AFCON 2025
The Europa League Round of 16 offered some exciting matchups and the first leg lived up to its billing.
There were some shocking results and in the case of Manchester United, the same old issues persisted in a tense affair with Sociedad.
Here are 3 things we learned.
Manchester United’s Zirkzee on the Rise
Manchester United’s 1-1 draw with Real Sociedad in San Sebastian was a tense affair, but one bright spot was Joshua Zirkzee’s performance. The young striker scored his first European goal of the season, drilling a low drive from 20 yards after a clever pass from Alejandro Garnacho.
This was a welcome boost for Zirkzee, who had been struggling with form and missed the decisive penalty in last week’s FA Cup shootout loss to Fulham.
Mourinho’s Fenerbahce Disappoints
Rangers pulled off an impressive 3-1 win over Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce in Istanbul. Cyriel Dessers gave Rangers an early lead, but Alexander Djiku equalized for Fenerbahce.
Vaclav Cerny then scored twice to put Rangers in control. Mourinho was scathing in his assessment, saying, “We were very bad everywhere.
“Maybe you laugh, but for me, it was a good result because of how we performed. The result could have been bigger than this one.”
Spurs’ Season on the Brink
Tottenham’s 1-0 loss to AZ Alkmaar in the Netherlands was a shockingly bad performance, with Lucas Bergvall’s own goal condemning them to defeat.
Spurs managed just a single shot on target, and Ange Postecoglou’s side were lucky not to lose by a bigger margin.
Postecoglou acknowledged the poor display, saying, “We were nowhere near the level we needed to be, and that’s the thing we need to address.”
This is Spurs’ only chance of making the UEFA Champions League next season to make up for their horrendous league form.
