Right, that’s about us. Thanks for your company - ta-ra.
Here’s our report of a very acceptable night for Arsenal.
It’s been a pretty good night for all the British clubs. United and Celtic earned draws with an away goal each, Wolves are basically through, Rangers delivered a comeback for the ages and Arsenal nabbed a late win. Rangers will still need to find something to get through, but I’d expect to see all the others in the last 16.
Here’s our report of a brilliant night for Wolves.
Updated
And results from earlier!
CFR Cluj 1-1 Sevilla
Club Brugge 1-1 Man Utd
Copenhagen 1-1 Celtic
Eintracht Frankfurt 4-1 Red Bull Salzburg
Getafe 2-0 Ajax
Ludogorets 0-2 Inter
Shakhtar 2-1 Benfica
Sporting 3-1 Istanbul Basaksehir
Results!
Olympiakos 0-1 Arsenal
Rangers 3-2 Braga
Wolves 4-0 Espanyol
Apoel 0-3 Basel
AZ 1-1 LASK Linz
Bayer Leverkusen 2-1 Porto
Roma 1-0 Gent
Wolfsburg 2-1 Malmo
Updated
Full-time: Olympiakos 0-1 Arsenal
That’s a very good effort from Arsenal, who looked happy to take a 0-0 but late on realised they could have better so took it. Also Bukayo Saka is a star.
Full-time: Rangers 3-2 Braga
I’m really not quite sure how Rangers have managed this, because they were absolutely played off the park for an oor. But here we go! It’s over!
Four minutes of injury time at Ibrox, five in Athens.
Arsenal are killing time by putting Olympiakos under more pressure. This has been a very acceptable away effort from them.
Braga are trying to find something, and the reality is that they’ll still back themselves to do enough at home. But what a comeback from Rangers, who’ve dredged up a comeback from naewhere.
GOAL! AZ 1-1 LASK (Koopmeiners pen 86)
I missed this, but I think it was given for handball.
Back in Athens, Lacazette almost scored again, but Sa lept right to push his shot away.
GOAL! Wolves 4-0 Espanyol (Jota 81)
It’s a hat-trick! Jota runs towards the box and no one closes him down, so he makes an angle for a shot then drives low into the corner! Espanyol said they’d not come to sight-see, which sounded like a stroke of luck. But perhaps they’d have been better off spending the night in Kwik Save after all.
GOAL! Rangers 3-2 Braga (Hagi 82)
Oh my days! Rangers get a free-kick, 25 yards out, and Hagi curls into the top of the wall ... to see the ball loop off a head and over the keeper! Outrageous!
Updated
GOAL! Olympiakos 0-1 Arsenal (Lacazette 81)
Aubameyang chases a long, er, diag, then slips infield for Saka, who orders Lacazette into the middle feeds a perfect cross for him to tap home. Saka is so good; how many 18-year-olds can play left-wing and left-back? How many 28-year-olds can?
Updated
Olympiakos-Arsenal is the only goalless game. There’ve not been many chances either.
Rangers well fancy this now. Braga have gone!
GOAL! Bayer Leverkusen 2-1 Porto (Ze Luis 73)
A free-kick swerves in and though Hrdecky keeps out the first header, Ze Luis is there to bundle in the loose ball.
GOAL! Rangers 2-2 Braga (Aribo 75)
Absolutely well! Aribo somehow weaves and fights, fights and weaves past three challenges on his way into the box and finds the composure to pass hime the equaliser! What a turnaround, and there’s plenty of time for Rangers to find a winner!
Updated
Arsenal send on Pepe for Willock.
Oh Ruben Neves, behave yourself 🔥
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) February 20, 2020
Chest and volley from outside of the box, a stunning goal!
Molineux is rocking! 🐺 pic.twitter.com/o4l1rbgPXs
A lifeline for Rangers! 💪
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) February 20, 2020
Ianis Hagi scores what could be a crucial goal for the Ibrox side.
His father Gheorghe loves it! 😊 pic.twitter.com/q5JmZzuWtA
GOAL! Wolves 3-0 Espanyol (Jota 67)
Another lovely goal. A long switch finds Doherty, who glides inside and slides a fine reverse ball into the box that Jota pounces upon, lashing a riser high into the net at the near post. That was a difficult finish made to look pips.
