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Europa League: Man Utd and Arsenal through, Spurs and Rangers out – as it happened

Spurs were humiliated in Zagreb, Manchester United were poor but still beat Milan, and nine-man Rangers lost a bad-tempered game to Slavia Prague

10.26pm GMT

Steven Gerrard has successfully avoided BT Sport’s cameras, and with the end of their broadcast I too am going to check out. Here are all tonight’s match reports again. Bye!

10.19pm GMT

Steven Gerrard and Jindrich Trpisovsky are in conversation, each surrounded by a couple of aids, and obviously talking about whatever Ondrej Kudela said to Glen Kamara. It’s fair to say that it is not exactly a friendly chat.

10.15pm GMT

And Ewan Murray was at Ibrox to see Rangers’ elimination:

The comprehensive nature of this victory for Slavia Prague was more striking than the fact it happened at all. Rangers suffered a Europa League defeat over 90 minutes at the 13th time of asking; the playing of the closing stages with nine men rather endorsed an uncharacteristically dismal evening for Steven Gerrard and his team.

Gerrard will reflect on the first of those dismissals, issued for a crazy Kemar Roofe challenge, as a turning point in this tie. Nonetheless, Slavia always looked more competent and streetwise than the Scottish champions. Having swatted Leicester aside in the last 32, Slavia are rather enjoying these trips to British shores. They will watch the quarter-final draw with relish as Gerrard denies his players any opportunity to ponder what might have been. There is, after all, the small matter of an Old Firm game on Sunday.

10.13pm GMT

Jamie Jackson has filed his report on Manchester United’s victory in Milan:

Manchester United squeezed into the quarter-finals the hard way: coming to Milan and earning the victory required. In doing so, Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s men won their biggest game of the campaign, keeping alive the hope of European glory.

By the close United had survived – Shaw’s late intervention as Alexis Saelemaekers lurked was indicative of a nervy finish – with Paul Pogba the tie-winning hero, scoring the vital goal almost instantly after entering for the second half. Yet to reach the final they have to sharpen their act: United’s attack is not currently a prolific one and it may cost them when it truly counts.

10.12pm GMT

Luke Shaw thinks United were rubbish:

I’ll be honest, we weren’t good at all. Especially first half, we were awful. The first 10, 15 minutes, we started well, kept control of the ball, but it was like a switch, we turned off. We kept giving away the ball and inviting pressure on ourselves, and maybe we were lucky. The most important thing was the result and getting through to the next round, but we know we can play better than tonight. It’s a very good win. We’re through, we’ve got players coming back, the squad’s looking better than it did last night, so it’s good times now.

I’ve been out the fold for quite a while. I’ve always had ambitions to get back into the squad. I’ve done that, and I’m really looking forward to being there.

10.07pm GMT

Steven Davis is disappointed:

I don’t think there was a great difference between the teams. We probably didn’t test the goalkeeper enough, and then obviously the sending-off made it very difficult. If we’d have performed over the two legs the way we know we’re capable of we’d have gone through, so I’m disappointed. It was hard to get rhythm in the game, they seemed to go down very easily and it was a difficult night for the referee. It has been a positive run. The immediate emotion is one of disappointment but we’ve got a massive game on Sunday so we’ll look forward to that one.

9.59pm GMT

Quarter- and semi-final draw
Starts tomorrow, Friday 19 March, at 12pm GMT.

9.57pm GMT

Rangers 0-2 Slavia Prague (agg: 1-3) It was pretty emphatic, but also disappointingly bad-tempered at times. Happily Slavia’s goalkeeper, Ondrej Kolar, has returned to their bench with a few plasters slapped on his face, clearly not seriously injured.

9.56pm GMT

Milan 0-1 Manchester United (agg: 1-2) It’s all over, and Manchester United are in the hat!

9.55pm GMT

Milan 0-1 Manchester United (agg: 1-2) McTominay does some excellent work, carrying the ball to the right touchline, pushing it past Theo Hernandez and drawing the foul, eating up some precious seconds.

