with my Nuno/Arsenal comment in the preamble. “There can’t be that many bigger and better run clubs than Arsenal, can there, over the last quarter century, for example? Okay, there’s the big two in Spain, one each in France, Italy and Germany, and two or three in England, debatably, but to suggest this wouldn’t be an exciting move up from Spurs seems a little dry? I’ve heard commentators describe their squad as the third best in the PL, they’re one of the most profitable (possibility of investment), and with that wealth of young talent coming on, I’d have thought a chap of Nuno’s capability and ambition would be chomping at the bit.” Firstly, Arsenal do not have the third best squad in the Premier League. Secondly, it’s the next 2-5 years - not the last 25 years - you need to be looking at. How well run are Arsenal now? Nuno could do better.
Updated
GOAL! Alkmaar 0-1 Partizan (Asano 16). The Serbs have to win this to remain in contention for qualification.
17 min: McGregor makes a terrific save to deny Sinisterra. Moments later, Feyenoord threaten again, with a shot by Larsson deflected wide at the near post.
Jimenez’s goal reminds me that one of the best headed goals I’ve ever seen was scored by a Mexcian. Remember this from Jared Borgetti at the 2002 World Cup?
Updated
GOAL! Braga 1-1 Wolves (Jimenez 13)
A lovely goal! Moutinho fed Jonny, who delivered a sumptuous cross to the back post. Jimenez arrived and angled an expert header in at the far post.
Updated
10 min: Doherty and Traoré combine nicely down the right until the latter slightly overruns the ball, giving the left-back an opportunity to step in and dispossesses him.
GOAL! Young Boys 1-0 Porto (Fassnacht 6). That will be enough to put the Swiss through in Rangers’ group if the score stays the same.
GOAL! Braga 1-0 Wolevs (A Horta 6)
The hosts take the lead with first shot of the match! But it was all thanks to a diabolical deflection off Ruben Neves. The young of the Horta brothers tried his luck from nearly 25 yards and Rui Patricio would have claimed it easily if not for the nick off Neves’ foot.
Updated
4 min: Rangers are having to play a containment game at the minute, as Feyenoord pop the ball around brightly in search of an opening.
3 min: Wolves have made a confident start in Braga, passing the ball around progressively. But Jota has just brought a promising move to an undignified end by donking a cross straight to the nearest defender.
Over at Feyenoord, meanwhile, the stadium is packed and very noisy. You’d suggest the atmosphere would be intimidating if you didn’t know Rangers are somewhat experienced in dealing with intensely hostile away environments.
Updated
The players of Braga and Wolves have entered the pitch, which almost looks like a paddyfield. Yep, it’s raining in Portugal like it’s never going to stop. Maybe that’s why there’s a very low turnout in the stands.
The other results from the earlier kickoffs:
Group C:
Trabzonspor 0-1 Getafe. The Turks were already eliminated, the Spaniards’ fate will be decided on the last group day.
Krasnodor 1-0 Basel. Basel are already through. Krasnodor and Getafe will contest the group’s other qualifying spot.
Updated
Result: Astana 2-1 Manchester United
United gave debuts to seven players as they fielded their youngest ever team for a European club game. They could offer that learning experience because they had already booked their passage to the next round.
Scott Murray is covering Astana v Manchester United v Astana here, with the score 2-1 with 15 minutes to go. The only other goal in the early games so far has come in Turkey, where Trabzonspor are trailing 1-0 to Getafe.
Feyenoord v Rangers teams
Feyenoord: Marsman; Geertruida, Botteghin, Senesi, Malaca; Toomstra, Fer, Kokcu; Berghuis, Sinisterra, Larsson
Rangers: Mcgregor; Tavernier, Goldson, Helander, Barisic; Jack, Davis, Kamara; Ojo, Morelos, Kent
Braga v Wolves teams:
Braga: Eduardo; Esgaio, Vianna, Wallace, Sequeira; A Horta, Fransergio, Palhinha, R Horta; Paulinho, Galeno
Wolves: Rui Patricio; Dendoncker, Coady, Saïss; Doherty, Neves, Moutinho, Otto; Traoré, Jimenez, Jota
Preamble
Hello. The Europa League group stages is reaching a climax and British clubs are well positioned. In the next hour Rangers and Wolves will be kicking off against their respective opponents knowing that victories could secure their place in the next round. A win or draw would definitely do the job for Wolves, who hope that Nuno Espirito Santo’s return to Portugal does not coincide with his last match as Wolves manager before Arsenal come calling. He would certainly be a good choice for Arsenal but would Arsenal be a good choice for him? He’s got a good thing going at Wolves, a club on the up and up. My free advice would be to continue building there and then if there comes a time when he fancies a move, bigger and better run clubs than Arsenal will be happy to have him. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves - which is something Nuno always warns against - and the matter to hand is to beat Braga, who are a very decent side and already won at Molineux earlier in the group.
Meanwhile, Rangers could advance if they win at Feyenoord (and Porto fail to beat Young Boys), who are a different outfit to the one they beat 1-0 at Ibrox earlier in the competition. Since then Jaap Stam has been given the boot and Feyenoord have hired none other than the former Rangers hero Dick Advocaat as their new manager. But Advocaat has lots of injury problems going into this game so Steven Gerrard will feel a win is within reach. Even a draw would be enough if Young Boys get the better of Porto.
Later, Arsenal and Celtic will be in action, too. In all, 17 teams could clinch a place in the last 32 today. Here’s a list - if you don’t like where your team is mentioned, take it up with the alphabet:
APOEL, AZ Alkmaar, Arsenal, Braga, CFR Cluj, Copenhagen, Dynamo Kyiv, Gent, İstanbul Başakşehir, LASK, Ludogorets, Mönchengladbach, Rangers, Sporting CP, Wolfsburg, Wolves, Young Boys
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