Updated
Georghe Hag is in the crowd, I’m delighted to report.
GOAL! Rangers 1-2 Braga (Hagi 67)
Where there’s Hagi there’s hope! Davis spreads play out right and Hagi ducks inside then drills a low shot in off the base of the near post. Ibrox is rocking now!
Updated
GOAL! Apoel 0-3 Basel (Cabral 66)
A punt downfield, a flick, and a low drive from 20 yards. Apoel are done.
GOAL! Wolfsburg 2-1 Malmo (Mehmedi 62)
A header flicks off the defender, and Wolfsburg have turned it around.
It’s just occurred to me that we could get another Man United v Wolves tie. That must not happen.
Ok, I missed what actually happened here. Havertz missed the penalty, play went down the other end, then VAR called it back because the keeper moved too early and Havertz scored second time. How did we cope for 130 years pre-VAR?
GOAL! Bayer Leverkusen 2-0 Porto (Havertz pen 57)
I don’t think anyone will fancy Leverkusen in the next round.
WHAT A GOAL! Rangers 0-2 Braga (Ruiz 59)
Ruiz collects a deft flick and motors across the face of the box and the face of the nearest defender before suddenly whipping into a shot which races past McGregor and into the bottom corner. This tie is ten to over.
Arsenal make a change in Athens, Ceballos – who was good against Newcastle – replacing Martinelli.
Back at Ibrox, Rangers have been hanging on, but oh dear: Morelos has missed another. Hagi goes down the right, crosses, and from three yards Morelos turns against the keeper. He is having one.
OH WHAT A GOAL! Wolves 2-0 Espnayol (Neves 52)
Traore goes down the right and crosses, the ball headed out ... but only as far as Neves, who controls on his chest, under pressure, then unleashes a swerving, screaming volley that fizzes, hisses and spits into the roof of the net. He does not score dodgy ones!
Updated
GOAL! Apoel 0-2 Basel (Stocker 53)
This is nice finish, taken first-time ad planted inside the near post.
WHAT A GOAL! Wolfsburg 1-1 Malmo (Brekalo 49)
Brekalo, who hit the bar with a fine shot in the first half, drags the ball outside the defender and with his left foot, blazes a brilliant shot that screeches across the keeper and right inside the top corner.
GOAL! Wolfsburg 0-1 Malmo (Thelin pen 47)
A stray arm blocks a header and Thelin rolls home the spot-kick; Malmo haven’t played in months, the Swedish season finishing before winter, but they’re set here.
Updated
Lacazette dwells on the ball in the box, allowing Ba to motor over and tackle. That was extremely sluggish.
But only a heavy touch by Paulinho, running onto a loose backpass from Kamara, saves Rangers from falling further behind.
This is a big half for Rangers. The league has near enough gone, and if they don’t improve, the Europa will be gone too.
It’s caning it down in Athens, as it was in Bruges. Is this yet another metaphor for Brexit?
Right then, eyes down. We go again.
Arsenal have done well enough against Olympiakos, but in Glasgow, Braga are outclassing Rangers. See you in 10 or so.
Half-time scores
Olympiakos 0-0 Arsenal
Rangers 0-1 Braga
Wolves 1-0 Espanyol
Apoel 0-1 Basel
AZ 0-1 LASK Linz
Bayer Leverkusen 1-0 Porto
Roma 1-0 Gent
Wolfsburg 0-0 Malmo
Wolfsburg’s Brekalo has just rammed a shot against the bar while Espanyol’s Iturraspe has just pushed his brow into Jota’s phizog. He does well to avoid a red card for that, not because it was so terrible but because red cards are often given for precisely that.
In Athens, Arsenal are huffing but pushing. I daresay they’ll be happy with 0-0. Meanwhile, behind their goal, the home end is literally bouncing.
Braga look a really useful outfit. Rangers need to score at least once and probably twice here, because the away game is going to be a brute. so of course Morelos ploughs through the back of someone, gets himself booked, misses the second leg and has a little tantrum. He’s a joker.
Steven Davis has just timed a slide-tackle to perfection, robbing a Braga attacker inside his own box. A split-second later, and that was a penalty.
