Bruno Fernandes Strikes Late to Keep Man United on Course for Europa League Last 16 Spot

Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes celebrates after scoring his side's second goal during the Europa League opening phase soccer match between Manchester United and Glasgow Rangers in Manchester, England, Thursday, Jan. 2025. (AP Photo/Dave Thompson)

Bruno Fernandes scored a stoppage-time winner as Manchester United beat Rangers 2-1 on Thursday to take a big step toward the Europa League round of 16.
Rangers looked to have snatched a draw at Old Trafford when Cyriel Dessers leveled the game 1-1 in the 88th minute, The Associated Press reported.
But United captain Fernandes struck from close range four minutes later to secure a vital win that moved Ruben Amorim’s team up to fourth in the standings with one round of games to go in the league phase.
First-place Lazio won 3-1 against Real Sociedad and Eintracht Frankfurt is second after a 2-0 victory over Ferencvaros.
United’s win was a much-needed boost for Amorim, who said after Sunday’s loss to Brighton that his team was “the worst, maybe, in the history” of the storied club.
While United’s Premier League campaign still looks dire, with the 20-time English champion 13th in the standings, its Europa League fate is in its own hands going into next week’s game against FCSB in Romania.
Victory, however, didn’t come without some fortune after Rangers goalkeeper Jack Butland punched the ball into his own net from a corner to give United the lead seven minutes into the second half.
The top eight teams automatically advance to the last 16, with those placed from nine to 24 going into a playoff round.
Lazio maintained its unbeaten record in the Europa League with victory against 10-man Sociedad and is guaranteed a place in the last 16.
Goals from Mario Gila, Mattia Zaccagni and Valentin Castellanos effectively killed the game off before halftime, with Sociedad’s Aihen Munoz also sent off before the break. Ander Barrenetxea scored late for Sociedad.
Frankfurt is three points behind after a 2-0 win against Ferencvaros was secured through second-half goals from Can Uzun and Hugo Ekitike.
Athletic Bilbao, is third, behind Frankfurt on goal difference.
Son Heung-min scored twice as Tottenham beat Hoffenheim 3-2.
The South Korea star struck in each half at PreZero Arena to help ease the pressure on manager Ange Postecoglou.
It was only Tottenham’s second win in its past nine games overall and kept it on course for the round of 16.
Son doubled the lead in the 22nd minute after James Maddison had opened the scoring in the third. He got his second to make it 3-1 in the 77th. Son was making his 436th appearance for the club — moving up to 10th on Spurs’ list.
Anton Stach scored for Hoffenheim in the 68th and David Mokwa sparked hope of an unlikely comeback in the 88th.
Tottenham is sixth in the standings.
European Cup winner Ajax was stunned by RFS — losing 1-0 to the Latvian team.
It was RFS’ first win in a group or league phase of a major European competition, with Adam Markhiyev scoring the decisive goal in the 78th. But it wasn’t enough to prevent his team from being eliminated.
Ajax is 10th.
The battle to secure a playoff place is in the balance for a number of teams.
Roma lost 1-0 to Dutch club AZ Alkmaar after Troy Parrott’s winner in the 80th.
With one game to go, the Italian giant is 21st, on nine points, and just one point above 25th-place Porto, which lost 1-0 to Olympiakos.
Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce is 23rd, also on nine points, after a 0-0 draw with fifth-place Lyon.
Pro-Palestine march Norwegian broadcaster NRK says hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters marched peacefully in Bodoe before its 3-1 win against Maccabi Tel Aviv. Meanwhile, a gathering in support of Israel was held in a nearby shopping center.
Israeli fans were assaulted after Maccabi’s game against Ajax in Amsterdam in November, which saw five people treated at hospitals and more than 60 detained. Five men were sentenced for to up to six months in prison last month for violence that erupted around that match. The riots caused an international outcry and accusations of deliberate antisemitic attacks.