9.54pm GMT

Milan 0-1 Manchester United (agg: 1-2) A booking for Luke Shaw and some good defending from the resulting free-kick, and United have a goal kick, about 90 seconds to play.

9.51pm GMT

Rangers 0-2 Slavia Prague (agg: 1-3) Seven minutes of stoppage time stand between Rangers and elimination.

9.51pm GMT

Milan 0-1 Manchester United (agg: 1-2) They are into stoppage time in Milan, and there will be five long minutes of it!

9.50pm GMT

Rangers 0-2 Slavia Prague (agg: 1-3) While that’s all happening, Ondrej Kudela has leaned into Glen Kamara, covered his mouth with his hands and whispered something into his ear that has enraged him. No lip-reader is ever going to get the chance to decipher that, but sadly I fear we can imagine what it might have been.

9.48pm GMT

Rangers 0-2 Slavia Prague (agg: 1-3) Handbags! One of the Slavia players goes down, the ball is kicked into him by a Rangers player, bounces away, and is kicked back into him again, on neither occasion with any great force. The SLavia man stays down as if viciously assaulted, various players get upset about it, and Kudela and Goldson are both booked.

9.42pm GMT

Here’s Paul Doyle’s report on Tottenham’s humiliation in Zagreb:

Tottenham’s season is unravelling. A bitter inquest looms. Four days after flopping in the north London derby, José Mourinho’s team fell out of the Europa League in spectacular, humiliating fashion.

Their trip to Dinamo was supposed to be little more than a formality after their comfortable two-goal win in the first leg last week but Spurs produced an anaemic and disjointed display in perfect contrast to that of their hosts. Mislav Orsic’s extraordinary hat-trick crowned a famous win for the Croatian champions.

9.41pm GMT

Rangers 0-2 Slavia Prague (agg: 1-3) Rangers totally fluff an offside trap, quite an accomplishment given that they’re now basically playing with a back one, and it quite a challenge for him to not stay in a straight line, but Slavia can’t punish them.

9.38pm GMT

Milan 0-1 Manchester United (agg: 1-2) Manchester United’s Diogo Dalot has come on for Milan against United, and been booked. Milan have 12 minutes to find the goal they need to take this to extra time.

9.33pm GMT

Rangers 0-2 Slavia Prague (agg: 1-3) That is a fabulous free-kick from Nicolae Stanciu, who sends the ball way over the wall and then somehow dipping over McGregor’s despairing dive but under the bar!

9.32pm GMT

Rangers 0-1 Slavia Prague (agg: 1-2) Leon Balogun takes a heavy first touch, and takes out Masopust as he attempts to make amends. That’s a second yellow card, sir!

9.29pm GMT

Milan 0-1 Manchester United (agg: 1-2) Lindelof makes a sliding block at the near post as Milan look for an equaliser. The home side loudly appeal for handball, but the referee waves play on and there’s been plenty of time for VAR to tell the referee that something was amiss if something was amiss.

9.26pm GMT

Rangers 0-1 Slavia Prague (agg: 1-2) Rangers still need a goal, and Nathan Patterson surges into the right side of the area before blasting over the bar.

9.24pm GMT

Rangers 0-1 Slavia Prague (agg: 1-2) Kolar has been taken off on a stretcher, and Matyas Vagner, the 18-year-old reserve keeper, has come on.

9.22pm GMT

A long ball from right to left finds Kemar Roofe running into the area. Ondřej Kolář comes out to try to claim it. Roofe jumps with his right foot raised to shoulder height, gets the ball, and keeps going into the Slavia keeper. His eyes were on the ball, his intention was surely to win it, but his boot continued into Kolar’s head, and the referee brings out his red card! Roofe was only on the pitch for six minutes!

9.14pm GMT

Milan 0-1 Manchester United (agg: 1-2) Calhanoglu smashes the ball straight into Marry Maguire’s face from no distance at all.

9.12pm GMT

Elsewhere, Ajax are now 2-0 ahead at Young Boys, and lead 5-0 on aggregate. Young Boys just had the ball in the net, but VAR spoiled their fun by noticing an offside.

