That’s all for our bumper Euro clockwatch. I’ll leave you with Paul Doyle’s report on Harry Kane’s successful return - goodnight!
The final scores in our featured games
Europa League play-offs
- Alashkert 0-0 Rangers (agg: 0-1)
- AZ Alkmaar 2-1 Celtic (agg: 2-3)
Europa Conference League play-offs
- St Johnstone 0-2 LASK (agg: 1-3)
- Tottenham 3-0 Pacos de Ferreira (agg: 3-1)
- Aberdeen 1-3 Qarabag (agg: 1-4)
- Shamrock Rovers 0-1 Flora (agg: 2-5)
Full time: Tottenham 3-0 Pacos de Ferreira (agg: 3-1)
Spurs cruise into the group stage of the Europa Conference League. Two clinical finishes from Harry Kane in the first half put them in control of the tie, and an own goal sealed it. It was a comfortable night for Spurs, who also hit the woodwork three or four times.
Full time: Shamrock Rovers 0-1 Flora (agg: 2-5)
Shamrock Rovers dominated all the main statistics bar one, the most important of all.
Updated
Full time: Aberdeen 1-3 Qarabag (agg: 1-4)
A bad night for Aberdeen, who were well beaten by Qarabag.
GOAL! Aberdeen 1-3 Qarabag (agg: 1-4; Ferguson 90+1 pen)
You can’t really call this a consolation goal, can you.
“That first Kane goal was pretty amusing,” writes J.R in Illinois. “Not the part where he kicked the ball into the net, the bit before that. After Winks slid in and won the ball an opposing player charged towards him like a madman and Ben Davies just calmly took a little teentsy step in front of the dude and just shunted him right into the ground. I’ve re-watched it several times and laughed each time. Highly recommended.”
𝗛𝗘'𝗦 𝗕𝗔𝗖𝗞.
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) August 26, 2021
📺 @PremierSportsTV pic.twitter.com/o8bpgK5yVn
The draw for the group stages of the Europa League and Europa Conference League take place tomorrow lunchtime.
78 min: Tottenham 3-0 Pacos de Ferreira (agg: 3-1) The substitute Steven Bergwijn has just slapped a shot against the post for Spurs, who have scored three and might have had six.
The latest/final scores in our featured games
Europa League play-offs
- Alashkert 0-0 Rangers (agg: 0-1)
- AZ Alkmaar 2-1 Celtic (agg: 2-3)
Europa Conference League play-offs
- St Johnstone 0-2 LASK (agg: 1-3)
- Tottenham 3-0 Pacos de Ferreira (agg: 3-1; 7.45pm)
- Aberdeen 0-3 Qarabag (agg: 0-4; 7.45pm)
- Shamrock Rovers 0-1 Flora (agg: 2-5; 7.45pm)
72 min: Tottenham 3-0 Pacos de Ferreira Harry Kane, who scored twice in the first half, leaves the field to a very warm ovation.
GOAL! Tottenham 3-0 Pacos de Ferreira (agg: 3-1; Tanque og 70)
Giovani Lo Celso’s free-kick is headed into his own net by Douglas Tanque, and that should be enough for Spurs to move into the group stages of the new Europa Conference League.
Updated
GOAL! Aberdeen 0-3 Qarabag (agg: 0-4; Zoubir 72)
Not even the boys of 83 could save this one.
Updated
Tottenham 2-0 Pacos de Ferreira (agg: 2-1) Bryan Gil has missed a good chance to make it safe for Spurs, dragging a left-footed shot just wide of the far post.
Full time: AZ Alkmaar 2-1 Celtic (agg: 2-3)
Celtic are through! Kyogo Furuhashi’s early goal, which put Celtic 3-0 up on aggregate, was ultimately decisive. Alkmaar came back to lead 2-1 on the night, and Celtic had to work so hard to repel them for the last hour. They managed it, just.
Updated
90 min: AZ Alkmaar 2-1 Celtic Four minutes of added time in Alkmaar, where Celtic are hanging on desperately.
The latest/final scores in our featured games
Europa League play-offs
Alashkert 0-0 Rangers (agg: 0-1)
AZ Alkmaar 2-1 Celtic (agg: 2-3; 7.15pm)
Europa Conference League play-offs
St Johnstone 0-2 LASK (agg: 1-3)
Tottenham 2-0 Pacos de Ferreira (agg: 2-1; 7.45pm)
Aberdeen 0-2 Qarabag (agg: 0-3; 7.45pm)
Shamrock Rovers 0-1 Flora (agg: 2-5; 7.45pm)
86 min: AZ Alkmaar 2-1 Cetic (agg: 2-3) It’s been a fraught night in Alkmaar, but Celtic are tantalisingly close to a Europa League place.
