Barcelona comes out unscathed against Galatasaray, West Ham United knocks out Sevilla
The second leg of the round of 16 ties of the 2021/22 UEFA Europa League gifted the fans seven enthralling matches of football. Spanish giants Barcelona left it late but eventually overcame the Galatasaray hurdle in spectacular fashion, whereas another La Liga team in Sevilla were surprisingly knocked out by West Ham United.
Galatasaray vs Barcelona (1-2 Agg.)
Barcelona’s qualification to the quarter-finals was in jeopardy after a goalless stalemate in the first leg, since the second leg was staged at Galatasaray’s home ground Nef Stadium, where it is always difficult to beat the Turkish outfit.
The Catalans’ troubles were compounded when they conceded early, with a Marcos Texeira goal giving Galatasaray the lead in the 28 matches. However, what followed was a sensational comeback by Xavi’s men. Pedri netted the equalizer for the visitors in the 37th minute, whilst just four matches after the resumption in the second half, winter signing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored the all-important winning goal.
Bayer Leverkusen vs Atalanta (2-4 Agg.)
Bayer Leverkusen and Atalanta played out a five-goal thriller in the first leg, which ended 3-2 in favor of the Serie A outfit. Hence, many expected the second leg to have plenty of goals in it as well, but that was not the case.
Both teams created chances in abundance but failed to show quality and composure in the final third. In the 91st minute of the match, substitute Jeremie Boga scored for La Dea to take the aggregate scoreline to 4-2.
Crvena Zvezda vs Rangers (2-4 Agg.)
There was not much hype about this game in particular, since the Rangers had already made a long stride in the direction of the quarter-finals with a 3-0 win over Crvena Zvezda in the first leg tie.
The Serbian outfit needed to stage an improbable comeback, but their hopes were rekindled soon after the start as Mirko Ivanic scored in the 10th minute. However, the Scottish champions steading the ship from there onwards and eventually scored the equalizer in the 56th minute, courtesy of a Ryan Kent strike. El Fardou Ben Nabouhane scored the winning goal of the match for Crvena Zvezda in the 93rd minute, but unfortunately for him, it had no significance on the aggregate result.
AS Monaco vs Braga (1-3 Agg.)
Much like the last game, the outcome of this particular fixture was also mostly decided in the first leg itself, as French outfit AS Monaco was very unlikely to make a comeback from a 2-0 deficit against Portuguese side Braga.
The Monegasques needed to score early but what happened was the exact opposite of what they wanted, as Braga drew first blood through Abel Ruiz’s strike in the 19th minute. Axel Disasi got a goal back for the hosts right at the very end, but it was nothing more than a mere consolation in the broader perspective.
Eintracht Frankfurt vs Real Betis (3-2 Agg.)
Having won 2-1 in the first leg tie away from home at the Estadio Benito Villamarin, Eintracht Frankfurt’s plan for the second leg was simple – to prevent Real Betis from scoring and see the game out at 0-0.
The German outfit was successful in their plan for 89 minutes, but Borja Iglesias delivered the killer blow in the 90th minute to take the team to extra-time. Just as when it seemed certain that the game will be decided on penalties, a Guido Rodriguez own goal confirmed the quarter-final berth for Eintracht Frankfurt.
West Ham United vs Sevilla (2-1 Agg.)
West Ham United overcame a one-goal deficit to win 2-0 against Sevilla
While it will be fair to say that the other results were on the expected lines, West Ham United’s triumph against Sevilla came as a surprise since the La Liga outfit is the most successful team of this competition.
Coming from a 1-0 deficit, the Hammers could ill-afford to go goalless into the half-time, and they didn’t, since Tomas Soucek broke the deadlock in the 39th minute. The match eventually went to extra-time where Andriy Yarmolenko scored the winner in the 112th minute.
Lyon vs Porto (2-1 Agg.)
French club Olympique Lyonnaise had the advantage in this game, having won 1-0 away from home at Estadio do Dragao in the first leg encounter. They doubled their aggregate lead in the 13th minute when Moussa Dembele got his name on the scoresheet.
The Dragons pulled a goal back through veteran defender Pepe in the 27th minute to keep their hopes alive. However, that goal proved to be insignificant as Lyon strengthened their defense and saw the game out at 1-1.