9.10pm GMT

Milan 0-1 Manchester United (agg: 1-2) Saelemaekers cuts in from the left and has a low shot that Henderson saves, and then Fred clears into Krunic and the ball deflects towards goal, but straight at Henderson and nowhere near hard enough to trouble him.

9.09pm GMT

He’s only scored within three minutes! James’s shot from the right leads to chaos. Pogba taps it back to Fred, who can’t get a shot away. The ball rolls to Fernandes, who is tackled by Kessie, and the ball rolls to Pogba, who feints, spies Donnarumma taking a fateful half-step to his left, and shoots in at the near post!

9.04pm GMT

Milan 0-0 Manchester United (agg: 1-1) Marcus Rashford is the player to make way at the break to make room for Pogba.

9.03pm GMT

The players are back out in the San Siro, and Paul Pogba is going to be coming on.

8.56pm GMT

It’s half-time in all the 8pm kick-offs. Krunic had an excellent chance for Milan just before the break, but sidefooted his volley wide. So the scores as they stand:

Milan 0-0 Manchester United (agg: 1-1)
Rangers 0-1 Slavia Prague (agg: 1-2)
Villarreal 2-0 Dynamo Kyiv (agg: 4-0)
Young Boys 0-1 Ajax (agg: 4-0)

8.54pm GMT

A bit more from Mourinho, who is told that Glenn Hoddle on BT Sport has had some harsh words for his team:

I don’t need Mr Hoddle’s words to feel hurt. I totally respect everything that somebody connected or not connected with the club says about us tonight. I think we have to accept it. The problem will be if some accept in a positive way, in feeling hurt by the critics. Another story is if you don’t hurt, you don’t care, you don’t read, and that is another problem. I don’t need external critics, because I feel extremely hurt.

On behalf of my team, even if some of them don’t share my feelings and my emotions, I can only apologise to Tottenham’s supporters, and I hope the players feel the same way I do. Until the last day of the season we have to try to do our best.

8.49pm GMT

More from Mourinho:

I’m disappointed at the difference in attitude between one team and another. I feel sorry that my team is the team that didn’t bring to the game, not just the basics of football I believe the basics of life, which is to respect our jobs and to give everything.

8.48pm GMT

Jose Mourinho lays into his players’ attitude here:

If I forget the last 10 minutes of extra time, where we did something to get a different result and to go through, in the 90 minutes and in the first half of extra time, there was one team that decided to leave everything on the pitch. They left everything there, sweat, energy, blood, at the end of the game they left even tears of happiness. Very humble, very committed, and I have to praise them. On the other side, my team - I repeat, my team, I am there - that didn’t look like it was playing an important match. And if for any one of them it’s not an important match, for me it is. And I believe that for every Tottenham fan at home, every match matters. Another attitude is needed.

To say that I feel sad is not enough, because what I feel goes much further than sadness. I just left Dinamo’s dressing room, where I went to praise the guys. I feel sorry that one team that is not my team won the game based on attitude. So I feel more than sad. That’s it. Football is not about players who think they have more quality than others. The basic of football is attitude, and they beat us on that.

8.44pm GMT

Milan 0-0 Manchester United (agg 1-1) Alexis Saelemaekers has a good low shot from the edge of the area, but Dean Henderson turns it behind.

8.39pm GMT

Gerard Moreno has scored his second goal of the night to put Villarreal 4-0 ahead on aggregate, and they will surely join Ajax in the next round.

8.37pm GMT

Orsic’s three finishes were so, so good. The second was a pretty straightforward chance, but he still stuck it in the top corner with a flourish. The third was a lovely run and finish, but cheapened by some genuinely dismal defending: Bale refusing to track back, Aurier deciding to attempt a backheel rabona tackle, and then Sissoko and Ndombele refusing to put in any kind of challenge. The first was just straightforward, no-quibble magnificent.

8.31pm GMT

“I can’t believe it’s really gone from getting knocked out in the Champions League final to getting knocked out by Dinamo Zagreb in the round of 16 of the Europa league,” writes Owen Dodd. “I think if we continue the form we are at in the league, it will be time for Mourinho to go.” This is certainly a grim result, the kind of defeat that will inevitably cause everything to be questioned.

