DUBAI: Matts Wieffer’s second-half volley helped Feyenoord beat Roma 1-0 in their Europa League first-leg quarterfinal match Thursday.
Oussama Idrissi set up the goal in the 54th minute by breaking down the left before providing a precise cross for Wieffer in a victory that was a sweet revenge for the hosts.
The game was a rematch of last year’s final in the inaugural edition of the third-tier Europa Conference League, which Roma won 1-0 for coach Jose Mourinho’s fifth European title.
Roma captain Lorenzo Pellegrini wasted a golden opportunity two minutes before halftime, hitting the post of Feyenoord goalkeeper Justin Bijlow’s goal from the penalty spot.
Roma forward Paulo Dybala and Tammy Abraham both left the game because of injuries.
Manchester United hosted six-time champion Sevilla in the quarterfinals later Thursday. Juventus faced Sporting and Leverkusen played Belgium newcomer Union Saint-Gilloise.
EUROPA CONFERENCE LEAGUE
West Ham’s perfect record in the Europa Conference League came to an end with a 1-1 draw at Gent. They had 10 wins in the third-tier competition, including qualifying.
Gent top scorer Hugo Cuypers salvaged the draw for the Belgian hosts, equalizing with his fifth goal in the competition this season 12 minutes into the second half.
Danny Ings tapped in a cross from Jarrod Bowen that came after a quickly taken throw-in by Vladimir Coufal to give the visitors a lead in the first-half stoppage time. It was the 30-year-old forward’s first European goal.
West Ham are still close to reaching a European semifinal for the second straight year after they were eliminated in the last four of the Europa League by the eventual winner Frankfurt last season.
The Hammers have been waiting for a European trophy since the 1965 title in the European Cup Winners’ Cup.
West Ham or Gent would meet Anderlecht or AZ Alkmaar in the final four. All other quarterfinals took place later Thursday.
Feyenoord beat Roma 1-0 in Europa League quarterfinals
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Feyenoord beat Roma 1-0 in Europa League quarterfinals
- The game was a rematch of last year’s final in the inaugural edition of the third-tier Europa Conference League
- Roma forwards Paulo Dybala and Tammy Abraham both left the game because of injuries
Real Sociedad end Barca winning streak to tighten Liga title race
- The Catalan giants, who hit the woodwork four times and had two goals disallowed, now only lead rivals Real Madrid by a single point at the top of the table
SAN SEBASTIAN, Spain: Real Sociedad damaged Barcelona’s title defense ambitions as Goncalo Guedes gave them a surprise 2-1 La Liga victory on Sunday as Hansi Flick’s side fell to a first defeat in 12 matches.
The Catalan giants, who hit the woodwork four times and had two goals disallowed, now only lead rivals Real Madrid by a single point at the top of the table after Alvaro Arbeloa’s side beat Levante on Saturday.
Hosts Real Sociedad, now unbeaten in four games under new American coach Pellegrino Matarazzo, had Carlos Soler sent off late on but managed to hold on to triumph and climb up to eighth.
“I think we deserved to win today, we had a lot of chances, but in the end you have to put them away,” Barca midfielder Frenkie de Jong told DAZN.
“We played well but we didn’t win... their goalkeeper had a very good game.”
Sociedad shot-stopper Alex Remiro made several crucial saves.
“Three great points and a great game,” said Remiro.
“We’ve started this year in great form... this is the energy we have, how we’ve changed (recently).”
In a frantic start to a compelling game at the rainy Reale Arena, both teams had goals ruled out.
La Real had the ball in the net inside 30 seconds when Mikel Oyarzabal headed home Guedes’s cross, but had strayed offside.
At the other end, Barcelona’s Fermin Lopez drilled home from range but Dani Olmo had committed a foul in the build-up and it was ruled out.
With teenage winger Lamine Yamal keen to take on defenders, Barca got in often down the right flank. The 18-year-old teed up Olmo who fired high over the bar when he might have sent the Catalans ahead.
Yamal found the net himself but the goal was ruled out for an extremely tight offside, before Real Sociedad took the lead against the run of play.
Oyarzabal lashed home Guedes’s cross with a blistering volley inside Joan Garcia’s near post.
Yamal was felled just inside the area before half-time but although the referee pointed to the spot, a VAR review showed that the youngster was offside again and it was canceled out.
Remiro heroics
Barcelona turned up the pressure in the second half and Real Sociedad were left depending on Remiro and the frame of the goal to keep the Catalans at bay.
Olmo crashed a shot against the post from Lopez’s cross and then Remiro denied the Barca midfielder with a fine near-post save.
Remiro then tipped substitute Robert Lewandowski’s header against the crossbar with the save of the night.
Another Barca substitute, Marcus Rashford, eventually pulled the champions level, heading Yamal’s cross home after 70 minutes.
However, the hosts immediately regained their advantage after Barca goalkeeper Garcia initially saved Carlos Soler’s shot. The midfielder was able to gather the rebound and cross for Guedes, who fired La Real ahead again.
They should have got a third when Garcia, out of his goal, had no chance of saving Oyarzabal’s effort but Pau Cubarsi headed the ball off the line.
Barcelona came within centimeters of an equalizer when Joao Cancelo, on his second debut for the club, crossed for Jules Kounde, who headed against the crossbar.
Soler was dismissed for an ugly foul on Pedri before nine minutes of stoppage time were added on.
Rashford hit the post directly from a corner kick as Barca pushed until the end but could not find a way through.
