Hojlund Scores 2 for Man United to Give Amorim Winning Home Debut in Europa League

Soccer Football - Europa League - Manchester United v Bodo/Glimt - Old Trafford, Manchester, Britain - November 28, 2024 Manchester United's Rasmus Hojlund celebrates scoring their third goal with Manuel Ugarte REUTERS/Molly Darlington
Soccer Football - Europa League - Manchester United v Bodo/Glimt - Old Trafford, Manchester, Britain - November 28, 2024 Manchester United's Rasmus Hojlund celebrates scoring their third goal with Manuel Ugarte REUTERS/Molly Darlington
TT

Hojlund Scores 2 for Man United to Give Amorim Winning Home Debut in Europa League

Soccer Football - Europa League - Manchester United v Bodo/Glimt - Old Trafford, Manchester, Britain - November 28, 2024 Manchester United's Rasmus Hojlund celebrates scoring their third goal with Manuel Ugarte REUTERS/Molly Darlington
Soccer Football - Europa League - Manchester United v Bodo/Glimt - Old Trafford, Manchester, Britain - November 28, 2024 Manchester United's Rasmus Hojlund celebrates scoring their third goal with Manuel Ugarte REUTERS/Molly Darlington

Rasmus Hojlund scored twice as Manchester United fought back to beat Norwegian team Bodø/Glimt 3-2 in the Europa League on Thursday to give new manager Ruben Amorim a victory in his first game at Old Trafford.
Hojlund also set up the opening goal scored by Alejandro Garnacho in the opening minute of the game, but United still had to stage a comeback in order to stay unbeaten in the competition with two victories and three draws, The Associated Press reported.
“I see what everybody sees: good moments, difficult moments," Amorim told TNT Sports "There was some confusion in the end, trying to hold on to the result, but the lads did a great job. They ran, they pressed, they tried to do the things we have worked on in the last three days and we won.”
After the visitors took a 2-1 lead, Hojlund equalized just before halftime and then scored the winner five minutes into the second half from close range, tapping in a cross from Manuel Ugarte.
After leaving Portuguese leader Sporting Lisbon to replace the fired Erik ten Hag as United manager, Amorim made his debut in charge of United in a 1-1 draw at Ipswich in the English Premier League with Marcus Rashford scoring 81 seconds into the game.
In the Europa League, the goal came even sooner.
Hojlund intercepted a back pass to goalkeeper Nikita Haikin to allow Garnacho to put United ahead in the first minute.
Hakon Evjen equalized in the 19th minute with a perfectly directed first-time left-foot strike from the edge of the area and Philip Zinckernagel gave the Norwegian champion the lead, finishing off a fast counter after Tyrell Malacia failed to stop him. Malacia made his first senior appearance in 550 days and was substituted at halftime by Diogo Dalot.
Tottenham continued to show inconsistent form as it was held 2-2 at home by struggling Roma. Tottenham lost 3-2 to Galatasaray in the previous round, then beat Manchester City 4-0 away in the Premier League, and gave up a late equalizer against Roma.
Captain Son Heung-min gave Spurs an early lead with a fifth-minute penalty but Evan N’Dicka pulled Roma level in the 20th. Brennan Johnson restored the lead for Tottenham in the first half but the hosts couldn't hang on as Mats Hummels salvaged a draw in stoppage time.
Earlier, Athletic Bilbao cruised past Elfsborg 3-0 in the Europa League on Thursday to join Lazio and Frankfurt at the top the 36-team standings.
Lazio missed a chance to remain the only team with a perfect record after five games as it was held 0-0 by Ludogorets at Stadio Olimpico. In Spain, Adama Boiro, Benat Prados and Gorku Guruzeta all scored for Bilbao.
Frankfurt, the 2022 Europa League winner, won 2-1 at Midtjylland.
Like in the new-look Champions League, the top eight teams after the eight-round league phase advance directly to the round of 16 in March, and teams placed from ninth to 24th enter a playoffs in February.
Among other results, Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce rebounded from its first defeat at Alkmaar (3-1) with a 2-1 win at Slavia Prague, Rangers won 4-1 at Nice, Ajax lost 2-0 to Real Sociedad and Braga eased past Hoffenheim 3-0.
Galatasaray drew 1-1 away at AZ Alkmaar after Victor Osimhen equalized for the Turkish club before halftime with his third goal in his last two Europa League games. Sven Mijnans scored early for Alkmaar, which finished the game with 10 men after substitute Kees Smit was sent off in injury time.
Georges Mikaukadze scored two goals while substitute Corentin Tolisso and Malick Fofana added one each for Lyon to rout host Qarabag 4-1.
Maccabi Tel-Aviv ended a four-game losing run with a 3-1 victory over Besiktas in a game that was played at a neutral venue in Debrecen, Hungary, after Turkish authorities decided not to host match.
That decision followed unrest after Maccabi’s recent Europa League game in Amsterdam, where at least five fans were injured in violent street attacks, after their team’s 5-0 loss to Ajax.
The game was played without fans at the request of Hungarian authorities.
Gavriel Kanichowsky, Dor Perets and Weslley Patati had a goal apiece for the Israeli team, while Rafa Silva netted for Besiktas.
Dynamo Kyiv lost its fifth straight game, this time 2-1 to Viktoria Plzeň. The consolation goal for the Ukrainian team, scored by Vladyslav Kobaiev in stoppage time, was the first for Dynamo in the competition.
Conference League Chelsea has been cruising the third-tier Conference League with the fourth win from four after beating Heidenheim 2-0.
In a matchup of between two teams that were perfect, Christopher Nkunku broke the deadlock in the second half from close range before Mykhailo Mudryk roofed the second from inside the area.
Chelsea midfielder Cesare Casadei received his second yellow card in stoppage time and was sent off.
Legia Warsaw remained the only other perfect team after a 3-0 win at Omonia.