DINAMO JE U ČETVRTFINALU @EuropaLeague ⚽️⚽️⚽️ GASI SVEEEEE

Dinamo - Tottenham 3:0 (3:2) #dinamozagreb #UEL pic.twitter.com/QciHWD45XB

8.28pm GMT

Dinamo Zagreb have won this game of football by three goals to none, Spurs are out of Europe, and this night has been disastrous for Jose Mourinho and marvellous for Mislav Orsic, Zagreb’s hat-trick hero!

Our Europa League campaign comes to an end.

#GNKD 3-0 #THFC pic.twitter.com/H4b3pUOWVF

8.25pm GMT

Dinamo Zagreb 3-0 Tottenham (agg: 3-2) And one last chance for Spurs! A cross from the left falls to Kane beyond the far post, but he miscues his header and it’s cleared.

8.25pm GMT

Dinamo Zagreb 3-0 Tottenham (agg: 3-2) A chance to seal it! Ivanusec is played in, evades a desperate last-ditch lunging challenge and takes the ball wide of Lloris, but the keeper throws out a glove and pushes the ball away!

8.24pm GMT

Milan 0-0 Manchester United (agg 1-1) Daniel James runs into the penalty area before going down as Tomori challenges. He wants a penalty, but the referee doesn’t give him one.

8.23pm GMT

Dinamo Zagreb 3-0 Tottenham (agg: 3-2) Dier joins the attack for the last minute, clambers all over Stojanovic in his desperation to win a header, and Zagreb have a free-kick and an excellent timewasting opportunity.

8.22pm GMT

Ajax take a 4-0 aggregate lead over Young Boys, and surely that tie is now sewn up.

8.20pm GMT

Dinamo Zagreb 3-0 Tottenham (agg: 3-2) And a massive miss by Kane! Bergwijn goes down the left, loses the ball, refuses to give up on it, manages to get a toe on it and it hits Vinícius and bounces to Kane at the far post. The keeper scrambles across goal, and Kane needs only to hit it into the corner, but instead he blasts down the middle and it’s saved!

8.19pm GMT

Dinamo Zagreb 3-0 Tottenham (agg: 3-2) Chance for Spurs! Lo Celso picks out Bale with a lovely pass, but his shot is saved!

8.17pm GMT

Rangers have shipped an early goal, and Oladeji Olayinka has given Slavia an aggregate lead with a close-range header (I’m told).

8.15pm GMT

Dinamo Zagreb 3-0 Tottenham (agg: 3-2) Bergwijn speeds down the left with his fresh legs wirring busily, but Misic eventually challenges, and the ball takes a handy bounce off the Dutchman so at the end of it all it’s a goal kick.

8.13pm GMT

Dinamo Zagreb 3-0 Tottenham (agg: 3-2) The ball is at entirely the wrong end, so far as Spurs are concerned. Zagreb win a corner, and play it short.

8.11pm GMT

Dinamo Zagreb 3-0 Tottenham (agg: 3-2) Spurs bring Bergwijn on for Aurier, and prepare to throw everything they’ve got at the Croats for 13 minutes or so.

8.10pm GMT

They’ve only gone and done it! Mislav Orsic completes his hat-trick, and what a goal it is! He picks up the ball on halfway, runs down the left, cuts inside, between Sissoko and Ndombele, and from the edge of the area thumps it inside the near post!

8.05pm GMT

Dinamo Zagreb 2-0 Tottenham (agg: 2-2) The half-time whistle blows, with no goals in extra time and 15 minutes now standing between Spurs and penalties.

8.04pm GMT

Milan 0-0 Manchester United (agg 1-1) Kick off has happened in the San Siro.

8.03pm GMT

Dinamo Zagreb 2-0 Tottenham (agg: 2-2) Then Bale sends a low 25-yarder skimming only just wide, with Livakovic beaten!

8.02pm GMT

Dinamo Zagreb 2-0 Tottenham (agg 2-2) Kane gets down the right for Spurs, but plays an uncharacteristically poor ball towards Bale that the Welshman can’t reach.