Bukayo Saka is a player, and he lifts a tasty-looking cross into the box. But Willock, looking for a header, can only bundle wide.
“The team playing Basel look like they’ll have a tough away leg,” tweets Gary Naylor. “Still, at least they’ll have their white away kit.”
At Ibrox Stadium, Morelos has missed another chance, this time coming in on the left. It was a trickier one than its predecessor, but at least Rangers are creating.
GOAL! Bayer Levekusen 1-0 Porto (Lucas Alario 29)
A near post header, a sweep at the far post, and there you go.
“Have you lost your bearings, mate?” asks David Hunter. “Hardly a humblebrag about that Beyonce and Jay-Z concert. On the other hand, can’t fault your taste!”
Heh, definitely not. I just saw the Olimpico and thought about the football I’d seen there – the 07-08 quarter and 08-09 final – then remembered the last time I was there. And get a load of this: we turned up to discover that no one took cards, so not only could we get no booze, we couldn’t even get water and it was 4,623 degrees.
I’m not sure what Mikel Arteta’s plan is, exactly. As far as I can see, his best front three, by far, is Pepe, Aubameyang, Martinelli. But he never picks it, though he must know he’s got until the end of the season to find bed in a team, and that Lacazette is never good enough to get his team to where he wants it to be.
Meanwhile, in Athens, Xhaka has just had a free-kick deflected that almost foxed the keeper. Naturally, he gesticulates like that was part of the plan, and fortune conspired to deny him what was rightfully his.
GOAL! AZ 0-1 LASK (Raguz 26)
This is little more than a swipe, but a defender’s leg, a deflection, and there’s the ball looping over the keeper.
Updated
Back at Ibrox, Morelos zones into the box from the right, and should score! But he doesn’t really think about what he’s doing driving directly into the keeper’s legs.
“Wolves will be looking forward to the return leg in Spain,” says Simon McMahon, “especially if they can take a healthy lead with them. Y Viva Espanyol!”
I think that might be cheating, and have ordered a steward’s inquiry.
Arsenal just enjoyed a couple of decent situations, Lacazette’s cushioned touch almost playing Martinelli in, and then when he retrieved the ball, Lacazette turned a shot just wide.
Updated
And from Club Brugge 1-1 Manchester United.
Here’s our report from Copenhagen 1-1 Celtic.
“Any idea who the apparently home supporting fans are behind the goal Arsenal are defending?” asks Stephen Wales. Looks unconventional to have them prowling behind it!”
I’m not sure – I’m watching a few games here, so hadn’t noticed, but there do appear to be a few black-coats mooching about.
GOAL! Apoel 0-1 Basel (Petretta 16)
A ball over the top and a finish lifted over the keeper.
GOAL! Wolves 1-0 Espanyol (Jota 15)
Wolves won a free-kick down the right, changed the angle slightly, and when the cross was flicked on, Jota turned in adroitly from close range.
I’ve been to the Stadio Olimpico to see Ronaldo’s header and Barcelona’s brilliance, but the last time I was there I saw this:
GOAL! Roma 1-0 Gent (Perez 13)
The new signing marks his first start with his first goal! Dzeko put him in, he opened his body, and punched a composed finish into the far corner.
GOAL! Rangers 0-1 Braga (Fransergio 11)
Whut a hut thus us! Rangers are sloppy in possession and the Braga captain takes aim from 25 yards, lashing high past McGregor, who gets a touch but can’t stop the ball fizzing by. Rangers can’t say they weren’t warned.
Updated
The turnaround between game slots was so quick we’ve not had time to talk about line-ups. But it’s fair to say Arsenal are going for this: Willock is in for Ozil – he should be as a matter of course, now that you don’t ask me – and Martinelli is in for Pepe – he should be in for Lacazette as a matter of course, now that you don’t ask me. But otherwise, Arsenal are at full-strength, more or less.
But as I type that, Kent is just shy of sliding in Morelos’ cross while, in Athens, Lacazette is just shy of Aubameyang’s cross.
Have Rangers gone? They’ve been in rotten form recently, and Braga have already missed two chances at Ibrox.
