Henrikh
Mkhitaryan scored his first Manchester United goal to set up a 2-0 win over
Zorya Luhansk in Ukraine on Thursday and take Jose Mourinho’s side into the
last 32 of the Europa League.
United required only a point to secure progress
from Group A but Mkhitaryan’s 48th-minute strike and a late Zlatan Ibrahimovic
goal separated the sides and took the Premier League club through in second
place behind Fenerbahce, who won 1-0 at Feyenoord thanks to a Moussa Sow
effort.
The game
went ahead despite concerns about the state of the icy, rock-hard pitch at the
Chornomorets Stadium in Odessa, almost 1,000 kilometres away from Luhansk in
the conflict-torn east of the country.
Mourinho
made six changes to the United team following their 1-1 Premier League draw at
Everton, including welcoming back Wayne Rooney. After a goalless first half,
United broke the deadlock three minutes into the second half as the Armenian
Mkhitaryan burst forward from midfield through the middle of the Zorya defence
before finishing past goalkeeper Igor Levchenko.Sergio Romero made a good save
low down from a Mikhail Sivakov header before United wrapped up the victory two
minutes from the end.A fine one-touch passing move ended with Paul Pogba
sending Ibrahimovic away, the Swede running through and finishing coolly.
“I was
waiting a long time for this goal. My next goal has to be at Old Trafford
because I want to score at home,” Mkhitaryan, who previously played in Ukraine
for Shakhtar Donetsk, told BT Sport.“The first half was a little bit difficult
because we couldn’t find the last pass but in the second half we created some
space for the wingers and the strikers. The important thing was to win today
and go through.”
Earlier, a
brilliant late goal by Manuel Trigueros gave Villarreal a nervy 2-1 win over
Steaua Bucharest that took the Spanish club into the last 32.Nicola Sansone
gave Villarreal the lead at El Madrigal only for substitute Vlad Achim to
equalise for the Romanians, who then had ex-West Bromwich Albion defender
Gabriel Tamas sent off.Villarreal won the game when Trigueros netted with a
superb chip from just outside the box with two minutes left, and they go
through as runners-up in Group L behind the Turkish side Osmanlispor.
Fiorentina
are also through as winners of Group J after a 2-1 win over Qarabag in
Azerbaijan secured by a 76th-minute goal from 19-year-old Federico Chiesa, son
of ex-Italy striker Enrico. Chiesa was then sent off shortly after.
PAOK of
Greece are also into next week’s draw for the first knockout round thanks to a
2-0 win against Slovan Liberec, while Gent joined Shakhtar Donetsk in advancing
from Group H.Kalifa Coulibaly’s stoppage-time strike clinched a 1-0 win over
Konyaspor in Turkey and took the Belgians through at the expense of Braga, who
lost 4-2 at home to Shakhtar.
AZ Alkmaar
beat Zenit 3-2 in the Netherlands to end the Russians’ perfect record in the
competition and join their opponents in progressing from Group D.Dundalk had
gone into their final game in the same group away to Maccabi Tel Aviv still in
with a chance of going through but a 2-1 reverse in Israel ended the Irish
champions’ hopes.Romanian champions Astra drew 0-0 at home to Roma and go
through with the Italians from Group E, while already-eliminated Sassuolo and
Genk will try again in Group F on Friday after fog in Italy forced their
encounter to be postponed.The last two qualifying places will be decided in
Thursday’s later games, with Southampton requiring a draw at home to Hapoel
Beer-Sheva to go through from Group K and both Standard Liege and Celta Vigo
still hoping to progress in Group G.
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