Man Utd beat Lyon in Europa League epic, Spurs and Athletic Bilbao reach semis ()
<img src="https://thesun.my/binrepository/400x267/0c0/400d225/none/11808/TLBL/topshots-topshot-fbl-eur-c3-man-utd-lyon-220744_5137704_20250418083210.jpg"><p><b>PARIS</b>: 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.</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>“It was a great night,“ United boss Ruben Amorim told broadcaster TNT Sports.</p><p>“Here everything is possible, you feel the environment. At 4-3, after the Bruno Fernandes penalty, we felt we could change the game.”</p><p>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.</p><p></p><p>- Rangers out -</p><p></p><p>In Bilbao, Athletic beat Rangers 2-0 to progress to the last four following a goalless draw in the first leg in Glasgow.</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p></p><p>- Bodo/Glint stun Lazio -</p><p></p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>“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.</p><p>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.</p><p>The Norwegians beat Lazio 3-2 on penalties in Rome after another remarkable tie finished 3-3 on aggregate.</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p>
