AS Roma around ex-national player Mats Hummels continue to have problems in the Europa League. After the 0-1 (0-0) defeat at AZ Alkmaar, for whom Troy Parrott scored the decisive goal in the 80th minute, there is even a threat of elimination.
After the penultimate matchday of the group phase, Roma is in 21st place with nine points, but the lead over the competition below the qualification mark – the top 24 advance – is minimal. For Hummels and Co., the last matchday will be the final of the intermediate round; direct qualification for the round of 16 is no longer mathematically possible. The opponent: Eintracht Frankfurt.
After a first half with few chances and slight advantages for Alkmaar, the break went goalless. Goal scoring opportunities remained scarce in the second half as well. The Irish international Parrott (80th) scored the home team’s celebrated winning goal in the final phase – and qualification for the knockout phase. With eleven points, Alkmaar can no longer be pushed out of the top 24.
Victory for “worst team in Manchester United history”
Things are looking even better for Manchester United. The crisis-plagued team of coach Ruben Amorim (“We are perhaps the worst team in the history of Manchester United“) defeated Glasgow Rangers 2:1 (1:0) – but Amorim needed strong nerves again.
An own goal from Rangers goalkeeper Jack Butland gave them the lead (52′), but Bruno Fernandes then had to save the win after Cyriel Dessers’ late equalizer (88′) in the second minute of stoppage time. Man United are in fourth place with 15 points and are heading straight into the round of 16.
Lazio Rome is the only team so far to have this for sure. The local rivals of Hummels’ AS maintained their lead in the table with a convincing 3-1 (3-0) win against Real Sociadad – the Italians also benefited from the early dismissal of Aihen Munoz (30th). Immediately afterwards, Mattias Zaccagni (32nd) and Valentin Castellanos (34th) decided the game after Mario Gila (5th) had taken the early lead.
Lazio is leading the way, Porto and Ajax are lagging behind
With 19 points, Lazio is not only safely in the top 8, but can also only theoretically be pushed out of the top position. The first pursuers Frankfurt (2:0 against Ferencvaros Budapest) and Athletic Bilbao (1:4 at Besiktas) are three points and seven goals behind.
Things will be surprisingly tight for FC Porto. The top Portuguese club slipped out of the top 24 with a 0-1 (0-0) draw against Olympiacos Piraeus and is facing elimination. Ajax Amsterdam (now 16th in the table) also disappointed in a 0-1 (0-0) draw at Latvian underdogs Rigas FS and still needs to score points on the last matchday to secure qualification for the second round.