The Europa is a proper standard this term, and Arsenal nearly fell behind just there, Valbuena wedging a glorious pass to the back post, where Masouras climbed well only to head wide.
“I can’t take Ludogorets seriously,” says Ian Copestake, “because when I hear the name I have to finish singing ‘My way’.
Surely that’s one of their more endearing attributes. I feel similarly about Aarhus.
Games about to kick off:
Olympiakos v Arsenal
Rangers v Braga
Wolves v Espanyol
Apoel v Basel
AZ v LASK Linz
Bayer Leverjusen v Porto
Roma v Gent
Wolfsburg v Malmo
Celtic will be disappointed with a draw they’d probably have taken at kick-off. They played really well in the first half, missing a fair few chances, then conceded an avoidable and slightly unfortunate penalty. Still, they’ll have expected that, to progress, a home win would be required and they’ll back themselves to get one.
It's full-time everywhere else now. Our results:
CFR Cluj 1-1 Sevilla
Club Brugge 1-1 Man Utd
Copenhagen 1-1 Celtic
Eintracht Frankfurt 4-1 Red Bull Salzburg
Getafe 2-0 Ajax
Ludogorets 0-2 Inter
Shakhtar 2-1 Benfica
Sporting 3-1 Istanbul Basaksehir
Full-time: Brugge 1-1 Manchester United
“We’d’ve took that”, is what Ryan Giggs is presumably thinking. United were dreadful in the opening half-hour but Anthony Martial capitalised on a gift to finish brilliantly. They rested Fred, Fernandes and Wan-Bissaka too, while Brugge’s Dennis looked a serious talent.
GOAL! Getafe 2-0 Ajax (Kenedy 90+3)
Ajax are in huge trouble now. Getafe break, Kenedy tries a shot, and it flicks off Serginho – enough to take it past Bruno Varela, in for the suspended Onana.
Updated
In Bruges, United have another free-kick, this one slightly further out – a better distance for Fernandes. But Mata hits it into the wall, though I’m not sure his little legs can kick the ball very much further than that.
GOAL! Ludogorets 0-2 Inter (Lukaku pen 90+5)
Another classic Lukaku finish.
They’re playing injury-time at the moment, and Lingard has just passed the ball into the keeper’s arms.
It’s lucky Manchester United didn’t bother having Fernandes’ passing the ball forward, whipping in corners and generally running about from the start of the season, or even from the start of January. Because really, who needs all that nonsense?
GOAL! Cluj 1-1 Sevilla (En-Nesyri 82)
A shot following a corner finds De Jong inside the box and the keeper comes out, expecting a shot, but he cleverly squirts a square pass across the face and the tap-in is tapped in.
Fernandes digs it into the top of the wall.
In Bruges, United look a different team now Fernandes is on and are pushing for the win. They have a free-kick, just outside the D, just left of dead centre.
GOAL! Eintracht Frankfurt 4-1 Salzburg (Hwang pen 85)
Another livener! Hwang, incidentally, is a player.
WHAT A SAVE FRASER FORSTER! HE SAVES THE PENALTY!
The kick goes to his right, he dives low and full-length, and tips it against the post and away!
Bruno Fernandes is on in Bruges and has just floated a lovely ball over the top for Mata. Mata managed to miss the chance, but the flag was up.
Christie is penalised! Penalty to Copenhagen!
That’s the first of its kind in this competition! Christie is booked – that’s harsh – and will miss the second leg.
In Copenhagen, we're checking for a penalty to the home side!
The ref comes over to check for a handball, a header hitting an arm that was up in a challenge. I don’t think we can complain whatever the decision...
GOAL! Sporting 3-1 Istanbul Basaksehir (Visca pen 77)
A livener in Lisbon!
WHAT A MISS! Brugge have just cut Manchester United apart, the extremely impressive Dennis – apparently wanted by Dortmund to replace Sancho – pulling Maguire out wide and duly bousting past him. His cross was a good one too, which someone stepped over for Kossounou ... only for him to place wide.
In Copenhagen, Johnsson has just made a fine save from Edouard, who slid in to meet Hayes’ cross from the left. Still 1-1 there.
GOAL! Shakhtar 2-1 Benfica (Kovalenko 72)
Fine work from Junior Moraes down the left allowed him to cut back, and Kovalenko met it on the move, thunking a fine finish inside the near post.