Iraq Coach Arnold Undecided on Future Beyond World Cup

Football - FIFA World Cup - Inter-Confederation Playoffs - Final - Iraq v Bolivia - Estadio Monterrey, Monterrey, Mexico - March 31, 2026 Iraq coach Graham Arnold before the match. (Reuters)
Football - FIFA World Cup - Inter-Confederation Playoffs - Final - Iraq v Bolivia - Estadio Monterrey, Monterrey, Mexico - March 31, 2026 Iraq coach Graham Arnold before the match. (Reuters)
TT

Iraq Coach Arnold Undecided on Future Beyond World Cup

Football - FIFA World Cup - Inter-Confederation Playoffs - Final - Iraq v Bolivia - Estadio Monterrey, Monterrey, Mexico - March 31, 2026 Iraq coach Graham Arnold before the match. (Reuters)
Football - FIFA World Cup - Inter-Confederation Playoffs - Final - Iraq v Bolivia - Estadio Monterrey, Monterrey, Mexico - March 31, 2026 Iraq coach Graham Arnold before the match. (Reuters)

Iraq coach Graham Arnold said ‌his future beyond the World Cup remains undecided as his contract ends after the tournament and no formal talks have yet taken place, though retirement is not on his mind.

The 62-year-old Australian, who took charge of Iraq in May of last year, said he was keeping his options open and wanted to focus fully on the World Cup, where the team will make its first appearance in 40 years.

"The book is ‌open. My ‌contract finishes straight after the World ‌Cup. ⁠There has been ⁠talk about them wanting me to stay on, but I haven't had anything formal yet," Arnold told AAP.

"I really don't want anything formal yet. I want to go to the World Cup and enjoy it and after that I've got to make a decision whether ⁠to stay on or move on."

Arnold, ‌who guided his native Australia ‌to the round of 16 at the 2022 World Cup ‌in Qatar, said the prospect of leading teams ‌that have struggled to reach major tournaments continues to motivate him.

"There's some nations that I look at and I think to myself, they haven't qualified for a long time, I'd ‌like to do it again," he said.

"I've obviously had the experience throughout Asia, ⁠but I'm ⁠nowhere near ready to retire."

Iraq qualified for the World Cup by beating Bolivia 2-1 in Mexico in their inter-confederation playoff earlier this month.

