Man Utd beat Lyon in Europa League epic

PARIS, Apr 18 (AFP): Harry Maguire headed in the winner as Manchester United produced an astonishing extra-time comeback on Thursday to beat Lyon and set up a Europa League semi-final against Athletic Bilbao, while Tottenham Hotspur are also through to the last four after beating Eintracht Frankfurt.

Maguire's header in added time in extra time gave United a 5-4 win on the night at Old Trafford, and a 7-6 triumph on aggregate.

They appeared to be cruising towards the last four when, after a 2-2 first-leg draw last week in France, Manuel Ugarte turned in an Alejandro Garnacho cutback on 10 minutes and then Diogo Dalot fired home in first-half injury time.

Bruno Fernandes had hit the bar with a brilliant volley in between, and United had chances to kill the tie before Corentin Tolisso's headed goal on 71 minutes gave Lyon hope.

Nicolas Tagliafico then levelled the scores on the night, and in the tie, with 12 minutes of normal time remaining, his shot crossing the line before goalkeeper Andre Onana got a hand to it.

Lyon then had Tolisso sent off for a second yellow card just before the end of normal time, but they went 3-2 up when Rayan Cherki fired in following a fine run by Malick Fofana in the 105th minute.

And the French side looked to be going through when Alexandre Lacazette netted a penalty to make it 4-2 on the night, and 6-4 on aggregate, five minutes into the second half of extra time following a foul on Fofana by Luke Shaw.

However, almost from the restart the hosts were awarded a penalty of their own following a VAR check for a foul on Casemiro, and Fernandes converted to give them renewed hope.

A fine finish by substitute Kobbie Mainoo levelled the tie again in the 120th minute, seemingly setting up a penalty shoot-out, but Maguire had the last word as he headed in Casemiro's cross to spark delirium on the pitch and in the Old Trafford stands.

"It was a great night," United boss Ruben Amorim told broadcaster TNT Sports.

"Here everything is possible, you feel the environment. At 4-3, after the Bruno Fernandes penalty, we felt we could change the game."

United will play Athletic in the last four, with the first leg in Bilbao, in their first European semi-final since losing the 2021 Europa League final on penalties to Villarreal.

In Bilbao, Athletic beat Rangers 2-0 to progress to the last four following a goalless draw in the first leg in Glasgow.

Athletic went ahead on the night, and in the tie, in first-half stoppage time when Oihan Sancet converted a penalty after Maroan Sannadi was fouled in the box by John Souttar.

Nicolas Raskin struck the post for Rangers early in the second half before Athletic secured the victory, and their qualification, when Nico Williams headed home a cross from Oscar De Marcos.