In Getafé, the home side still lead Ajax 1-0. And things are only going to get worse for the visitors, with Ziyech definitely leaving and Van de Beek probably doing likewse.
Phew!
Back in Bruges, United have made another change, Fred replacing Pereira.
After a dodgy first half, Inter are playing much better now. Ludogorets had their chances in the first half, and in ruining them, probably ruined the tie for themselves.
GOAL! Ludogorets 0-1 Internazionale (Eriksen 71)
There’s his first goal for Inter, driven home low from outside the box after Lukaku, who came on at half-time, found him.
Updated
GOAL! Shakhtar 1-1 Benfica (Pizzi pen 66)
Well played sir. There was every opportunity for him to bottle that in the confusion, but his absolutely shmiced it high into the net.
In Bruges, Ighalo has replaced Martial.
Benfica's goal is disallowed for offside ... and a penalty is given instead of it!
Lovely stuff.
That goal is now being VARed...
GOAL! Shakhtar 1-1 Benfica (Tavares 62)
Lovely play from Taraabt – he’s still got those feet and that change of pace – combining with Tavares, who proceeded into the box and then took advantage of a ricochet to tap in the equaliser.
GOAL! Cluj 1-0 Sevilla (Deac pen 59)
After some hot VAR action, Deac slots home from the spot.
Oh dear oh dear! McGregor breaks on halfway, skates around the first challenge, and Celtic have a three on one! But he hands onto the ball for too long, forcing Edouard, who’s free to his left, to run inside to stay onside, and from there all he can do is blaze over.
GOAL! Shakhtar Donetsk 1-0 Benfica (Alan Patrick 56)
This is a lovely goal, caressed home from just outside the box, curling off the inside of the foot, kissing the post on its way in.
GOAL! FC Copenhagen 1-1 Celtic (N'Doye 52)
Celtic have been sloppy so far this half and under pressure for almost all of it. N’Doye, sent clear inside the box, drives home in off the near post. On the plus side, Chris Sutton is displeased.
Updated
GOAL! Eintracht Frankfurt 4-0 Salzburg (Kostic 56)
Twelve goals and twelve assists for Kostic, who slips into something more comfortable inside the near post.
Updated
GOAL! Sporting Clube de Portugal 3-0 Istanbul Basaksehir (Vietto 51)
Another tie over. Vietto calmly lifts a finish over the keeper, and IBS, as BT have kindly abbreviated them, are very close to done.
GOAL! Eintracht Frankfurt 3-0 Salzburg (Kamada)
It’s a hat-trick! (If you’re not German; Germans require the goals to come in the same half). But a simple header from a cross did the trick, and this tie is done. It’s almost as if losing your best players is a killer.
Updated
Frankfurt are stroking it around nicely; they seem to have recovered from the loss of Haller.
Gosh, United are actually doing something. Mata picks up a gift and feeds Martial, who should score homing towards goal from the left. But, killer that he is, he opts to give Mata a tap-in instead of finding the far corner himself, and the defender intercepts. Brugge then go down the other end and the excellent Dennis leaves Shaw, forcing a decent save out of Romero at his near post.
In Copenhagen, the team are only just coming out. Meanwhile, back in Bruges, Lingard has just stretched a decent cross from Dalot wide.
Poor old Balanta of Brugge is having one. He got booked for very little just before half-time, and now he’s gone off, groggy.
Evening all. We’re underway again in Bruges...
The second half, and the second set of matches from the evening will be looked after by Daniel Harris.
Hopefully, Ludogorets v Inter will take off.
Candreva on bench is mood of this match pic.twitter.com/nb5q1Xa2vo
— OiM (@OIM_22) February 20, 2020
Celtic have been rather good in Copenhagen.
French Eddy's classy finish the difference at the break! 👌#COPCEL #UEL pic.twitter.com/SbULYcU0Fk
— Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) February 20, 2020
Hope springs eternal.