8.00pm GMT

Good evening everyone! United are on their way out in Milan, in their shouty black and white away kit. Stefano Pioli gives Ole Gunnar Solskjaer a very much not-socially-distanced pre-match hug.

7.57pm GMT

Simon is back from cricket duty, so I’ll hand over to him for the rest of the night’s action. Thanks for your company - bye!

7.56pm GMT

Extra time: Dinamo Zagreb 2-0 Tottenham (agg: 2-2) What a chance for Zagreb! Atiemwen opened them up with a lovely angled pass to Leovac, who couldn’t decide whether to cross or shoot and in the end did neither. I can’t believe he didn’t shoot, as he was 15 yards out and through on Lloris.

7.55pm GMT

Extra time: Dinamo Zagreb 2-0 Tottenham (agg: 2-2) Spurs have started extra time positively. There were a couple of substitutions I forgot to mention - Carlos Vinicius and Sergio Reguilon have come on for Ben Davies and Lucas Moura.

7.52pm GMT

Extra time: Dinamo Zagreb 2-0 Tottenham (agg: 2-2) I’d pay a lot of money to hear Harry Kane’s internal monologue in the last 15 minutes.

7.51pm GMT

“If we go out tonight but it means the end of Mourinho as Spurs manager, I am fine with it,” says James Maslen, waving his Zagreb scarf with feeling.

7.50pm GMT

Dinamo Zagreb 2-0 Tottenham (agg: 2-2) Peep peep! Extra time is under way in Zagreb.

7.47pm GMT

It was nervy at times, but Arsenal have made it through to the quarter-finals without serious alarm.

7.47pm GMT

Roma romp into the last eight.

7.45pm GMT

It’s going to extra time.

7.45pm GMT

Dinamo Zagreb 2-0 Tottenham (agg: 2-2) Spurs have been attacking with manic intent since Orsic’s second goal. Might have been an idea to try it from the first whistle.

7.44pm GMT

In their first season of European football, Granada have reached the quarter-finals of the Europa League!

7.43pm GMT

Dinamo Zagreb 2-0 Tottenham (agg: 2-2) Bale hoofs it well wide.

7.43pm GMT

Dinamo Zagreb 2-0 Tottenham (agg: 2-2) We’re into injury time, and Spurs have a free-kick 30 yards from goal...

7.41pm GMT

Arsenal 0-1 Olympiakos (agg: 3-2) Amid all the excitement in Zagreb, Arsenal have missed a couple of excellent chances in the last few minutes. It shouldn’t matter; Olympiakos are a man and effectively two goals down.

7.40pm GMT

Molde need two more in injury time.

7.40pm GMT

“Evening Rob,” says Simon McMahon. “After you reported Dinamo Zagreb’s second goal, for some reason Barry Davies saying ‘look at his face, just look at his face’ came to mind immediately. Can’t think why.”

7.38pm GMT

Dinamo Zagreb 2-0 Tottenham (agg: 2-2) Harry Kane comes so close to putting Spurs through! Bale crossed to the far post, where Kane’s close range header was partically blocked by the keeper Livakovic. It would still have dribbled into the net but for a goalline clearance from Theophile-Catherine!

7.37pm GMT

Arsenal 0-1 Olympiakos (agg: 3-2) Olympiakos are down to ten men: Ousseynou Ba has been given a second yellow card for punching the ball at the referee.

7.35pm GMT

There may be trouble ahead: Zagreb are level in the tie! Orsic, who scored the first, arrived late in the box to slam a low cross from the substitute Atiemwen into the net.

7.32pm GMT

Dinamo Zagreb 1-0 Tottenham (agg: 1-2) It’s been a really uncomfortable night for Spurs, but if they can survive the last 10 minutes they will be in the last eight.

7.31pm GMT

Arsenal 0-1 Olympiakos (agg: 3-2) The substitute Odegaard misses an excellent chance, sidefooting over the bar from 15 yards. An Arsenal goal wouldn’t make a huge difference to Olympiakos’s task - if they don’t score two goals in the last 12 minutes, they are out.

