Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Reuters
Reuters
Business
Simon Evans

Milan, Villarreal and Nice reach Europa League knockout round

Soccer Football - Europa League - AC Milan vs FK Austria Wien - San Siro, Milan, Italy - November 23, 2017 AC Milan's Cristian Zapata and Leonardo Bonucci in action with Austria Vienna's Christoph Monschein REUTERS/Alessandro Garofalo

(Reuters) - AC Milan, Villarreal and Nice reached the knockout stage of the Europa League after posting wins on Thursday in the penultimate round of the group stage.

Arsenal lost to Cologne 1-0 in Germany but still finish top of Group H while Hertha Berlin crashed out of the competition after a 3-2 loss to Athletic Bilbao.

Soccer Football - Europa League - Astana vs Villarreal - Astana Arena, Astana, Kazakhstan - November 23, 2017 Villarreal's Rodri in action with Astana’s Patrick Twumasi REUTERS/Alexei Filippov

Everton, already eliminated, suffered a humiliating 5-1 defeat at home to the Italian side Atalanta with Danish forward Andreas Cornelius and midfielder Bryan Cristante each claiming a brace.

The Bergamo club progress from Group E along with Olympique Lyon, who crushed Apollon Limassol 4-0.

Seven-times European champions AC Milan crushed Austria Vienna 5-1 after going a goal down. Portuguese forward Andre Silva and Patrick Cutrone each scored twice.

Soccer Football - Europa League - Astana vs Villarreal - Astana Arena, Astana, Kazakhstan - November 23, 2017 Villarreal's Cedric Bakambu celebrates with Rodri and Nicola Sansone after scoring their third goal REUTERS/Alexei Filippov

Spain's Villarreal moved into the next round after beating Astana 3-2 to end the Kazakh club's 17-game unbeaten run.

Substitute Cedric Bakambu scored twice after being introduced on the hour to put Villarreal 3-1 up; an 88th-minute Patrick Twumasi goal for the hosts made no difference to the result.

Italian Mario Balotelli scored twice, including a penalty, for Nice as they went through from Group K with a 3-1 victory over Belgium's Zulte Waregem.

Soccer Football - Europa League - AC Milan vs FK Austria Wien - San Siro, Milan, Italy - November 23, 2017 AC Milan's Ricardo Rodriguez scores their first goal REUTERS/Alessandro Garofalo

European debutants Ostersunds, who now top Group J with ten points, triumphed 2-0 at home to Ukrainian side Zorya Luhansk, taking the lead through an own goal from Dmytro Hrechyshkin in the 40th minute before a long-range effort from Saman Ghoddos secured the win 13 minutes from the end.

Salzburg enjoyed a comfortable 3-0 win over Portugal's Vitoria Guimares thanks to goals from Israeli Moanes Dabour, Andrea Ulmer and South Korean Hwang Hee-chan.

Viktoria Plzen progress after a 2-0 win over Romania's Steaua Bucharest which came after second-half goals from Milan Petrzela and Jan Kopic.

Soccer Football - Europa League - Astana vs Villarreal - Astana Arena, Astana, Kazakhstan - November 23, 2017 Villarreal's Cedric Bakambu in action with Astana’s Marin Anicic REUTERS/Alexei Filippov

Arsenal were already assured of progress before their trip to Germany but will still be disappointed to have a fallen to the Bundesliga's bottom club.

Sehrou Guirassy's 62nd-minute penalty, after he was brought down by Mathieu Debuchy, was all that separated the two sides although Reiss Nelson and Jack Wilshere both went close to levelling in the final moments but were foiled by Cologne keeper Timo Horn.

Serbian champions Partizan Belgrade progressed with a pulsating 2-1 home win over Young Boys Berne.

Soccer Football - Europa League - AC Milan vs FK Austria Wien - San Siro, Milan, Italy - November 23, 2017 AC Milan's Patrick Cutrone celebrates scoring their third goal REUTERS/Alessandro Garofalo

Towering Cameroonian striker Leandre Tawamba gave Partizan the lead with a 12th-minute header before Nicolas Ngamaleu equalised with an opportunist goal after the home side failed to clear a corner.

Roared on by a fervent 25,000 home crowd, Partizan snatched the winner early in the second half when striker Ognjen Ozegovic finished off a delightful move.

Real Sociedad progress with Zenit St Petersburg from Group L due to a 1-0 win at Norway's Rosenborg. Mikel Oyarzabal grabbed the winner in the 90th minute.

Soccer Football - Europa League - OGC Nice vs Zulte Waregem - Allianz Riviera, Nice, France - November 23, 2017 Nice's Mario Balotelli celebrates scoring their first goal REUTERS/Eric Gaillard

Portugal's Braga will also be in the last 32 after beating Hoffenheim 3-1. Brazilian midfielder Fransergio scored twice after the break.

Soccer Football - Europa League - FC Cologne vs Arsenal - RheinEnergieStadion, Cologne, Germany - November 23, 2017 Arsenal's Olivier Giroud in action with Cologne's Jorge Mere REUTERS/Wolfgang Rattay

(Reporting by Simon Evans)

Soccer Football - Europa League - OGC Nice vs Zulte Waregem - Allianz Riviera, Nice, France - November 23, 2017 Nice's Adrien Tameze scores their third goal REUTERS/Eric Gaillard
Soccer Football - Europa League - OGC Nice vs Zulte Waregem - Allianz Riviera, Nice, France - November 23, 2017 Zulte Waregem's Brian Hamalainen celebrates scoring their first goal REUTERS/Eric Gaillard
Soccer Football - Europa League - FC Cologne vs Arsenal - RheinEnergieStadion, Cologne, Germany - November 23, 2017 Arsenal's Reiss Nelson looks dejected after the match REUTERS/Wolfgang Rattay
Soccer Football - Europa League - Athletic Bilbao vs Hertha BSC Berlin - San Mames, Bilbao, Spain - November 23, 2017 Athletic Bilbao's Inaki Williams celebrates scoring their third goal with teammates REUTERS/Vincent West
Soccer Football - Europa League - Ostersunds FK vs FC Zorya Luhansk - Jamtkraft Arena, Ostersund, Sweden - November 23, 2017 - Ostersund's Curtis Edwards (L) fights and Luhansk's Artem Gromov are seen in action. TT News Agency/Robert Henriksson via REUTERS
Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.