Let’s have a big second half, boys 👊 #CluMnu #UEL pic.twitter.com/ffzC9YqMf1
— Club Brugge KV (@ClubBrugge) February 20, 2020
Half-time scores
CFC Cluj 0-0 Sevilla
Club Brugge 1-1 Manchester United
Eintracht Frankfurt 2-0 Salzburg
FC Copenhagen 1-1 Celtic
Getafe 1-0 Ajax
Ludogorets 0-0 Inter
Shakhtar 0-0 Benfica
Sporting 2-0 Basaksehi
The Cluj v Sevilla game is the last to finish the first half, as there was a delay in it starting due to a communication breakdown. It’s been a poor affair between the teams.
The weather in Bruges is brutal, a storm lashing down as Manchester United leave the field at 1-1 with the Belgians.
Goal! Sporting Lisbon 2-0 Basaksehir (Sporar, 44)
Vietto laid that one on a plate for the Slovakian, whose finish was well placed.
Updated
Goal! Eintracht 2-0 Salzburg (Kamada, 43)
Lovely skill from the Japanese player, coming half the length of the field, cutting past a defender and chipping the Salzburg keeper. It’s tight for an offside. But VAR has been called and that’s a goal.
Updated
Manchester United seem to have improved in Bruges. Brandon Williams gets excited and misses a good chance. A reminder that an Ole Gunnar Solskjær United team have never won game in which they have fallen behind. Which goes completely against the team he played for.
Getafe 1-0 Ajax (Deyverson, 37)
Deyverson slots in from close range, and runs away to celebrate. Suddenly, he falls to the floor, and clutches his side. What caused it? It seems he has been hit by a fag lighter lobbed by the Ajax fans.
Updated
Lautaro Martínez has been booked for Inter at Ludogorets, and that means he will miss the second leg. He is a player with an ‘edge’ to his play.
FC Brugge 1-1 Manchester United (Martial, 36)
The Frenchman sped through, gave Mignolet the eyebrows and scored calmly.
Bryan Oviedo playing for Copenhagen v Celtic, and he’s gone close against Celtic. Everton fans used to sing his name, with the addition of ‘baby’ to the tune of the Human League’s Don’t You Want Me, Baby.
Getafe having the better of things against Ajax, who have been pinned back in Madrid.
Eintracht Frankfurt currently lead Salzburg, and look good for a win against the Red Bull outfit. Manchester United’s malaise continues; their inability to play against ‘lesser’ opposition has come to the fore once more.
VAR strikes once more, and it’s Sporting denied their second against Basaksehir. Jovane Cabral slapped in a rebound off but had been offside when the original shot was struck.
Inter go close after a bit of wing play from Victor Moses, and Cristiano Biraghi’s shot is well saved by the Ludogorets goalkeeper.
Hold your horses: VAR rules out that Shakhtar goal for offside. That’s the first ever disallowed goal for VAR in the Europa League.
That’s back to 0-0 between them.
Updated
Goal! Shakhtar Donetsk 1-0 Benfica (Marlos, 21)
Shakhtar broke with real pace, and Marlos had chance to score from close range from a rebound.
Updated
By the way, United wanted VAR to rule that it was a corner for that goal, but nothing doing. They were caught the wrong end of the pitch.
Updated
And Celtic lead Copenhagen 1-0 too. McGregor plays in Eduoard, and this time the striker does not miss. That’s a vital goal.
Updated
Goal for FC Brugge! 1-0 v Manchester United and it’s been coming. Long ball over the top, and Romero comes out on safari and Emmanuel Dennis lobs the Manchester United keeper. Dreadful from United.
Updated
Some good noise in Frankfurt but not much of a game...but suddenly they take the lead as the Japanese striker Daichi Kamada makes his escape and slots home. That’s Red Bull Salzburg 1-0 down. Remember, this is the team who sold Haaland and Takumi Minamino.
N’Doye has had to leave the field for Copenhagen. Looked like he took a bang to the chops...in Bulgaria, Ludogorets are banging on the Inter door. Victor Moses, one of those many Premier League emigres, has been put through his defensive paces.
Updated
A warning sign for Celtic as Dame N’Doye, once of Hull, goes close, only to overrun the ball.
The word from Bruges is that Manchester United have started in shambolic fashion.
Sporting already lead Istanbul Başaksehir, and the goal came from Liverpool legend Sebastian Coates, grandson of Ralph.
