PARIS: Porto and Roma drew 1-1 in the first leg of their Europa League knockout phase play-off Thursday, while Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce took a big step toward the last 16 with a 3-0 win over Anderlecht.
Zeki Celic gave 2023 runners-up Roma the lead in first-half stoppage time in Portugal, but Porto defender Francisco Moura’s deflected strike ensured the teams will head to Italy next week with the tie finely poised.
Roma played the final 18 minutes a man down after Bryan Cristante was sent off for two yellow cards, with coach Claudio Ranieri fuming at the final whistle.
In Turkiye, Former Premier League duo Dusan Tadic and Edin Dzeko scored in the first half for Fenerbahce before Morocco international Youssef En-Nesyri headed in a third for Galatasaray to give them full control.
Mourinho won the competition with Porto in 2003 and again with Manchester United in 2017, also reaching the final when he was in charge of Roma two years ago.
“We played very well, but I can’t say ‘a good result’. We need to advance to the next round for this to be a good result,” said Mourinho.
“Normally, of course, when you are leading 3-0, you are happy, but there is a second leg. Therefore, everything is still out there.”
Real Sociedad triumphed 2-1 away to Midtjylland after a penalty from Brais Mendez and terrific goal by Japan winger Takefusa Kubo saw them past the Danish champions, who pulled one back through Adam Buksa.
The winners of the tie will play United or Tottenham in the last 16.
Ajax took charge of their play-off against Belgian outfit Union Saint-Gilloise with a 2-0 victory in Brussels.
Christian Rasmussen steered the Dutch club ahead just before the hour, with 16-year-old Jorthy Mokio volleying in a second from 20 yards.
Israel’s Mohammad Abu Fani struck the only goal in Budapest as Ferencvaros won 1-0 against Viktoria Plzen.
AZ Alkmaar battered Galatasaray 4-1 with Sven Mijnans, Troy Parrott, Jordy Clasie and David Moller Wolfe all on target for the hosts.
Roland Sallai had equalized for Galatasaray who toiled for much of the second half with 10 men after Kaan Ayhan was dismissed.
Ricky Van Wolfswinkel’s 95th-minute penalty earned Twente a 2-1 win at home to Bodo/Glimt, while Romania’s FCSB won by the same score against PAOK in Greece.
In the UEFA Conference League, Irish side Shamrock Rovers secured a 1-0 win away to Norwegians Molde.
Molde defender Valdemar Lund was sent off before half-time for a challenge on Michael Noonan, who netted the winner in the second half to become the competition’s youngest scorer at 16 years and 197 days old.
Antony scored for the second time in three games since joining Real Betis on loan from United as the Spanish team cruised to a 3-0 victory at Gent.
Heidenheim won 2-1 away to Copenhagen, while Bosnia’s Borac Banja Luka snatched a 1-0 victory over Olimpija Ljubljana.
Omonia Nicosia and Pafos drew 1-1 in an all-Cypriot encounter.
Iceland’s Vikingur Reykjavik beat Panathinaikos 2-1 as the Greeks grabbed a vital late goal from the penalty spot.
Celje of Slovenia drew 2-2 against APOEL Nicosia, while Jagiellonia Bialystok captain Jesus Imaz scored twice in a 3-1 win away to Serbia’s TSC Backa Topola.
Porto draw with Roma as Fenerbahce win in Europa League play-offs
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Porto draw with Roma as Fenerbahce win in Europa League play-offs
Bangladesh replaced by Scotland at T20 World Cup, reports say
- Bangladesh had asked the ICC to move their games to the tournament co-hosts Sri Lanka instead
- Scotland, the highest-ranked non-qualifier, are now set to take Bangladesh’s place in Group C
DUBAI: Bangladesh have been replaced by Scotland for next month’s Twenty20 World Cup after the South Asian side refused to travel to co-hosts India, media reports said on Saturday citing sources within the sport’s governing International Cricket Council.
The decision follows weeks of uncertainty, during which the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) repeatedly insisted it would not play its scheduled matches in India, citing safety concerns following soured political relations between the neighbors.
Bangladesh had asked the ICC to move their games to the tournament co-hosts Sri Lanka instead, but the governing body rejected the demand, dismissing any security threat to the team.
Scotland, the highest-ranked non-qualifier, are now set to take Bangladesh’s place in Group C, which features England, Italy, Nepal and West Indies, the BBC reported.
Reuters has contacted the ICC, BCB and Cricket Scotland for comment.
PROTESTS NEAR BANGLADESH HIGH COMMISSION
Last month, hundreds of people protested near Bangladesh’s High Commission in New Delhi after Hindu factory worker Dipu Chandra Das was beaten and set on fire in Bangladesh’s Mymensingh district by a crowd that accused him of making derogatory remarks about Prophet Muhammad.
A total of 12 people were arrested in connection with his death.
The incident worsened relations between India and its neighbor, with ties already strained after Bangladesh’s former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled to New Delhi following protests against her.
Political tensions have spilled into cricket.
Bangladesh bowler Mustafizur Rahman was dropped from this year’s Indian Premier League despite signing with its Kolkata franchise. Bangladesh responded by banning IPL broadcasts in the country and demanding to play World Cup matches in Sri Lanka.
The standoff mirrors previous tensions in South Asian cricket.
For the Champions Trophy last year, the Indian cricket board (BCCI) stuck to its policy of not touring Pakistan because of the strained political ties between the bitter neighbors, who play each other only in ICC events.
Like for the 2023 Asia Cup in Pakistan, a ‘hybrid model’ was agreed on under which India were allowed to play their Champions Trophy matches in Dubai to salvage the tournament.
Under the agreement running until 2027, Pakistan will play in a neutral venue for any ICC event, including the T20 World Cup where they are scheduled to play their matches in Sri Lanka.
The 20-team World Cup is set to begin on February 7.