GOAL! Shamrock Rovers 0-1 Flora (agg: 2-5; Sappinen 58)
It looks like Shamrock Rovers are also heading out of the Europa Conference League.
79 min: AZ Alkmaar 2-1 Celtic (agg: 2-3) What a chance for Alkmaar! The 17-year-old Ernest Poku has missed a glorious chance, slicing the ball wide from six yards.
Full time: St Johnstone 0-2 LASK (agg: 1-3)
St Johnstone’s European run is over. They were well beaten in the end and finished with nine men after losing their heads a little in the second half. It’ll sting tonight, and for the next few days, but in time this match will become nothing more than a postscript to a fairytale.
73 min: AZ Alkmaar 2-1 Celtic (agg: 2-3) Bruno Martins Indi has missed a good chance to bring the tie level, heading just wide from a corner.
GOAL! St Johnstone 0-2 LASK (Raguz 84 pen)
Marko Raguz sends Clark the wrong way, a very confident penalty, and LASK are heading into the Europa Conference League group stages. For all the anger at McDiarmid Park - and there’s a helluva lot of it - LASK have been much the better team in the second half.
Updated
St Johnstone 0-1 LASK It has gone horribly wrong for St Johnstone. Shaun Rooney has been penalised for pulling back the goalscorer Balic in the area - and he was given a second yellow card, which means St Johnstone are down to nine men.
A reminder of the earlier Champions League draw, which was a treat for those who are partial to hype and narratives.
AZ Alkmaar 2-1 Celtic (agg: 2-3) Just past the hour mark in Alkmaar, where Celtic were hanging on a little bit but have calmed the game down with some good possession in the last few minutes. The abolition of the away goals rule makes such a difference to this tie. Last season, a team in Celtic’s would have had a two-goal cushion; this year Alkmaar need only one goal to take the tie to extra-time.
Updated
St Johnstone 0-1 LASK (agg: 0-1) St Johnstone are down to 10 men! David Wotherspoon, who has only just come on as sub, has been sent off for flattening Florian Flecker with an elbow to the face. The crowd aren’t happy but it was a clear red-card offence - he crunched him right in the kisser with the point of his elbow.
Updated
Half-times: Aberdeen 0-2 Qarabag (agg: 0-3), Shamrock Rovers 0-0 Flora (agg: 2-4), Harry Kane 2-0 Pacos de Ferreira (agg: 2-1)
GOAL! St Johnstone 0-1 LASK (agg: 1-2; Balic 72)
A huge blow to St Johnstone! Husein Balic, on as a substitute, has put LASK ahead with a superb finish. He took one touch to shift the ball away from Shaun Rooney, 10 yards from goal, and then lashed the ball into the roof of the net. Zander Clark had no chance.
😁 How we took the lead in the tie...
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) August 26, 2021
📺 @PremierSportsTV pic.twitter.com/4Qpx2vLWyM
69 min: St Johnstone 0-0 LASK Middleton’s snapshot is beaten away by Alexander Schlager! It was close enough to him for it to be a comfortable save, though Middleton caught it very well from the edge of the area.
St Johnstone 0-0 LASK Saying which, St Johnstone almost take the lead after a scramble in the LASK penalty box. Glenn Middleton, on loan from Rangers, had a couple of shots blocked. The first, in particular, looked like a crucial bit of defending.
The latest scores in our featured games
Europa League play-offs
- Alashkert 0-0 Rangers (FT; agg: 0-1)
- AZ Alkmaar 2-1 Celtic (agg: 2-3; 7.15pm)
Europa Conference League play-offs
- St Johnstone 0-0 LASK (agg: 1-1; 7pm)
- Tottenham 2-0 Pacos de Ferreira (agg: 2-1; 7.45pm)
- Aberdeen 0-2 Qarabag (agg: 0-3; 7.45pm)
- Shamrock Rovers 0-0 Flora (agg: 2-4; 7.45pm)
St Johnstone 0-0 LASK (agg: 1-1) Still goalless but it’s looking a bit worrying for St Johnstone, who have been under the pump since half-time. Husein Balic, one of the LASK substitutes, has just swished a volley over the bar.