Celtic almost got off to a perfect start! Christie intercept the ball, plays in Eduoard, and the striker’s shot is straight at the Copenhagen keeper. That has to count as a miss.
And away we go in the Europa League knockout rounds....
The teams are making their ways on to the fields of play and it is very wet indeed in Bruges, while it looks positively dry in Glasgow. Well, relatively speaking. It’s windy, mind.
Updated
Ryan Babel is back at Ajax, the club where he began his career. It was as long ago as 2007 that he joined Liverpool, but he’s on loan from Galatasaray this time for a third spell.
Updated
Ole Gunnar Solskjær has made six alterations for Manchester United. Sergio Romero started in goal for the round of 32 first leg in Belgium, where Victor Lindelöf returned to the starting line-up after illness. Juan Mata, Jesse Lingard, Andreas Pereira and Diogo Dalot also start against Club Brugge. Former Liverpool player Simon Mignolet is in goal for Brugge.
For Celtic, Jeremie Frimpong makes his European debut for Celtic at Copenhagen at Parken stadium. The right-back returned after picking up an injury against Kilmarnock last month and he was joined on the other flank by Jonny Hayes, in for injured left-back Greg Taylor. With striker Leigh Griffiths left behind in Glasgow with a niggle, Celtic boss Neil Lennon has brought in attacker Ryan Christie.
All set for his European debut, @JeremieFrimpong 💫
— Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) February 20, 2020
Full #COPCEL team news...
Updated
Espanyol’s fans have been making themselves heard ahead of their match with Wolves.
The Espanyol fans take over Birmingham New Street station!#RCDE #WOLESP@UoDFootyJournos pic.twitter.com/oMxjpHl72H
— George Wilson (@GWilson1000) February 20, 2020
And the name of the day there is referee Ruddy Buquet, who will be in charge at Getafe today.
The teams: part deux...
Shakhtar Donetsk v Benfica
Shakhtar Donetsk: Pyatov, Bolbat, Kryvtsov, Matviyenko, Ismaily, Alan Patrick, Stepanenko, Marlos, Kovalenko, Taison, Moraes.
Subs: Shevchenko, Marcos Antonio, Tete, Konoplyanka, Maycon, Sikan, Bondar.
Benfica: Vlachodimos, Tomas Tavares, Dias, Ferro, Grimaldo, Pizzi, Florentino, Taarabt, Cervi, Chiquinho, Seferovic.
Subs: Dyego Sousa, Samaris, Rafa Silva, Nuno Tavares, Zlobin, Jota, Vinicius.
Referee: Bobby Madden (Scotland)
---
Ludogorets v Inter Milan
Ludogorets: Iliev, Cicinho, Terziev, Grigore, Nedyalkov, Dyakov, Abel, Cauly, Marcelinho, Swierczok, Wanderson.
Subs: Tawatha, Biton, Tchibota, Ikoko, Badji, Stoyanov, Moti.
Inter: Padelli, Godin, Ranocchia, D’Ambrosio, Moses, Vecino, Valero, Eriksen, Biraghi, Sanchez, Martinez.
Subs: de Vrij, Lukaku, Young, Barella, Pirola, Stankovic, Candreva.
Referee: Carlos Del Cerro (Spain)
---
FC Copenhagen v Celtic
FC Copenhagen: Johnsson, Varela, Nelsson, Sigurdsson, Oviedo, Mas, Stage, Zeca, Jensen, N’Doye, Santos.
Subs: Kaufmann, Bengtsson, Papagiannopoulos, Thomsen, Daramy, Gyrtebust, Bartolec.
Celtic: Forster, Frimpong, Jullien, Ajer, Hayes, Brown, McGregor, Christie, Ntcham, Forrest, Edouard.
Subs: Simunovic, Bitton, Bayo, Rogic, Bolingoli Mbombo, Elyounoussi, Bain.
Referee: Sergei Karasev (Russia)
---
Sporting v Istanbul Basaksehir
Sporting: Maximiano, Ristovski, Coates, Neto, Acuna, Wendel, Battaglia, Bolasie, Vietto, Cabral, Sporar.
Subs: Tiago Ilori, Eduardo Henrique, Camacho, Plata, Mendes, Doumbia, Sousa.
