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Arsenal, Hoffenheim, Leicester and Roma into round of 32

Arsenal, Hoffenheim, Leicester and Roma are the first four teams through to the UEFA Europa League round of 32.

Molde 0-3 Arsenal

Arsenal reached the knockout stage by maintaining their perfect Group B record, Nicolas Pépé scoring shortly after half-time with a classy close-range finish. Reiss Nelson tapped in Joe Willock’s cross for the second before substitute Folarin Balogun registered his first goal for the club.
Quote: “There were a lot of positives. We looked a threat all the time but there were some issues there to be resolved. We played a lot of young players but I was really pleased with the performance and the personality that they showed on the pitch.” Mikel Arteta, Arsenal coach
03/12: Arsenal vs Rapid Wien

Arsenal’s English striker Folarin Balogun (R) is congratulated by Arsenal’s German-born Portuguese defender Cedric Soares (C) and Arsenal’s French-born Ivorian midfielder Nicolas Pepe (L) after scoring the 0-3 during the UEFA Europa League group B football match Molde v Arsenal in Molde, Norway on November 26, 2020. (Photo by Svein Ove EkornesvÃ¥g / NTB / AFP) / Norway OUT (Photo by SVEIN OVE EKORNESVAG/NTB/AFP via Getty Images)

Totten ham 4-0 Ludogorets

Harry Winks became the latest player – the third in four weeks, no less – to score from near the halfway line as Spurs racked up their third win of the campaign to stay level on points with Group J Leaders Royal Antwerp. Carlos Vinícius had scored both first-half goals for the Premier League leaders – his first for the club – before teeing up fellow Brazilian Lucas Moura for the fourth. Spurs have won five games in a row in all competitions for the first time since October/November 2018. 
Key stat: Dane Scarlett, aged 16 years and 247 days, came on to become the youngest player in Spurs’ history.
03/12: LASK vs Tottenham

Sparta Praha 4-1 Celtic

Celtic are out of the competition after a second successive 4-1 defeat by Sparta. Odsonne Édouard gave Neil Lennon’s visitors the lead in the Czech capital, but Dávid Hancko and Lukáš JuliÅ¡ struck to put the hosts ahead before half-time. JuliÅ¡ added a second – his fifth in two games against Celtic – before Srdjan PlavÅ¡ić iced the cake in added time.
Key stat: Celtic have won only two – and lost four – of their last nine games in all competitions.
03/12: AC Milan vs Celtic

Rangers 2-2 Benfica

Just as they did in Lisbon three weeks ago, Rangers gave up a two-goal lead in the closing stages to draw with Benfica. Scott Arfield’s early opener was added to in style by Kemar Roofe from outside the penalty area, but James Tavernier’s own goal gave the visitors hope before Pizzi’s neat effort salvaged a point for the visitors.
Key stat: On Matchday 3, Benfica scored two goals in the final 14 minutes to rescue a draw; on Thursday, their comeback started just one minute later.
03/12: Rangers vs Standard

Braga 3-3 Leicester

Brendan Rodgers’ side came from behind three times to draw and reach the round of 32. Al Musrati and Harvey Barnes traded goals in the first nine minutes and although Paulinho had Braga ahead at the break, Luke Thomas became Leicester’s youngest European scorer to make it 2-2. Fransérgio looked to have won it in added time, but Jamie Vardy’s 95th-minute strike sent Leicester through with two games to spare.
Key stat: Vardy is now level with Riyad Mahrez on four goals as Leicester’s record European goalscorer.
03/12: Zorya vs Leicester

Best of the rest

• Late goals from Christoph Baumgartner and Andrej Kramarić were enough for Hoffenheim to beat Slovan Liberec and reach the round of 32.

• Roma are also through to the knockout stage after a 2-0 victory away to CFR Cluj.

• LOSC Lille held AC Milan to a 1-1 draw to stay top of Group H ahead of their meeting with third-placed Sparta Praha next week.

All results

Group A: CSKA Sofia 0-1 Young Boys, CRF Cluj 0-2 Roma
Group B: Molde 0-3 ArsenalDundalk 1-3 Rapid Wien
Group C: Leverkusen 4-1 Hapoel Beer-ShevaNice 1-3 Slavia Praha
Group D: Standard Liège 2-1 Lech PoznaÅ„Rangers 2-2 Benfica
Group E: PSV Eindhoven 3-2 PAOKGranada 2-1 Omonoia
Group F: Napoli 2-0 RijekaAZ Alkmaar 0-0 Real Sociedad
Group G: Braga 3-3 LeicesterAEK Athens 0-3 Zorya Luhansk
Group H: Sparta Praha 4-1 CelticLOSC Lille 1-1 AC Milan
Group I: Maccabi Tel-Aviv 1-1 VillarrealQarabaÄŸ 2-3 Sivasspor
Group J: LASK 0-2 Royal AntwerpTottenham 4-0 Ludogorets
Group K: CSKA Moskva 0-0 FeyenoordWolfsberg 0-3 Dinamo Zagreb
Group L: Gent 0-2 Crvena zvezdaSlovan Liberec 0-2 Hoffenheim

Dan Ojumah
Dan Ojumahhttp://uzalendonews.co.ke/
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