GOAL! Tottenham 2-0 Pacos de Ferreira (Kane 34)
Harry Kane gets his second, finishing confidently from close range after Pacos de Ferreira were punished for trying to play the ball out from the back.
Updated
Tottenham 1-0 Pacos de Ferreira (agg: 1-1) Bryan Gil has hit the post for Spurs with a deflected shot. They have been much the better team, and it feels like a second goal is in the post.
St Johnstone 0-0 LASK (agg: 1-1) It’s getting very tense at McDiarmid Park, where Zander Clark has just made a fine save from Hyun-Seok Hong’s snapshot. Fifty-seven minutes gone.
Here’s Harry Kane’s goal, scored with the minimum of fuss.
𝗛𝗘'𝗦 𝗕𝗔𝗖𝗞.
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) August 26, 2021
📺 @PremierSportsTV pic.twitter.com/o8bpgK5yVn
Updated
“I never tire of seeing that final angle of Essien’s screamer,” says Simon McMahon, referring to some chit chat earlier this evening. “Or the classic, imperial phase Mourinho celebration. He’s planning something already for when Roma beat Tottenham in the final of the UEFA Conference League, isn’t he?”
He’s up to something; has been for the last six years. I’ve no idea what it is, but he’s definitely up to something.
Half time: AZ Alkmaar 2-1 Celtic (agg: 2-3)
Kyogo Furuhashi gave Celtic the perfect start, putting them 3-0 ahead on aggregate, but mistakes from Joe Hart and then Carl Starfelt have made things very interesting in Alkmaar - a bit too interesting for Celtic’s taste.
GOAL! Aberdeen 0-2 Qarabag (agg: 0-3; Kady 18)
Kady, who made the goal for Jaime Romero last week, has put Qarabag 3-0 up on aggregate against Aberdeen, whose Europa Conference League dreams are dying a death.
The latest/final scores in our featured games
Europa League play-offs
- Alashkert 0-0 Rangers (FT; agg: 0-1)
- AZ Alkmaar 2-1 Celtic (agg: 2-3; 7.15pm)
Europa Conference League play-offs
- St Johnstone 0-0 LASK (agg: 1-1; 7pm)
- Tottenham 1-0 Pacos de Ferreira (agg: 1-1; 7.45pm)
- Aberdeen 0-2 Qarabag (agg: 0-2; 7.45pm)
- Shamrock Rovers 0-0 Flora (agg: 2-4; 7.45pm)
GOAL! Aberdeen 0-1 Qarabag (agg: 0-2; Bayramov 8)
Tural Bayramov has put Aberdeen in a bit of bother at Pittodrie.
GOAL! Tottenham 1-0 Pacos de Ferreira (agg: 1-1; Kane 9)
Nine minutes. Harry Kane has put Spurs ahead on the night, and level on aggregate, with an expert finish from Bryan Gil’s precise cutback. The reaction from both Kane and the Spurs fans suggests all is well with their relationship.
Updated
Jose Mourinho’s Roma have cruised into the next round of the Europa Conference League. They beat Trabzonspor 3-0 at home to complete a 5-1 aggregate victory. Tammy Abraham started but wasn’t among the goals. They were scored by Bryan Cristante, Nicolo Zaniolo - his first since his return from long-term injury - and Stephan El Shaarawy.
Half time: St Johnstone 0-0 LASK (agg: 1-1) A fast, furious half ends goalless. There’s no away goals rule any more, so as things stand it’s going to extra time.
Tottenham 0-0 Pacos de Ferreira Harry Kane almost scores after 15 seconds! He was put through by a lovely long pass from Cristian Romero but, after killing the ball immaculately on the run, he lifted a shot over the keeper and just over the bar.
Updated
GOAL! AZ Alkmaar 2-1 Celtic (agg: 2-3; Starfelt og 26)
Things are getting very tight in Alkmaar, where an own goal from Carl Starfelt has put Alkmaar ahead on the night.
Full time: Lincoln Red Imps 3-1 Riga (agg: 3-2) History is made! Lincoln Red Imps become the first Gibraltarian side to reach the group stage of a European competition. Kian Ronan sealed a famous victory in added time after Roy Chipolina, their 38-year-old captain, had put them ahead on aggregate in extra-time. Outstanding stuff.
The master of headers... @RoyC14 pic.twitter.com/hzYWX4m4c5
— Lincoln Red Imps FC (@LincolnRedImps) August 26, 2021
St Johnstone 0-0 LASK (agg: 1-1) Still goalless after 27 minutes at McDiarmid Park, though Jason Kerr came close to giving St Johnstone the lead with a header from a corner that flashed just wide.