Arnold said Iraq's qualification campaign had reinforced his belief that the team could trouble more-established sides on the global stage.

"We're going out there with nothing to lose and everything to gain, and with the chance to shock the world," he said.

"We'll be the underdog. We'll be fighters. If no one is giving us a chance, we can go there and achieve something special."


Liverpool Targets Famous Champions League Comeback Against PSG

13 April 2026, United Kingdom, Liverpool: Liverpool manager Arne Slot attends a press conference at Anfield, ahead of Tuesday's UEFA Champions League soccer match against Paris Saint Germain. Photo: Peter Byrne/PA Wire/dpa
13 April 2026, United Kingdom, Liverpool: Liverpool manager Arne Slot attends a press conference at Anfield, ahead of Tuesday's UEFA Champions League soccer match against Paris Saint Germain. Photo: Peter Byrne/PA Wire/dpa
TT

Liverpool Targets Famous Champions League Comeback Against PSG

13 April 2026, United Kingdom, Liverpool: Liverpool manager Arne Slot attends a press conference at Anfield, ahead of Tuesday's UEFA Champions League soccer match against Paris Saint Germain. Photo: Peter Byrne/PA Wire/dpa
13 April 2026, United Kingdom, Liverpool: Liverpool manager Arne Slot attends a press conference at Anfield, ahead of Tuesday's UEFA Champions League soccer match against Paris Saint Germain. Photo: Peter Byrne/PA Wire/dpa

Liverpool is aiming for another famous Champions League comeback against Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday.

The six-time European champion trails 2-0 after the first leg of the quarterfinal in Paris. But it is hoping for the type of Anfield night that saw it rout Barcelona 4-0 in the semifinals in 2019 to overturn a 3-0 first leg loss.

“There is a belief that we can do special things . . . but we need to be very, very, very special," coach Arne Slot said ahead of the match, according to The Associated Press. “We know we need an exceptional performance to go through to the next round.”

Defending champion PSG totally dominated the first leg last week and could have ran up a more commanding lead if it had taken its chances.

Coach Luis Enrique warned his team about the potential to slip up with the semifinals within touching distance.

“You need to be really careful, there could be pitfalls and it could be a trap,” he said.

“Everyone says, ‘You won (the first leg) easily and you were much better than (the) opposition.’ It might be the case but things can change so quickly in a football match.”

Barcelona must also overturn a 2-0 first leg loss against Atletico Madrid if it is to advance to the semifinals.


Asian Champions League to Expand from 24 to 32 Teams

Football - Asian Champions League - Final - Al Ahli v Kawasaki Frontale - King Abdullah Sports City, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia - May 3, 2025 The Asian Champions League trophy is display inside the stadium before the match. (Reuters)
Football - Asian Champions League - Final - Al Ahli v Kawasaki Frontale - King Abdullah Sports City, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia - May 3, 2025 The Asian Champions League trophy is display inside the stadium before the match. (Reuters)
TT

Asian Champions League to Expand from 24 to 32 Teams

Football - Asian Champions League - Final - Al Ahli v Kawasaki Frontale - King Abdullah Sports City, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia - May 3, 2025 The Asian Champions League trophy is display inside the stadium before the match. (Reuters)
Football - Asian Champions League - Final - Al Ahli v Kawasaki Frontale - King Abdullah Sports City, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia - May 3, 2025 The Asian Champions League trophy is display inside the stadium before the match. (Reuters)

The Asian Champions League is set to expand from 24 to 32 teams, the region's governing body for football said Tuesday, adding it will "promote inclusivity and excellence".

The move will take effect from next season once it is signed off by the Asian Football Confederation's executive committee, the AFC said, hailing it as a "landmark expansion".

The group phase of the continent's top club competition is split into two sections, East and West, before going into the knockout rounds.

The structure will remain broadly the same, but the two groups will from 2026-27 increase from 12 to 16 teams each.

The top six in each group will automatically progress to the last 16 while clubs in seventh to 10th will go through to a newly established knockout stage playoff.

The tournament has been branded the AFC Champions League Elite since 2024/25.

The last 16 and quarter-final matches in the 2025/26 campaign take place this week in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.