7.28pm GMT

Shakhtar Donetsk needed four goals to go through. Now they need five. Borja Mayoral has scored his second goal of the net, dinking the ball arrogantly over a defender on the line after Carles Perez took the keeper out of the game.

7.27pm GMT

Granada are going through to the quarter-finals. Roberto Soldado, once of Spurs, flicks an accomplished header past Andreas Linde to give Granada a crucial away goal. Molde now need to score three times in the last 18 minutes.

7.24pm GMT

Dinamo Zagreb 1-0 Tottenham (agg: 1-2) Livakovic makes a smart save, diving to his right to stop Lo Celso’s deflected shot.

7.23pm GMT

“Is it my imagination,” writes

Liam Gallagher
Edward Graves, “or since the Juve-Porto second leg, is every team defending a free kick near the box now laying a man on the ground behind the wall? It seems a questionable tactic, especially watching some of the loungers a bit reluctant to get up from their sojourn after the kick is taken.”

It was happening before the Porto game, though it’s probably more widespread now. I think it’s a sensible tactic, though I look forward to the day somebody actually falls asleep down there, especially if Roy Keane and Graeme Souness are in the studio.

7.20pm GMT

Dinamo Zagreb 1-0 Tottenham (agg: 1-2) Giovani Lo Celso and Tanguy Ndombele replace Winks and Alli, who both look thoroughly cheesed off.

7.18pm GMT

Dinamo Zagreb 1-0 Tottenham (agg: 1-2) Spurs are hanging on here. Petkovic lovingly tees up Jakic, who sprays well wide from 20 yards. That was another decent chance for Zagreb.

7.17pm GMT

“’Shakhtar Donetsk needed five goals to go through. Now they need four,’ says Ian Copestake, quoting an earlier entry. “Bobby lad, I like how you read the game.”

7.15pm GMT

Spurs have been asking for trouble and now they’ve got it. Mislav Orsic has given Zagreb the lead with a spectacular goal, curled extravagantly into the top corner from 20 yards. If they get another, the tie will be heading for extra-time.

7.13pm GMT

Shakhtar Donetsk needed five goals to go through. Now they need four.

7.12pm GMT

Dinamo Zagreb 0-0 Tottenham (agg: 0-2) Gareth Bale comes on for Erik Lamela. Spurs have done very little going forward, though that won’t matter unless they start shipping goals at the other end.

7.10pm GMT

The latest scores, with around 30 minutes to play

7.10pm GMT

Arsenal 0-1 Olympiakos (agg: 3-2) Mikel Arteta is taking no chances - he has brought on Thomas Partey and Martin Odegaard for Elneny and Ceballos.

7.07pm GMT

Well now. El-Arabi has given Olympiakos the lead with a scruffy shot that deflected off Gabriel and beat Leno. Olympiakos still need two more because of the away goals rule. But at least they have a bit of hope.

7.05pm GMT

“No one cares when Bellerin last scored a goal, did an assist or contributed a win,” says Ian Copestake, “but it must be made known whether he is looking fabulous.”

7.04pm GMT

Arsenal 0-0 Olympiakos (agg: 3-1) A couple of early chances for Olympiakos. Fortounis tries to find a team-mate when he should have had a shot; then Holebas flicks a header right across the face of goal.

7.03pm GMT

This tie is definitely over. Borja Mayoral has put Roma ahead in Donetsk; they now lead 4-0 on aggregate.

7.02pm GMT

Dinamo Zagreb 0-0 Tottenham (agg: 0-2) Petkovic has a shot blocked by Dier after a fine move from Zagreb. This tie is far from over.

6.57pm GMT

Peep peep! We’re off again. Olympiakos have brought on Neil Mellor, Florent Sinama-Pongolle and Andy Gray.

6.53pm GMT

“Olympiakos need three goals in the second half to progress?” considers Matt Dony. “Can they bring on Florent Sinama-Pongolle?”

6.51pm GMT

The fit again Zlatan Ibrahimovic starts on the bench for Milan, as does Paul Pogba for United. David de Gea is also among the United subs, with Dean Henderson starting in goal.