Europa Conference League There’s a cracking story unfolding in Gibraltar, where Lincoln Red Imps have gone 2-1 up (3-2 on aggregate) against the Latvian champions Riga. They are four minutes away from reaching the group stgaes of a European competition for the first time.
GOALS! AZ Alkmaar 1-1 Celtic (Aboukhlal 6; Furuhashi 3)
Quite a start in Alkmaar. Kyogo Furuhashi put Celtic 3-0 up on aggregate with an early goal, but Zakaria Aboukhlal equalised three minutes later after a howler from Joe Hart.
Updated
Tottenham v Pacos de Ferreira team news (first leg: 0-1)
Harry Kane starts for the first time this season, and will wear the captain’s armband. The official Uefa site has Spurs playing 4-3-3, but a few of you have pointed out that it could be a 3-4-3 with Doherty and Sessegnon as wing-backs.
Tottenham (possible 4-3-3) Gollini; Doherty, Romero, Dier, Davies; Lo Celso, Winks, Sessegnon; Lucas Moura, Kane, Gil.
Pacos de Ferreira (4-1-4-1) Andre Ferreira; Jorge Silva, Baixinho, Da Silva Ramos, Antunes; De Brito Gonzaga; Da Silva De Jesus, Antunes Eustaquio, Rui Pires, Delgado Baeza; Pereira Junior.
Updated
Shamrock Rovers v Flora team news
Shamrock Rovers (3-5-2) Mannus; O’Brien, Lopes, Hoare; Finn, Watts, Mandroiu, O’Neill, Scales; Burke, Greene.
Flora (4-3-3) Igonen; Lilander, Seppik, Kuusk, Kallaste; Soomets, Vassiljev, Miller; Zenjov, Sappinen, Ojamaa.
Aberdeen v Qarabag team news
Aberdeen (4-3-3) Lewis; Ramsay, Gallagher, Ross McCrorie, Mackenzie; Jenks, Brown, Ferguson; Ojo, Ramirez, Hayes.
Qarabag (4-2-3-1) Magomedaliyev; Bayramov, Medvedev, Medina, Huseynov; Garayev, Ibrahimli; Romero, Kady, Ibrahimli; Sheydaev.
St Johnstone v LASK team news (first leg: 1-1)
St Johnstone (3-5-2) Clark; Rooney, Kerr, McCart; Brown, McCann, M Davidson, Middleton, Booth; O’Halloran, Kane.
LASK (3-4-3) A Schlager; Wiesinger, Andrade, Filipovic; Flecker, Hong, Michorl, Renner; Golginger, Schmidt, Karamoko.
Champions League draw report
A tough draw for Manchester City and Liverpool; less so for Chelsea and Manchester United.
I’m going to take a peedie break before the evening games begin. See you in half an hour or so!
AZ Alkmaar v Celtic team news (first leg: 0-2)
AZ Alkmaar (4-3-3) Verhulst; Sugawara, Letschert, Martins Indi, Witry; Midtsjo, De Wit, Koopmeiners; Aboukhlal, Pavlidis, Karlsson.
Celtic (4-3-3) Hart; Ralston, Starfelt, Welsh, Taylor; Rogic, McGregor, Turnbull; Abada, Furuhashi, Christie.
Updated
Here’s more on that Champions League draw
Alexia Putellas of Barcelona and Jorginho of Chelsea. I’m slightly confused, as N’Golo Kante was the midfield of the year, but never mind.
Time for the last award: the players of the season. And the winners are...
In a surprising development, the coaches of the season are Lluis Cortes and Thomas Tuchel.
Oh, and Manchester City are playing PSG again, this time with Messi and possibly Ronaldo involved.
The draw in full
- Group A Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain, RB Leipzig, Club Brugge.
- Group B Atletico Madrid, Liverpool, Porto, AC Milan.
- Group C Sporting CP, Borussia Dortmund, Ajax, Besiktas.
- Group D Internazionale, Real Madrid, Shakhtar Donetsk, Sheriff Tiraspol.
- Group E Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Benfica, Dynamo Kyiv
- Group F Villarreal, Manchester United, Atalanta, Young Boys.
- Group G Lille, Sevilla, Salzburg, Wolfsburg.
- Group H Chelsea, Juventus, Zenit, Malmo.
