Manchester United defeated Spanish club Granada 2-0 in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final tie in Spain on Thursday, while Arsenal conceded a stoppage-time equalizer in a 1-1 draw at home to Czech champions Slavia Prague.
Marcus Rashford raced on to a long ball sprayed upfield by Victor Lindelof to fire United in front at Los Carmenes on 31 minutes against a team enjoying a brilliant debut European campaign.
Bruno Fernandes converted a late penalty after he was caught off the ball by Yan Eteki, with the Portuguese midfielder’s spot-kick squirming agonisingly through the hands of Rui Silva.
Yangel Herrera volleyed against the post for Granada as Spain international David de Gea kept a clean sheet on his first appearance for United since the end of February.
However United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will be without the suspended trio of captain Harry Maguire, Luke Shaw and Scott McTominay for the second leg at Old Trafford next week.
Arsenal Stumble at Home
Arsenal’s poor league form under Mikel Arteta has left the Gunners with the Europa League as their only hope of silverware this year, but the 2019 runners-up were denied victory at the Emirates following a 94th-minute header by Tomas Holes.
Nicolas Pepe had come off the bench to give Arsenal the lead four minutes from time, only for Holes to nod in at a corner and extend Slavia’s unbeaten run to 22 games, having already knocked out Leicester City and Rangers.
Roma comeback away at Ajax
Roma, the only Italian club remaining in Europe this term, came from behind to take down four-time European champions Ajax 2-1 in Amsterdam.
Davy Klaassen gave Ajax the lead shortly before half-time, but Dusan Tadic’s missed penalty proved the turning point as Roma keeper Pau Lopez turned away the Serbian’s effort moments before the visitors drew level.
Lorenzo Pellegrini’s free-kick on 57 minutes slipped through the grasp of Ajax keeper Kjell Scherpen and Roger Ibanez won the game for Roma late on, smashing home a superb volley.
Villarreal victorious in Dinamo
Unai Emery’s Villarreal got the better of Dinamo Zagreb in Croatia, as Gerard Moreno’s penalty just before the interval secured a 1-0 victory.
Emery won the Europa League in three consecutive years with Sevilla and took Arsenal to the 2019 final.
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