AC Milan (4-2-3-1) G Donnarumma; Kalulu, Tomori, Kjaer, Theo Hernandez; Kessie, Meite; Saelemakers, Hakan Calhanoglu, Krunic; Castillejo.
Substitutes: Tatarusanu, A Donnarumma, Bennacer, Dalot, Tonali, Ibrahimovic, Brahim Diaz, Tonin, Gabbia.

6.44pm GMT

Half-time pluggery

6.41pm GMT

Peep peep! It’s half-time in the four early games. Arsenal have been comfortable, Spurs less so, but both are on course for a quarter-final place.

6.39pm GMT

Dinamo Zagreb 0-0 Tottenham (agg: 0-2) Livakovic makes an excellent, point-blank save from Kane, who went clear after good play from Rabonaman and Lucas Moura.

6.37pm GMT

Rangers (4-3-3) McGregor; Patterson, Balogun, Goldson, Barisic; Arfield, Davis, Kamara; Aribo, Morelos, Kent.
Substitutes: McLaughlin, Ughelumba, Helander, Hagi, Itten, Zungu, Wright, Stewart, Roofe, King, Simpson.

Slavia Prague (3-5-2) Kolar; Kudela, Deli, Bonl; Bah, Stanciu, Hromada, Dorley, Sima; Olayinka, Provod.
Substitutes: Kovar, Vagner, Holes, Tecl, Kuchta, Masopust, Lingr, Visinsky.

6.30pm GMT

Dinamo Zagreb 0-0 Tottenham (agg: 0-2) Zagreb come fiendishly close to taking the lead. Majer broke into the area, played an inadvertent one-two with a Spurs defender and drove just wide of the near post. Spurs are looking a little jittery all of a sudden.

6.29pm GMT

The latest scores

6.25pm GMT

A goal! An own goal! A mildly farcical own goal! Jesus Vallejo has given Molde the lead in Norway, and suddenly there is life in that tie. Vallejo tried to turn a deflected cross behind for a corner, missed, and the ball hit his standing foot and dribbled into the net.

6.24pm GMT

Arsenal 0-0 Olympiakos (agg: 3-1) Aside from that one chance for El-Arabi, Arsenal have had the game under control. I suppose you can never write Arsenal off when it comes to farcical defeats, but I’ll be amazed if Olympiakos score the minimum of three goals that they need.

6.23pm GMT

Dinamo Zagreb 0-0 Tottenham (agg: 0-2) Theophile-Catherine makes an excellent block to deny Lamela, who was put through by Alli.

6.21pm GMT

Minutes played across all four games 108

Goals scored 0

6.19pm GMT

Arsenal 0-0 Olympiakos (agg: 3-1) Aubameyang misses a great chance, rifling a shot over the bar after another excellent through ball from Ceballos.

6.18pm GMT

Dinamo Zagreb 0-0 Tottenham (agg: 0-2) Zagreb are starting to look a bit more dangerous, though Hugo Lloris hasn’t had anything difficult to do. Yet.

6.16pm GMT

Arsenal 0-0 Olympiakos (agg: 3-1) At the other end, Leno makes a vital save from El-Arabi, who roared through on goal after a big hoof down the middle. Arsenal’s defending wasn’t great; Leno’s goalkeeping was.

6.15pm GMT

“As a (mostly) soccer-ignorant American, I at first refused to believe that Garth Crooks was a real name when I first heard it,” says Matt Burtz. “It was so similar to the country musician Garth Brooks that I figured it had to be made up. Similarly, I couldn’t believe there was a real presenter with the name Tim Lovejoy because of the Simpsons. Next you’re going to tell me there’s a footballer named Harry Winks...”

Garth Crooks isn’t just a name, it’s a concept.

6.14pm GMT

Arsenal 0-0 Olympiakos (agg: 3-1) Arsenal almost take the lead. Ceballos forces an excellent through pass to Pepe, who goes round the keeper on the right edge of the box and hits a shot that is deflected into the side netting.

