Manchester United suffered a devastating loss to Sevilla in the Europa League quarter-final on Thursday, marking the end of their journey in the tournament. The Spanish team beat United 3-0 to finish 5-2 on aggregate.
United had led by two goals in the first leg before conceding two late own goals, and they completed their collapse in Spain. Goalkeeper David de Gea had a poor night, which made it easy for Sevilla to score three goals. In the first half, he gave the ball away to Youssef En-Nesyri, who capitalized on the opportunity, and in the second half, he sliced a dropping ball, allowing En-Nesyri to complete his brace.
The loss is a huge setback for United, who were hoping to add to their trophy collection this season. However, the team’s performance was lackluster, and they were completely outplayed by a determined Sevilla side. Despite dominating possession, United failed to create any meaningful chances and were punished by Sevilla’s clinical finishing.
Meanwhile, Juventus and Bayer Leverkusen secured their places in the Europa League semi-finals with convincing wins. Juventus held on to a 1-1 draw against Sporting in Lisbon, qualifying for the semi-finals with a 2-1 aggregate win. Bayer Leverkusen also secured a place in the semi-finals, winning 4-1 in Belgium against Union Saint-Gilloise, who they eliminated 5-2. Roma advanced after beating Feyenoord 4-1 in extra time, making it 4-2 on aggregate.
The news was not all good for Juventus, however, as Italy’s highest sporting court lifted a 15-point deduction in Serie A for illicit transfer activity, but the case is up for re-examination. Despite this setback, Juventus put in a solid performance against Sporting, with Adrian Rabiot scoring in the ninth minute.
In the Europa Conference League, Fiorentina lost 3-2 to Lech Poznan but advanced 6-4 on aggregate, while West Ham beat Gent 4-1 to qualify 5-2 on aggregate. Nice was eliminated after losing 2-1 in extra time at home to Basel, with Kasim Adams scoring the decisive goal in the 98th minute.
The Europa League and Europa Conference League semi-finals are set to take place on May 5 and 6, with Juventus facing off against Bayer Leverkusen and Roma taking on Sevilla.
