With Rio world champion Mats Hummels in the starting line-up, the struggling Italian first division soccer team AS Roma celebrated its second victory in the Europa League and at least has a good chance of making it into the play-offs again. Roma beat Sporting Braga 3-0 (1-0) on matchday six of the league phase and settled into the middle of the table with nine points.
Lorenzo Pellegrini (11th), Saud Abdulhamid (47th) on an assist from ex-Gladbacher Manu Kone and Mario Hermoso (90th + 1) scored for Roma. Hummels was shown a yellow card in the 73rd minute shortly before being substituted, but otherwise played solidly.
The teams in places nine to 24 play in knockout duels for a place in the round of 16, the best eight teams reach the round of the last 16 directly. The Europa League is led after the sixth matchday by Lazio Rome, who won 3-1 (1-0) at Ajax Amsterdam.
However, things are looking bad for Youssoufa Moukoko and OGC Nice. With the Dortmund loanee in the starting line-up, Nice lost 1-2 (1-1) at Union Saint-Gilloise and are still winless (two draws, four defeats). Tottenham Hotspurs also couldn’t get past a 1-1 (0-0) draw at Celtic Glasgow and have to worry about the top eight.
Europa League: Man Utd celebrates late win
Manchester United avoided a setback in the fight for the direct round of 16 ticket, winning late 2-1 (0-0) at Viktoria Pilsen. Star striker Rasmus Højlund (62nd/88th) scored twice after falling behind, as did Spanish European Championship final scorer Mikel Oyarzabal (19th/33rd) for Real Sociedad.
In the 3-0 (3-0) win against Dynamo Kiev, former Berliner Sheraldo Becker also got on the scoresheet (24th), while Oyarzabal missed a penalty.
In the Conference League, national player Robin Gosens was rested in AC Florence’s 7-0 (3-0) win against LASK from Linz. After the resounding win against the Austrians, who competed without the injured Jerome Boateng, Florence can plan for the round of 16 with twelve points from five games.
Former national player Philipp Max came on as a substitute in the 73rd minute in Panathinaikos Athens’ 2-0 (1-0) win at New Saints FC from Wales, while German goalkeeper Leon Pöhls kept his Shamrock Rovers’ 3-0 (1-0) win ( Ireland) over Borac Banja Luka (Bosnia and Herzegovine) the clean slate.