While You Were Asleep: Manchester United pip Barcelona, Di Maria hat-trick sends Juventus into last 16, AS Roma stay alive
Second-half goals from Fred and Antony helped Manchester United to beat Barcelona 2-1 and left the Catalans licking their wounds after another continental failure.
Last season they also ended up in the Europa League playoffs after finishing third in their Champions League group and were knocked out of Europe’s second tier competition in the quarter-finals after a 3-2 loss to Eintracht Frankfurt at Camp Nou.
🚨 HIGHLIGHTS ARE IN! 🚨
Hint: stay until the end 😉#MUFC || #UEL
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) February 24, 2023
The win ensured Erik ten Hag’s side a spot in the round of 16 of the Europa League.
Robert Lewandowski’s first-half penalty had put the visitors in front on aggregate after the thrilling 2-2 draw in the first leg at the Nou Camp last week.
Our Portuguese magnifico! 🫶
🤳 @B_Fernandes8 @TeamViewer ↔️ #BringingYouCloser pic.twitter.com/5jlv4yo7TI
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) February 23, 2023
But Fred’s strike in the 47th evened the match before Antony’s winner.
Antony’s 73rd-minute strike completed a come-from-behind win and provided further evidence that Ten Hag’s team is a rising force in Europe.
Di Maria sinks Nantes
Angel Di Maria scored a hat-trick as Juventus eased to a 3-0 win at 10-man Nantes on Thursday to reach the Europa League round of 16 with a 4-1 aggregate score.
FT | ⌛️ | Round of 16, here we come! 💪⚪️⚫️ #NANJUV #UEL pic.twitter.com/L5Abi0lyjU
— JuventusFC 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@juventusfcen) February 23, 2023
Juventus only managed a 1-1 draw against the French side in the home leg as they eyed a long run in the European competition to boost a miserable campaign in which they have been deducted 15 Serie A points for financial irregularities.
Di Maria opened the scoring in the fifth minute and doubled the lead in the 20th from the penalty spot after Nicolas Pallois was sent off for a handball in the box.
The Argentine completed his hat trick in the 78th.
AS Roma beat Salzburg
Goals Andrea Belotti and Paulo Dybala earned AS Roma a 2-0 victory at home to FC Salzburg on Thursday in their Europa League playoff second leg as the Italians clinched a spot in the last 16 with a 2-1 aggregate score.
Jose Mourinho’s side, trailing from the first leg after a late header midfielder Nicolas Capaldo earned Salzburg a 1-0 win in Austria, attacked aggressively from the start in Rome.
They took a deserved lead after 33 minutes of pressure when Leonardo Spinazzola managed to get into the box and sent over a cross that deflected off a Salzburg defender Andrea Belotti, who sent a low header into the net.
Paulo Dybala turned the tie around and sent the home crowd into raptures when he volleyed home Spinazzola’s cross for the second goal just before the break.
