Europa League roundup: Manchester United march on, Arsenal squeak in

It was judgment day for the Europa League’s opening phase, as the 11 remaining knockout stage places up for grabs heading into Thursday were decided. Here’s a full rundown of the action from Matchday 6.

Early kickoffs

Group A

With everything already decided heading into the final matchday, Group A winners Sevilla closed out the group stage in embarrassing fashion with a loss to APOEL Nicosia. Second-placed Qarabag ended the day with a 1-1 draw against Dudelange.

Group B

Malmo finished atop Group B after beating an FC Copenhagen side that also qualified for the knockout stage courtesy of Dynamo Kyiv’s disappointing 1-1 draw with Lugano.

Group C

FC Basel clinched top spot in the group with a victory over Trabzonspor, while Getafe made it into the next round after a decisive 3-0 win to knock FC Krasnodar. It continues a woeful run for Russian clubs in European competition this season.

Group D

It was a night to forget for Sporting CP. Though the Portuguese side had already booked its ticket to the knockout round, LASK secured a 3-0 victory to leapfrog Sporting and clinch top spot. PSV and Rosenborg, meanwhile, were simply playing for pride on the day and ended up drawing 1-1.

Group E

Lazio followed up their embarrassing loss to Celtic on Matchday 5 with an equally shameful effort Thursday, as the Italian side’s Europa League journey ended with a 2-0 loss to already eliminated Rennes. Meanwhile, CFR Cluj beat group winners Celtic to reach the knockout stage for the second time in club history.

Group F

Arsenal’s uninspiring form in the Europa League continued Thursday with a come-from-behind 2-2 draw against Standard Liege. The Gunners still managed to finish atop Group F after second-placed Eintracht conceded two late goals in a 3-2 loss against Vitoria.

Late kickoffs

Group G

In a wild affair at the Estadio do Dragao that featured five goals in the opening 33 minutes, Porto emerged with a crucial 3-2 win over Feyenoord. That result allowed the Portuguese side to leapfrog Rangers for first place in the group. The Scottish club settled for the second spot after conceding an 89th-minute own goal in a 1-1 draw with Young Boys. Despite the late setback, Steven Gerrard and his men will prove to be tricky opponents for whichever club they draw in the round of 32.

Group H

Espanyol had already clinched the group’s all-important top spot, which, at least in theory, should result in a more favorable draw in the knockout stage. Their loss to CSKA Moscow, then, was moot. Ludogorets will join the Spaniards in the next stage after a 1-1 draw with Ferencvaros.

Group I

As you were in Group I. Gent and Wolfsburg had already clinched their respective spots in the knockout stage prior to Matchday 6, with the former nursing a one-point lead over the German club for top spot. Both teams racked up slim wins Thursday, beating already eliminated Oleksandriya and Saint-Etienne, respectively.

Group J

Istanbul Basaksehir had a mountain to climb going into Matchday 6, entering the day in third place in the group behind Borussia Monchengladbach and Roma. By the time the final whistle went, they were atop that mountain. A 90th-minute goal from Enzo Crivelli turned the group on its head, taking the Super Lig team from third to first and dropping Monchengladbach down to third. Roma, meanwhile, advance as runners-up after a 2-2 draw with Wolfsberger.

Group K

Super-sub Diogo Jota scored three goals in 11 minutes to inspire Wolverhampton Wanderers to a 4-0 win over Besiktas. The victory looked set to propel Wolves into first place in the quartet, but Sporting Braga pulled off a late comeback to beat Slovan Bratislava and pip top spot, bumping the Premier League club down to second. Spare a thought for the terribly disappointing Turkish side, though, who round out the group stage having lost five of six matches.

Group L

Manchester United and AZ Alkmaar went into Thursday’s clash at Old Trafford knowing that the winner would grab top spot in the group. After a goalless opening stanza, the Red Devils blew their Dutch counterparts away in the second half, scoring four times en route to a commanding 4-0 win. Teenage forward Mason Greenwood grabbed a brace, helping condemn AZ to second place in the quartet. Partizan Belgrade finished third thanks to a straightforward victory over Astana.