Istanbul Basaksehir: Gunok, Junior Caicara, Ponck, Skrtel, Clichy, Visca, Tekdemir, Kahveci, Ba, Gulbrandsen, Crivelli.
Subs: Babacan, Epureanu, Elia, Ucar, Ozcan, Azubuike, Aleksic.
Referee: Anthony Taylor (England)
Updated
Here are the teams...
Getafe v Ajax
Getafe: Soria, Damian, Djene, Etxeita, Olivera, Nyom, Arambarri, Maksimovic, Cucurella, Deyverson, Mata.
Subs: Chichizola, Chema, Angel, Jorge Molina, Jason, Timor, Kenedy.
Ajax: Bruno Varela, Dest, Alvarez, Blind, Tagliafico, van de Beek, Ziyech, Martinez, Tadic, Traore, Babel.
Subs: Timber, Schuurs, Eiting, Huntelaar, Gravenberch, Kotarski, Danilo.
Referee: Ruddy Buquet (Amiens)
---
Club Brugge v Man Utd
Club Brugge: Mignolet, Mata, Kossounou, Mechele, Deli, Rits, Balanta, Vanaken, Bonaventure, Tau, De Cuyper.
Subs: Okereke, Mitrovic, Schrijvers, Ricca, Horvath, Vormer, De Ketelaere.
Man Utd: Romero, Lindelof, Maguire, Shaw, Dalot, Andreas Pereira, Matic, Williams, Mata, Lingard, Martial.
Subs: de Gea, Bailly, Fred, Bruno Fernandes, James, Ighalo, Wan Bissaka.
Referee: Aleksei Kulbakov (Belarus)
---
CFR Cluj v Sevilla
CFR Cluj: Arlauskis, Manea, Paulo Vinicius, Burca, Camora, Deac, Bordeianu, Djokovic, Paun, Traore, Omrani.
Subs: Sandomierski, Luis Aurelio, Boli, Golofca, Hoban, Cestor, Rondon.
Sevilla: Vaclik, Jesus Navas, Kounde, Diego Carlos, Escudero, Jordan, Gudelj, Fernando, Suso, de Jong, Ocampos.
Subs: Sergi Gomez, Lopes, Banega, Bounou, En-Nesyri, Franco Vazquez,
Reguilon.
Referee: Deniz Aytekin (Germany)
---
Eintracht Frankfurt v Red Bull Salzburg
Eintracht Frankfurt: Trapp, Abraham, Hasebe, Ndicka, Toure, Ilsanker, Rode, Kostic, Sow, Andre Silva, Kamada.
Subs: Chandler, Da Costa, Durm, Kohr, Cetin, Ronnow, Paciencia.
Red Bull Salzburg: Stankovic, Farkas, Onguene, Wober, Ulmer, Junuzovic, Mwepu, Szoboszlai, Okugawa, Daka, Hwang.
Subs: Ashimeru, Vallci, Koita, Ramalho, Camara, Adeyemi, Coronel.
Referee: Ali Palabiyik (Turkey)
Preamble
It’s back, the competition worth winning but often not worth over-exerting yourself over. Just ask Chelsea and Arsenal from last season. And five British clubs are playing in this last-32 round of matches. Manchester United in Bruges is being catered for by the excellent Tumaini Carayol in a separate MBM but will also be covered here alongside the rest.
The first half of Thursday’s matches, kicking off at 5.55pm UK time, includes Celtic’s match at Copenhagen and Getafe, taking La Liga by storm, will play Ajax, still smarting after dropping out of the Champions League. Expect boos aplenty for Red Bull Salzburg at Eintracht Frankfurt, what with their being associated with the hated corporate toy RB Leipzig. Inter, their hopes of winning Serie A for the first time in 10 years having taken a bit of a jolt at the weekend in losing to Lazio, are at Ludogorets in Bulgaria.
Here’s the first half of the action, those 5.55pm GMT kick-offs:
CFR Cluj v Sevilla
Club Brugge v Man Utd
Copenhagen v Celtic
Eintracht Frankfurt v Red Bull Salzburg
Getafe v Ajax
Ludogorets v Inter
Shakhtar v Benfica
Sporting v Istanbul Basaksehir
Updated
