…Slavia Prague peg wasteful Arsenal
Marcus Rashford’s brilliant finish and a Bruno Fernandes penalty handed Manchester United a 2-0 victory over Granada on Thursday, putting them firmly in charge of their Europa League quarter-final first leg.
Rashford latched onto a long ball from Victor Lindelof in the first half, the striker injecting one bit of quality into a frantic contest at Los Carmenes before Fernandes made it two in the 90th minute after being elbowed by Yan Eteki.
The result gives United a commanding lead heading into the second leg at Old Trafford, where they should finish the job and book their place in the semi-final to face either Ajax or Roma.
Rashford has now scored eight of United’s 23 goals in this competition.
Granada celebrated their 90-year anniversary on Tuesday and arguably have never played a bigger fixture, a club that has never won a major trophy against one that has claimed 20 Premier League titles and three European Cups.
This is something of a fairy-tale for the Spanish club that finished 10th in the second division only three years ago before Diego Martinez, arguably La Liga’s brightest up and coming coach, engineered promotion and then qualification for Europe.
Six players in their starting line-up played for Martinez in the second tier and with Los Carmenes empty, Granada even sent all their season ticket holders a personalised ticket as a souvenir to mark the occasion.
For United, the Europa League remains Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s only realistic hope of a trophy and with a place in the top four all-but guaranteed, he can afford to give it his full attention.
Solskjaer fielded a strong line-up, with Rashford handed a start despite coming off against Brighton on Sunday with a knock. David de Gea was picked in goal for the first time since February.
Granada had Roberto Soldado up front, the 35-year-old striker who endured two disappointing seasons with Tottenham in the Premier League but tasted victory against United in his last appearance for them in 2014, when he came off for a young Harry Kane.
United had to survive a frantic opening period when neither side really settled but Rashford dropped the first bit of real quality into the match just after half an hour.
Lindelof spotted his run in behind but Rashford still had a lot to do, his outstretched foot cushioning the ball brilliantly into his path and giving him a simple finish past Rui Silva.
Granada responded, a mishit cross hitting the post before Kenedy tested De Gea with a well-struck volley.
But United absorbed the pressure and should have scored a second in the second half when Daniel James burst through down the left and slipped in Fernandes, but he was unable to find the finish from the angle.
Fernandes, though, won the penalty, struck down by the arm of Eteki before getting up to take it, a scuffed shot squirming into the bottom corner to put United in sight of the semis.
Arsenal were held to a 1-1 draw by Slavia Prague in a Europa League quarter-final first-leg game at the Emirates Stadium on Thursday, punishing the Gunners who failed to take their chances.
Nicolas Pepe had scored in the 86th minute but the North London side failed to hold on to the lead, slumping in added time.
Tomas Holes headed in a last-gasp equaliser to leave the contest finely poised.
Mikel Arteta’s team are realistically out of the running to finish in the top four of the Premier League, meaning they must win the second-tier European competition to reach next season’s Champions League.
Arsenal came into the match after a chastening 3-0 defeat against Liverpool last weekend.
Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe were passed fit to start but captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was dropped to the bench.
Saka, who missed the Liverpool defeat, was a regular threat down the Arsenal right but his delivery into the box was poor.
The England international missed a golden chance to break the deadlock when he steered wide with only goalkeeper Ondrej Kolar to beat and Rob Holding forced a fine save with a header.
The visitors’ only real chance of the opening period came when Lukas Provod fired just over following a Slavia raid down the right.
Arsenal came agonisingly close to taking the lead early in the second half when Willian — still seeking his first goal for the club — struck the outside of the post from a free-kick.
Saka then burst forward down the right but his cross sailed harmlessly over the heads of his team-mates after a finely worked move.
The home side then had a scare but Slavia’s Jan Boril forced a save from keeper Bernd Leno.
Just after the hour mark Arsenal should have been ahead when forward Alexandre Lacazette stole the ball from the last defender near the half-way and charged forward with only the goalkeeper to beat.
The France international opened up his body and looked certain to score but his shot hit the crossbar.
Thomas Partey then fired wide for Arsenal moments before substitute Petr Sevcik missed a glorious chance to grab an away goal.
Arteta threw on Aubameyang, Pepe and Mohamed Elneny in the 78th minute and it almost reaped immediate dividends but Aubameyang steered wide.
Suddenly Arsenal upped the tempo and substitute Gabriel Martinelli forced a fine save from Kolar.
They finally got the breakthrough they deserved when Aubameyang fed the ball to Pepe, who raced into the box and dinked the ball over the goalkeeper.
Arsenal looked set to travel to the away leg with the advantage but the Czechs had other ideas. – AFP.