There’s no true Group of Death, though Liverpool’s is pretty rough. Still, you’d fancy all four English teams to go through. Manchester United might get a nasty surprise; I think the others will be fine.
Group D Internazionale, Real Madrid, Shakhtar Donetsk, Sheriff Tiraspol.
Group E Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Benfica, Dynamo Kyiv.
Group H Chelsea, Juventus, Zenit and Malmo.
“Some friends and I used to have a lively pub debate over which player would make the best team if there were 10 of them in all outfield positions,” says Matt Dony. “The strength to defend, the skill to play on the wing, the composure to play in the centre, finishing ability, etc. Essien was always towards the top of my list. He could do everything. I just hated that he played for Chelsea.”
I honestly read that first sentence as ‘I used to have some friends’, and was intrigued to see how you’d managed to get five lines out of of such a sad opening.
Updated
Group A Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain, RB Leipzig and Club Brugge.
Group G Lille, Sevilla, Salzburg and VFL Wolfsburg.
Group B Atletico Madrid, Liverpool, Porto and AC Milan.
I say!
Group C Sporting CP, Borussia Dortmund, Ajax, Besiktas.
Group F Villarreal, Manchester United, Atalanta and Young Boys.
Updated
“It’s just nice to see Michael Essien again,” says Niall Mullen. “What an absolute player he was.”
The forwards of the season are Jenni Hermoso (Barcelona) and Erling Haaland (Borussia Dortmund).
The team to avoid in Pot 4 are probably AC Milan. They could still be drawn against Manchester City or Liverpool, among others.
The groups so far
- Group A Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain, RB Leipzig
- Group B Atletico Madrid, Liverpool, Porto
- Group C Sporting CP, Borussia Dortmund, Ajax
- Group D Internazionale, Real Madrid, Shakhtar Donetsk
- Group E Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Benfica
- Group F Villarreal, Manchester United, Atalanta
- Group G Lille, Sevilla, Salzburg
- Group H Chelsea, Juventus, Zenit
Updated
Porto join Atletico and Liverpool in Group B, which means Ajax go into Group C with Sporting and Dortmund.
FC Salzburg go into Group G, aka the Group of Life, with Lille and Seville.
Atalanta’s swashbucklers join Villarreal and Manchester United in an intriguing Group F
RB Leipzig join Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain in an eye-catching Group A.
Next up are Zenit They are in Group H with Chelsea and Juventus.
Benfica join Bayern Munich and Barcelona in the inappropriately named Group E.
Full time: Alashkert 0-0 Rangers (agg: 0-1)
Rangers are through to the Europa League group stage after a match that we’ll be talking about for minutes.
The first team out of Pot 3 are... Shakhtar Donetsk, who join Internazionale and Real Madrid in Group D. What is this, 2020-21?
Updated
The midfielders of the season are N’Golo Kante of Chelsea and Alexia Putellas of Barcelona, who played that delightful pass for the third goal in the Champions League final.
Updated
Sevilla go into Group G with Lille, which means Manchester United meet their Europa League final conquerors Villarreal in Group F.
Barcelona are in Group E with Bayern Munich, who belted them 8-2 last year.
Juventus go into Group H and will play Chelsea.
Paris Saint-Germain are in with Manchester City!
Liverpool are in Group B with their old friends Atletico Madrid.
Real Madrid will meet Internazionale in Group D.
Updated
Borussia Dortmund join Sporting in Group C.
Branislav Ivanovic and another Chelsea hero, Michael Essien, are ready to draw the teams from Pot 2...
Updated
The Uefa defenders of the season are Irene Paredes of Paris Saint-Germain and Ruben Dias of Manchester City.
The teams from Pot 1 are being drawn by Chelsea hero and headlock specialist Branislav Ivanovic. And here they are:
Group A Manchester City
Group B Atletico Madrid
Group C Sporting CP
Group D Internazionale
Group E Bayern Munich
Group F Villarreal
Group G Lille
Group H Chelsea
Alashkert 0-0 Rangers (agg: 0-1) Alashkert’s ten men ahve 13 minutes to score the goal that would take this tie to extra time.
The groups are divided into two colours: red for groups A-D, blue for groups E-H. It’s largely for TV reasons, and far too boring to explain. If you really want to know more, be my guest.
I take it all back: they are going to start the draw now. A reminder of the pots:
Pot 1 Chelsea, Villarreal, Bayern Munich, Manchester City, Atletico Madrid, Inter Milan, Sporting CP, Lille.