6.11pm GMT

We’ve had an hour of play, across all four games, and precisely no goals. The Arsenal and Spurs game have been particularly uneventful.

6.07pm GMT

Dinamo Zagreb 0-0 Tottenham (agg: 0-2) It’s been a good start for Spurs, with no early chances for Zagreb. They won’t feel completely comfortable until they get an away goal, but it’s still going pretty well.

6.03pm GMT

The latest scores

6.03pm GMT

“Arsenal v Spurs in the final would be the end of all times,” says Michael. “Dream...”

I didn’t entirely understand your email, but I think I get the drift.

6.02pm GMT

Arsenal 0-0 Olympiakos (agg: 3-1) Both men are fine to continue.

6.02pm GMT

Arsenal 0-0 Olympiakos (agg: 3-1) Emile Smith Rowe has a shot that is blocked by Sokratis and ricochets straight into his coupon. Both players are still down, and Smith Rowe looks a bit groggy.

6.00pm GMT

Dinamo Zagreb 0-0 Tottenham (agg: 0-2) Nothing to report in the first few minutes. Spurs are wearing their yellow strip, which evokes the 1982 FA Cup final, and specifically this hilarious bit of efficient retribution from Garth Crooks.

5.56pm GMT

Arsenal 0-0 Olympiakos (agg: 3-1) Dani Ceballos is indeed playing as a No10, with Pepe on the right and Smith Rowe on the left.

5.55pm GMT

Peep peep! The four early matches are under way.

5.46pm GMT

“Hey Rob,” says Yash Gupta. “While I agree about Lamela being superhero Rabonaman, maybe polarising Rabonaman is what most people would agree on. After all what he did was just off the charts, Rabona and the Red. He had written himself in NLD’s craziest moments last sunday. About today’s lineup, I just hope things don’t get too tense and Kane doesn’t get overplayed.”

Polarising Rabonaman - isn’t that the great lost Charlie Kaufman movie?

5.22pm GMT

The draw for the quarter- and semi-finals will take place tomorrow. Imagine if Spurs and Arsenal get through and are drawn against each other.

5.09pm GMT

Some pre-match reading

4.48pm GMT

Jose Mourinho has made seven changes from the side that lost to Arsenal on Sunday, with Gareth Bale among those left out. Spurs are also without the suspended Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg is suspended and the injured Son. Dele Alli starts, as does our new favourite superhero, Rabonaman.

Dinamo Zagreb (4-3-3) Livakovic, Ristovski, Lauritsen, Theophile-Catherine, Franjic; Majer, Jakic, Ademi; Ivanusec, Petkovic, Orsic.
Substitutes: Zagorac, Josipovic, Gavranovic, Cabraja, Kastrati, Leovac, Tolic, Burton, J Misic, Stojanovic, Peric, Atiemwen.

4.34pm GMT

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who was left out of the north London derby on Sunday, returns for Arsenal. Bukayo Saka is out with a hamstring injury, so Nicolas Pepe starts.

It looks like Mikel Arteta has switched from 4-2-3-1 to 4-3-3 - although really, if we’re being consistent, we should call it 4-3-2-1. It’s the pentagon shape, basically, with three central midfielders, two wide forwards and a striker. Either that or Dani Ceballos is playing as the No10 in a 4-2-3-1, in which case you can ignore this waffle. Might want to ignore it anyway.

3.44pm GMT

Hello, Rob here. Simon has been seconded to cricket, so I’m going to cover the early games. We’ll have team news for the Arsenal and Spurs matches shortly.

1.26pm GMT

Welcome! An evening of high drama lies ahead of us, though the really altitudinous stuff might have to wait a while – the two perfectly poised ties, the only two where one side does not lead by two or more goals after the first leg, are among the batch of fixtures being played late this evening.

Before then Arsenal, having dominated their game against Olympiakos in Greece, will hope to finish the job at home, while two Harry Kane strikes give Spurs a healthy advantage to take to Zagreb, whose coach Zoran Mamic has left since the first leg, his position having become untenable because he’s going to prison for fraud.

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Published on March 18, 2021 15:26

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