Three British clubs secured their places in the Europa League last 16 on a triumphant Thursday night of European football.
Manchester United clinched their spot with a 2-0 victory over FCSB in Bucharest, with Diogo Dalot and Kobbie Mainoo finding the net in the second half.
Tottenham’s academy graduates stole the show in a commanding 3-0 win against Elfsborg, as Dane Scarlett, Damola Ajayi and Mikey Moore all scored their first goals for the club.
Rangers completed the British success story at Ibrox, defeating Union Saint-Gilloise 2-1 through goals from Nicolas Raskin and Vaclav Cerny, despite a late Kevin Mac Allister strike for the visitors.
United, Tottenham and Rangers are through to the knockout stage of the Europa League
Reuters
Ruben Amorim’s Manchester United side delivered a commanding second-half performance in Bucharest to secure their last 16 spot.
The United manager made five changes to his weekend lineup, including starts for Tyrell Malacia and Altay Bayindir, while fielding an experimental midfield featuring Bruno Fernandes, Christian Eriksen, Kobbie Mainoo and Toby Collyer.
After a quiet first half, United found their breakthrough when Diogo Dalot finished from close range, converting Mainoo’s cross following neat build-up play involving Amad and Eriksen.
The hosts nearly equalised when Daniel Birligea struck the post, but David Miculescu’s follow-up header was ruled offside.
Mainoo then sealed United’s victory, exchanging passes with substitute Alejandro Garnacho before calmly placing the ball into the bottom corner.
Tottenham secured their last 16 berth with a historic night for their academy products against Elfsborg.
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Ange Postecoglou made three changes from Sunday’s 2-1 defeat to Leicester, including a start for returning defender Micky van de Ven.
Dane Scarlett, who recently returned from a loan spell at Oxford, broke the deadlock with a superb header just four minutes after coming on as a substitute.
Under-21s regular Damola Ajayi doubled Spurs’ advantage with six minutes remaining.
Mikey Moore completed the academy graduate scoring spree with a brilliant third goal in stoppage time.
The only concern for Postecoglou came when centre-back Radu Dragusin was forced off with an injury in the second half.
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Tottenham’s youngsters came to their rescue against Elfsborg
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Rangers secured automatic qualification to the Europa League last 16 with an impressive 2-1 victory over Union Saint-Gilloise at Ibrox.
Philippe Clement’s side suffered an early setback when Leon King was forced off with an injury.
The hosts took the lead after 20 minutes through Nicolas Raskin, who headed home at the back post following James Tavernier’s clever short corner routine.
Vaclav Cerny doubled Rangers’ advantage in the 56th minute, capitalising on an outstanding run from Cyriel Dessers.
Kevin Mac Allister’s late strike created some nervous moments at Ibrox, but Rangers held firm to secure their progression.
The Scottish side’s qualification was confirmed after Bodo/Glimt drew 1-1 with Nice and Anderlecht lost 4-3 to Hoffenheim, with Rangers claiming a top-eight spot on goal difference.
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Rangers survived a late scare to sneak into the top-eight of the Europa League
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The historic night of British success in the Europa League saw all three clubs bypass the play-off phase by securing top-eight finishes in the league stage.
Manchester United’s victory in Bucharest, Tottenham’s academy-inspired triumph, and Rangers’ hard-fought win at Ibrox demonstrated the strength of British clubs in European competition.
Each victory came with its own memorable moments – from Mainoo’s composed finish for United to Spurs’ trio of first-time scorers and Rangers’ tactical corner routine.
The three clubs will now await the last 16 draw, having earned the advantage of avoiding the additional play-off fixtures next month.