Man Utd beat Lyon in Europa League epic, Spurs and Athletic Bilbao reach semis

Manchester United's Cameroonian goalkeeper Andre Onana punches the ball clear during the UEFA Europa league quarter-final final, second leg football match between Manchester United and Lyon at Old Trafford stadium in Manchester, north west England, on April 17, 2025. (Photo by Oli SCARFF / AFP)
Harry Maguire headed in the winner as Manchester United produced an
astonishing extra-time comeback on Thursday to beat Lyon and set up a Europa
League semi-final against Athletic Bilbao, while Tottenham Hotspur are also
through to the last four after beating Eintracht Frankfurt.
Maguire's header in added time in extra time gave United a 5-4 win on
the night at Old Trafford, and a 7-6 triumph on aggregate.
They appeared to be cruising towards the last four when, after a 2-2
first-leg draw last week in France, Manuel Ugarte turned in an Alejandro
Garnacho cutback on 10 minutes and then Diogo Dalot fired home in first-half
injury time.
Bruno Fernandes had hit the bar with a brilliant volley in between, and
United had chances to kill the tie before Corentin Tolisso headed in on 71
minutes to give Lyon hope.
Nicolas Tagliafico then levelled the scores on the night, and in the
tie, with 12 minutes of normal time remaining, his shot crossing the line
before goalkeeper Andre Onana got a hand to it.
Lyon then had Tolisso sent off for a second yellow card just before the
end of normal time, but they went 3-2 up when Rayan Cherki fired in following a
fine run by Malick Fofana in the 105th minute.
And the French side looked to be going through when Alexandre Lacazette
netted a penalty to make it 4-2 on the night, and 6-4 on aggregate, five
minutes into the second half of extra time following a foul on Fofana by Luke
Shaw.
However, almost from the restart the hosts were awarded a penalty of
their own following a VAR check for a foul on Casemiro, and Fernandes converted
to give them renewed hope.
A fine finish by substitute Kobbie Mainoo levelled the tie again in the
120th minute, seemingly setting up a penalty shoot-out, but Maguire had the
last word as he headed in Casemiro's cross to spark delirium on the pitch and
in the Old Trafford stands.
"It was a great night," United boss Ruben Amorim told
broadcaster TNT Sports.
"Here everything is possible, you feel the environment. At 4-3,
after the Bruno Fernandes penalty, we felt we could change the game."
United will play Athletic in the last four, with the first leg in
Bilbao, in their first European semi-final since losing the 2021 Europa League
final on penalties to Villarreal.
In Bilbao, Athletic beat Rangers 2-0 to progress to the last four
following a goalless draw in the first leg in Glasgow.
Athletic went ahead on the night, and in the tie, in first-half stoppage
time when Oihan Sancet converted a penalty after Maroan Sannadi was fouled in
the box by John Souttar.
Nicolas Raskin struck the post for Rangers early in the second half
before Athletic secured the victory, and their qualification, when Nico
Williams headed in a cross by Oscar De Marcos.
The Basque club are determined to go all the way to the final which will
be played in their San Mames stadium on May 21.
Tottenham, struggling in the Premier League, beat 2022 Europa League
winners Frankfurt 1-0 on the night in Germany to advance 2-1 on aggregate.
Dominic Solanke scored the only goal of the game, netting a penalty two
minutes before the break after James Maddison was clattered by home goalkeeper
Kaua Santos.
"Our fans have been through a tough time. Hopefully this gives them
something to look forward to," said coach Ange Postecoglou of his team's
victory.
It is Tottenham's first European semi-final since their run to the
Champions League final in 2019, and they will play Bodo/Glimt in the last four.
The Norwegians beat Lazio 3-2 on penalties in Rome after another
remarkable tie finished 3-3 on aggregate.
Lazio needed to overturn a 2-0 defeat in last week's first leg and went
ahead on the night through Taty Castellanos before a Tijani Noslin goal deep in
injury time levelled the tie on aggregate and forced extra time.
Boulaye Dia then headed Lazio into the lead in the 100th minute, only
for Andreas Helmersen to pull it back to 3-1 on the night and even up the tie
again.
He was then sent off, but Bodo/Glimt won the shoot-out when Castellanos became the third Lazio player to fail from the spot. They are the first Norwegian side to reach a European semi-final.
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