Pot 2 Real Madrid, Barcelona, Juventus, Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain, Liverpool, Sevilla, Borussia Dortmund.
Pot 3 Porto, Ajax, Shakhtar Donetsk, Leipzig, Salzburg, Benfica, Atalanta, Zenit.
Pot 4 Besiktas, Dynamo Kyiv, Club Brugge, Young Boys, AC Milan, Malmo, Wolfsburg, Sheriff Tiraspol.
The goalkeepers of the year are Edouard Mendy of Chelsea and Sandra Panos of Barcelona.
The Champions League draw is still hours away. They are slowly going through all the awards for last season’s men’s and women’s competitions, and why not.
Alashkert 0-0 Rangers (agg: 0-1) It’s still goalless in Armenia, with 27 minutes remaining. As things stand, Rangers are going through with a whimper.
Here’s more on the breaking news that Manchester City’s Benjamin Mendy has been charged with four counts of rape between October 2020 and August 2021
Updated
The Uefa President’s Award - which recognises “outstanding achievements, professional excellence and exemplary personal qualities” - is shared by nine people who helped save the live of Christian Eriksen on that traumatic afternoon in Copenhagen.
Morten Boesen, Morten Skjoldager, Mogens Kreutzfeldt, Frederik Flensted, Anders Boesen, Peder Ersgaard, Jens Kleinefeld, Valentin Velikov and Simon Kjaer: thank you.
Updated
Champions League pots
The usual rules apply - teams from the same country cannot be drawn together, and the draw has blatantly been fixed to favour that lot. It gives me a decent amount of pleasure to report that, despite those restrictions, there’s still plenty of scope for a group of death or two.
Pot 1 Chelsea, Villarreal, Bayern Munich, Manchester City, Atletico Madrid, Inter Milan, Sporting CP, Lille.
Pot 2 Real Madrid, Barcelona, Juventus, Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain, Liverpool, Sevilla, Borussia Dortmund.
Pot 3 Porto, Ajax, Shakhtar Donetsk, Leipzig, Salzburg, Benfica, Atalanta, Zenit.
Pot 4 Besiktas, Dynamo Kyiv, Club Brugge, Young Boys, AC Milan, Malmo, Wolfsburg, Sheriff Tiraspol.
In case you’re wondering why there are so many heavyweights in Pot B, it’s because they won bugger all of note last season. Pot A is made up of the two European trophy winners, Chelsea and Villarreal, plus the champions of the six leagues with the highest coefficient.
Half time: Alashkert 0-0 Rangers (agg: 0-1) It hasn’t been a classic, but Rangers are on course for the group stages. They’re a goal up on aggregate and now a man up after James was sent off for deliberately dangling his leg so that it hit the sliding goalkeeper Ross McCrorie in the head. It was a pretty scandalous challenge.
Manchester City have suspended Benjamin Mendy after he was charged by police earlier today
Club statement.
— Manchester City (@ManCity) August 26, 2021
Updated
A bit of transfer news, not entirely unrelated to today’s Champions League draw
Alashkert 0-0 Rangers (agg: 0-1) It’s still goalless in Armenia, but Rangers have been on top and now they are playing against ten men. The Brazilian James has been sent off for Alashkert, having received a second yellow card for a dangerous challenge on the Rangers keeper Ross McCrorie. It probably should have been a straight red, not that it matters.
Updated
Preamble
Hello and welcome to a bumper European clockwatch. There’s all sorts going on tonight: the Champions League draw, the Europa League play-offs, the Europa Conference League play-offs and, if you’d like more salt in your stew, Nick Knowles’ Big House Clearout on Channel 5 at 8pm.
Most of the matches involving British and Irish clubs kick off after the Champions League draw, which starts (sic) at 5pm BST, but Covid-hit Rangers are under way in Armenia. After half an hour, it’s 0-0. You’re welcome. If it stays like this, Rangers will go through to the group stage.
These are our featured games:
Europa League play-offs
- Alashkert 0-0 Rangers (agg: 0-1; 4pm)
- AZ Alkmaar v Celtic (agg: 0-2; 7.15pm)
Europa Conference League play-offs
- St Johnstone v LASK (agg: 1-1; 7pm)
- Tottenham v Pacos Ferreira (agg: 0-1; 7.45pm)
- Aberdeen v Qarabag (agg: 0-1; 7.45pm)
- Shamrock Rovers v Flora (agg: 2-4; 7.45pm)
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