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| James Tavernier of Rangers (C) celebrates with teammates Alfredo Morelos (R) and Ryan Jack (L) after scoring their team's first goal from the penalty spot during the UEFA Europa League Round of 16 Leg One match between Rangers FC and Crvena Zvezda at Ibrox Stadium on March 10, 2022 in Glasgow, Scotland. |
Barcelona have been held to a 0-0 home draw by Galatasaray in the first leg of their Europa League last-16 tie as Scottish side Rangers kept their momentum in the competition going with a 3-0 win over Red Star Belgrade.
Barca bombarded Galatasaray with 14 goal attempts against only three from the Turkish side, who were indebted to 23-year-old Spanish goalkeeper Inaki Pena for several fine saves.
Barcelona almost snatched the lead with a freakish goal, when an overhead kick from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was going well wide before Frenkie de Jong instinctively flung out a leg and volleyed against the left post.
The hosts wanted an early penalty when Adama Traore's cross hit the arm of Kerem Akturkoglu but had to settle for a corner.
Memphis Depay then tested Pena - on loan from Barcelona - with a fiercely struck free-kick from 22 yards in the 27th minute, but it was not to be their night.
In Glasgow, Rangers scored twice in the first 15 minutes against Red Star through James Tavernier and Alfredo Morelos. Leon Balogun added the third in the second half.
Following their shock win over Borussia Dortmund in the last round, Rangers will take a three-goal advantage into the second leg after Red Star forward Aleksandar Katai had two efforts ruled out by VAR and missed a penalty late in the first half.
In Bergamo, Atalanta fought back to beat Bayer Leverkusen 3-2 in a frantic match. Charles Aranguiz scored an early opener for the German side, but Colombian Luis Muriel set up Ukrainian Ruslan Malinovsky for the equaliser 15 minutes later.
Malinovsky twice provided assists for Muriel to put Atalanta 3-1 ahead before Moussa Diaby pulled one back for Leverkusen.
Braga defeated AS Monaco 2-0 thanks to goals from Abel Ruiz and Vitor Oliveira while Lyon beat Porto 1-0 away. Real Betis lost 2-1 at home to Eintracht Frankfurt while Braga beat Monaco 2-0.
West Ham's first European knock-out tie in over 40 years ended in a narrow 1-0 defeat by serial Europa League winners Sevilla.
A second-half goal by Moroccan forward Munir, who was only in the starting line-up after Ivan Rakitic was injured in the warm-up, settled the first leg in the Spanish side's favour.
But Hammers boss David Moyes will have seen enough to feel his side is capable of overturning a one-goal deficit at the London Stadium in a week's time.
This was probably the toughest draw they could have landed in the round of 16, given Sevilla are the most successful team in the tournament's history as six-time winners, as well as being Real Madrid's closest challengers for the LaLiga title.
The Hammers were without injured top-scorer Jarrod Bowen, but Declan Rice returned from illness to captain the team at a raucous Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium.
We had some opportunities and we did a lot of good things but Sevilla are a tough team, said Moyes.
For us to come here and be competitive and give us a good chance in the second leg, that's what we have done.
