Europa League: Barcelona eliminated, West Ham stunned Lyon
Barcelona’s European campaign has gone from bad to worse in its first season after Lionel Messi.
First the Spanish powerhouse was eliminated from the lucrative Champions League and now he has been eliminated from the second-tier Europa League by Eintracht Frankfurt.
The German team stunned Barcelona 3-2 at the Camp Nou to advance to the semi-finals on a 4-3 aggregate score.
Barcelona were the title favorites, looking for the only trophy that wasn’t in the collection. Playing in the Europa League for the first time, it had never won its predecessor, the UEFA Cup, reaching the semi-finals four times but failed to reach a final. Frankfurt won the UEFA Cup in 1980.
Frankfurt then takes on West Ham after the Premier League club advanced to the semi-finals of European competition for the first time since 1976 by knocking out Lyon 4-1.
Christopher Nkunku previously scored twice and helped Leipzig to the first semi-finals in a European competition with a 2-0 win over Atalanta.
Kemar Roofe scored in extra time for Rangers to win 3-1 over nine-man Braga for a 3-2 aggregate win against Leipzig.
Leicester became the first team to advance to the semi-finals of the inaugural Europa Conference League after scoring 2-1 against PSV Eindhoven in the Netherlands.
The Premier League team then plays against Roma. With Jose Mourinho at the helm, Roma are one of the favorites to win the new UEFA third tier competition. The Italian club took revenge with a 4-0 victory over the Norwegian Bodø/Glimt, making the semifinals 5-2 in total.
EUROPE LEAGUE
Barcelona had possession, but Frankfurt scored. They had come in 1-1 after the first leg.
In a dream start for the visitors, Filip Kostic gave them the lead four minutes into the game from the penalty spot, causing goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen to go the wrong way.
Rafael Borre doubled the advantage in the first half with a drive into the roof of the net from 25 meters (yards), leaving Ter Stegen no chance. Kostic scored again in the 67th minute.
Barcelona threatened late when Sergio Busquets scored in the 91st minute. The visitors were reduced to 10 after Evan N’Dicka was shown the second yellow for substitute Memphis Depay’s penalty 11 minutes into stoppage time.
American defender Sergiño Dest came into action for Barcelona in the 61st, his first appearance since straining his left thigh at Galatasaray on March 17.
At Lyon, West Ham survived the early pressure and Craig Dawson scored the opening goal from a corner from Pablo Fornals in the 38th. Declan Rice doubled the lead six minutes later with a deflected shot.
Jarrod Bowen extended the lead to 3-0 three minutes into the second half with a low shot from the edge of the area.
At the Ibrox Stadium in Glasgow, James Tavernier cleared a 1-0 deficit from the first leg in Braga with a diagonal shot in the second minute. The Rangers defender scored his second from a penalty just before half-time. David Carmo’s header for Braga in the 83rd minute forced extra time, and Roofe’s effort in the 101st secured Rangers.
Nkunku scored on a feed from Konrad Laimer after 18 minutes and doubled the lead on a penalty late in the second half to seal Leipzig’s 3-1 aggregate win.
Atalanta goalkeeper Juan Musso had made a mistake on Nkunku in the area to score the Frenchman’s 30th goal of the season in all competitions.
EUROPE CONFERENCE LEAGUE
Leicester became the first team to advance to the semi-finals of the inaugural Europa Conference League after scoring 2-1 against PSV Eindhoven in the Netherlands.
Leicester’s 2-1 aggregate win after a 0-0 draw in the first leg makes for a semi-final game against Roma.
Ricardo Pereira scored the winner two minutes before time to earn Leicester’s first European semi-final after goalkeeper Yvon Mvogo saved substitute Patson Daka’s attempt.
Eindhoven opened the scoring when former Germany international Mario Götze fielded Eran Zahavi for his eighth European goal this season and fourth in the last four Europa Conference League games.
James Maddison canceled that for Leicester in the 77th minute.
At the Stadio Olympic in Rome, striker Tammy Abraham opened the scoring for Roma in the fifth minute before Nicolò Zaniolo stole the show. He lifted the lead to 3-0 with two goals – the first between goalkeeper Nikita Haikin’s legs – in the space of six minutes later in the first half and completed his hat-trick early in the second.
Marseille won the second leg at PAOK Thessaloniki 1-0 to advance 3-1 to meet Feyenoord in the semi-final after Dutch club Slavia knocked out Prague 6-4. Cyriel Dessers scored twice to lead Feyenoord to a 3-1 victory over Slavia.
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