Roma reach UEL last 16 after shootout; Milan, Qarabag, Marseille progress | OneFootball

The Europa League knockout round play-offs concluded on Thursday with eight teams booking their place in the Round of 16 draw.

Here’s what went down …

Roma spot on to see off Feyenoord

Scorers: Pellegrini 15′; Giménez 5′

Roma reached the Europa League’s last-16 stage after easing past Feyenoord on penalties.

Santiago Giménez put the Eredivisie champions ahead early on in the tie by extending his prolific form with a deflected finish.

Lorenzo Pellegrini drew the Giallorossi level just 10 minutes later with a wonder strike from outside the penalty area.

Neither side was able to land a meaningful blow thereafter, with their aggregate score of 2-2 leading to an additional half-hour of play.

Romelu Lukaku went closest to settling matters from open play with a low shot that Timon Wellenreuther parried in the 120th minute.

The Belgian later missed in the shootout but Nicola Zalewski went on to clinch a 4-2 victory after misses from David Hancko and Alireza Jahanbakhsh.

Marseille cruise through

Scorers: Aubameyang 23′, Sarr 74′, Kondogbia 81′; Sudakov (PEN) 12′

Marseille booked their place in the knockouts under new manager Jean-Louis Gasset by downing Shakhtar Donetsk.

Heorhiy Sudakov handed the Ukrainian champions an early lead from the penalty spot before Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang levelled for the hosts.

Gasset’s charges went on to rack up two goals in eight second-half minutes, first through Ismaila Sarr’s close-range volley.

Geoffrey Kondogbia followed up for Les Phocéens by sweeping home from the byline through a body of Shakhtar defenders.

Sparta hit the goal trail

Scorers: Preciado 8′, Tuci 74′, Haraslín 81′, Kuchta 90+7′; Bardakcı 16′

Sent off: Ayhan 70′

Sparta Prague produced three late goals to rack up a 6-4 aggregate win over Galatasaray.

Angelo Preciado put the hosts ahead inside eight minutes with a dinked finish after making a surging run.

Abdülkerim Bardakcı pulled the Turkish Süper Lig outfit level by pouncing after the ball had cannoned back off the crossbar.

The visitors were reduced to 10 men midway through the second half for Kaan Ayhan’s straight red card challenge.

Indrit Tuci compounded their misery with a downward header from Jaroslav Zelený’s cross before Lukáš Haraslín added a third.

Deep in added time, Jan Kuchta inflicted a fourth before the final whistle sparked a heated exchange between both sets of players.

Sporting untroubled by Young Boys

Scorers: Gyökeres 14′; Ganvoula (PEN) 84′

Sporting Lisbon coasted through to Friday’s draw despite being held by Young Boys.

Viktor Gyökeres extended the hosts’ comfortable margin with a sublime shot inside the penalty area shortly before the quarter of an hour mark.

But Silvere Ganvoula levelled the tie with a late penalty after being fouled by Marcus Edwards as he began to bear down on goal.

However the visitors were unable to reduce their 4-2 deficit before time was called on their trip to the Portuguese capital.

Milan through after Rennes thriller

Scorers: Bourigeaud 11′, (PEN) 54′, (PEN) 66′; Jović 21′, Leão 58′

Milan booked their place in the last-16 draw despite losing a five-goal thriller with Rennes.

Benjamin Bourigeaud gave the hosts hopes of a fightback by opening the scoring with a well-struck effort from the edge of the penalty area.

Luka Jović soon restored the advantage for Stefano Pioli’s side courtesy of meeting Theo Hernández’s inviting cross to the far post with a bullet header.

Rennes continued to test Mike Maignan, who had to produce a strong stop to deny Arnaud Kalimuendo mere minutes after Jović’s leveller.

Their persistence was rewarded early in the second half as Bourigeaud retook the lead from the penalty spot after Simon Kjær had fouled Martin Terrier.

Their advantage lasted just four minutes as Rafael Leão produced a superb individual effort before skipping past Steve Mandanda.

But Bourigeaud put the Ligue 1 outfit back in the lead by claiming his hat-trick with a second penalty after Jović  handled Kalimuendo’s headed effort.

The Rossoneri’s comfortable 3-0 win in the first leg ensured their safe passage on a 5-3 aggregate.

Qarabag reach last 16 for first time

Scorers: Silva 102′, Akhundzada 120′; Fernandes 70′, Djaló 83′, Banza (PEN) 115′

Sent off: Cafarquliyev 57′

Qarabag reached the Europa League knockout stage for the first time after overcoming Braga.

The Azerbaijan Premier League outfit held a 4-2 advantage over their visitors ahead of the return leg before a chaotic evening in Baku.

But they were reduced to 10 men shortly after the interval as Elvin Cafarguliyev received his marching orders for a second bookable offence.

Braga’s subsequent fightback saw Bruma combine with Roger Fernandes to deliver a breakthrough in the final 20 minutes.

Bruma provided a second assist in the closing stages as Álvaro Djaló extended their lead for a 4-4 aggregate with a sublime curling effort.

The hosts retook the lead early into extra time as Matheus Silva rifled home a volley but Simon Banza later drew Braga level from the penalty spot.

In the 120th minute, Nariman Akhundzada snatched a second goal for the hosts to secure their progress 6-5 on aggregate.

Freiburg fightback to win in extra time

Scorers: Sallai 67′, 90+2′, Gregoritsch 99′; Costa 28′, Wahi 45+2′

Freiburg produced a second-half fightback before eliminating Lens in extra time.

David Costa broke the deadlock just before the half-hour mark with an instinctive strike from Noah Atubolu fumbling Przemysław Frankowski’s free kick.

Les Sang et Or doubled their advantage in first-half added time when Elye Wahi chipped Atubolu after Manuel Gulde lost out in their 50-50 challenge.

Roland Sallai halved the hosts’ deficit midway through the second half before completing his side’s comeback deep into added time.

In extra time, Michael Gregoritsch handed the hosts the lead to book their place in the Round of 16 draw with a 3-2 aggregate.

Benfica through after Toulouse stalemate

Toulouse entertained Benfica hoping to overturn a 2-1 deficit from their previous encounter in Portugal.

But neither team was able to produce a breakthrough as they were locked in stalemate at Stadium TFC.