UEFA Europa League round-up: Ajax eliminated as Frankfurt progress to quarters, Lazio scrape past Viktoria Plzen
Updated 14/03/2025 at 00:06 GMT
Eintracht Frankfurt, Lazio, FK Bodo/Glimt and Lyon all confirmed their spots in the UEFA Europa League quarter-finals, as Ajax crashed out in the last 16. Mario Gotze scored twice as Frankfurt beat Ajax on Thursday, while Patric's scrappy goal for Lazio put them in the next round. In the UEFA Conference League, Antony was on target again as Real Betis progressed, as did Fiorentina.
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Ajax suffered UEFA Europa League elimination on Thursday at the hands of Eintracht Frankfurt, who sailed into the quarter-finals after a comfortable 4-1 second-leg victory.
Jean Bahoya finished a wonderful team move before Mario Gotze added a second in the first half as the hosts built a convincing 4-1 aggregate lead after their 2-1 triumph in the first leg.
Hugo Ekitike added further gloss to the scoreline with a tidy finish from the edge of the box to all but put the tie beyond the Dutch side.
Kenneth Taylor gave Ajax a glimmer of hope when he pulled a goal back in the 78th minute, but it would have needed something special for Francesco Farioli's side to overturn the four-goal cushion so late on.
And that distant dream came to a quick conclusion when Gozte grabbed his second of the match in the late stages to cement the German side's place in the last eight.
Frankfurt will continue their push for a third crown when they face Tottenham Hotspur, who beat AZ Alkmaar, for a place in the semi-finals.
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‘Magnificent finish’ – Gotze scores from near halfway as Frankfurt thrash Ajax
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Lazio squeeze past Viktoria Plzen
Lazio joined Frankfurt in the last eight following a 1-1 draw against Viktoria Plzen at Stadio Olimpico.
The Italians looked on course to join Frankfurt in the quarter-finals via a goalless draw, until a Pavel Sulc goal on 52 minutes for the away side levelled the aggregate score.
But as the match entered its final stages, Patric's scrappy header from a corner squeezed over the line at the near post to pull the tie back in Lazio's favour.
The Serie A side managed to hold on to continue their run in the competition, where they will face quarter-final debutants FK Bodo/Glimt in the next round.
Olympiacos knocked out by Bodo/Glimt
FK Bodo/Glimt were defeated in Athens by Olympiacos on Thursday, but a thumping 4-0 first-leg victory was enough to see them through to the Europa League quarter-finals for the first time in the club's history.
Kasper Hogh opened the scoring for Bodo/Glimt, before Roman Yaremchuk's double put the Greek side ahead.
However, the Ukrainian's efforts were not enough to turn the tie around, as Bodo/Glimt confirmed their place in the last eight.
Lyon too strong for FCSB
It was a routine evening's work for Lyon, who built on their 3-1 first-leg lead with a thumping 4-0 home victory over Romanian outfit FCSB.
The French side confirmed their place in the quarter-finals for the first time since 2021 - their fourth time reaching that stage - as they seek their first European accolade since the club's 1997 Intertoto Cup triumph.
Georges Mikautadze played a pivotal role in the second leg on Thursday, scoring twice, either side of the break and an Ernest Nuamah strike towards the end of the opening period.
Nuamah added his second late on and Lyon will come up against Manchester United in the next round after Ruben Amorim's team overcame Real Sociedad at Old Trafford.
In Bilbao, Nico Williams struck twice against 10-man AS Roma to send Athletic Club into the next round where they will play Rangers after the Scots' shoot-out victory over Fenerbahce.
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Real Betis and Fiorentina progress in Conference League
Fiorentina turned their UEFA Conference League tie against Panathinaikos around to claim a 5-4 aggregate win with a 3-1 victory in the second leg.
Man Utd loanee Antony scored his fourth goal since joining Real Betis, who followed up a score draw in the first leg against Vitoria de Guimaraes with an impressive 4-0 triumph on the road.
After Chelsea's win over Copenhagen, The Blues will face Legia Warszaw next, after they beat Molde 2-0 after extra time to advance.
Elsehwere, Jagiellonia Bialystok moved past Cerlce Brugge in the UEFA Conference League, while Djurgardens overcame Paphos FC to reach the quarter-finals.
Rapid Wien beat Borac Banja Luka thanks to Louis Schaub's winner in extra time, while Lugano's tie with NK Celje required penalties after a nine-goal thriller.
And it was NK Celje who advanced following a heroic effort, after they twice trailed by two goals.
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