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Nico Williams Fires Bilbao Into Europa League Quarters, Eintracht Hammer Ajax

Athletic Bilbao beat 10-man Roma 3-1 in their Europa League last-16 second leg on Thursday, while Eintracht Frankfurt put four past Ajax to book their place in the quarter-finals with a 6-2 aggregate win.

Euro 2024 winner Nico Williams grabbed a vital brace as Bilbao overturned a one-goal first-leg deficit to progress 4-3 on aggregate against the Italians.

The tie swung dramatically in the hosts ‘ favour in the 11th minute when veteran Roma centre-half Mats Hummels received a straight red card for a last-man tackle on Maroan Sannadi.

Bilbao cranked up the pressure and finally found the breakthrough they were so desperately craving three minutes into first-half additional time.

Inaki Williams ‘ cross from the left travelled all the way across the box to his brother at the back post who shot first time, his goalbound effort taking a wicked deflection off Angelino to beat Mile Svilar.

READ ALSO: UEFA Considering Penalty Rule Rethink After Alvarez Controversy

A bullet Yuri Berchiche header from a corner gave the Basques a 2-0 lead in the 68th minute at the San Mames and Nico Williams grabbed a fine second eight minutes from time.

A 93rd-minute penalty by Leandro Paredes gave the Romans hope in the final seconds, but Bilbao held firm.

It was a better evening for fellow Italian capital club Lazio, who progressed 3-2 on aggregate against Viktoria Plzen.

Pavel Sulc levelled the tie for the Czechs shortly after half-time, but Alessio Romagnoli nodded in a corner with 19 minutes remaining to tie the score at 1-1 in the Stadio Olimpico and send Lazio through.

Elsewhere in the Europa League, goals by Jean-Matteo Bahoya and Hugo Ekitike, as well as a Mario Goetze brace, handed Eintracht Frankfurt a 4-1 home win against Ajax.

The German side progressed to the next stage with a 6-2 win over both legs.

Norwegians Bodo/Glimt lost 2-1 against reigning Europa Conference League champions Olympiakos in Athens, but went through 4-2 on aggregate.

Later, Premier League sides Manchester United and Tottenham have work to do if they are to reach the quarter-finals of the Europa League when they host Real Sociedad and AZ Alkmaar, respectively.

Chelsea welcome Copenhagen to Stamford Bridge in the Conference League, also at 2000 GMT.

Enzo Maresca’s side hold a 2-1 first-leg advantage over the Danes as they seek to reach the last eight.

UEFA Considering Penalty Rule Rethink After Alvarez Controversy

UEFA on Thursday said it would consider a potential rule change after Atletico Madrid forward Julian Alvarez’s penalty was controversially disallowed in their Champions League shootout loss to Real Madrid.

Real Madrid won Wednesday’s shootout 4-2 after a 2-2 draw on aggregate to qualify for the quarter-finals, with Atletico coach Diego Simeone casting suspicion on the decision to rule out Alvarez’s spot-kick. The Argentina international was deemed by VAR to have kicked the ball twice, touching it with his standing foot as he slipped before striking to score.

“Although minimal, the player made contact with the ball using his standing foot before kicking it”, UEFA said in a statement. “Under the current rule, the VAR had to call the referee signalling that the goal should be disallowed”.

However, European football’s governing body said it would hold talks with the sport’s lawmakers regarding the rule on double touches.

READ ALSO:]FULL LIST] UEFA Champions League Quarter-Final Fixtures

Atletico Madrid’s Norwegian forward #09 Alexander Sorloth (C) and teammates react at the end of the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 second leg football match between Club Atletico de Madrid and Real Madrid CF at the Metropolitano stadium in Madrid on March 12, 2025. (Photo by OSCAR DEL POZO / AFP)

“UEFA will enter discussions with FIFA and IFAB to determine whether the rule should be reviewed in cases where a double touch is clearly unintentional”, it added.

Simeone said he wanted to believe the officials got the penalty decision right.

“I’ve never seen a penalty where they’ve called the VAR, but well, they would have seen that he touched it, I want to believe, I want to believe they saw he touched it”.

The coach asked members of the media during his press conference to raise their hand if they had seen a replay in which it was clear Alvarez had touched the ball twice.

“Raise your hand, anyone who saw Julian touch it twice, who is going to raise their hand? Nobody has raised their hand”, shouted Simeone.

Mbappe Returns To France Squad As PSG’s Doue Earns First Call-Up

Captain Kylian Mbappe returned to the France squad named Thursday for this month’s UEFA Nations League quarter-final against Croatia, as Paris Saint-Germain teenager Desire Doue earned a first call-up.

Mbappe, 26, was left out of the last two France squads by coach Didier Deschamps for the Nations League group stage in October and November.

The Real Madrid superstar was initially dropped because of fitness concerns, before later being left out amidst headlines about his private life.

READ ALSO: Mbappe, Vinicius Help Real Madrid Beat Rayo Vallecano

FILE: France’s forward Kylian Mbappe speaks during a press conference in Longeville-les-Metz, eastern France, on June 4, 2024. (Photo by FRANCK FIFE / AFP)

Deschamps said at the time that his decision to do without Mbappe was “for the best” due to the noise surrounding the striker.

Mbappe has been in fine form for Real in the months since and has scored 28 goals in all competitions this season for the club he joined last year.

“I have chatted with him and I confirm what I already said a few weeks ago, that he will be the captain”, Deschamps said in response to questions about Mbappe’s ongoing role as skipper.

The versatile Doue, meanwhile, has been rewarded for his impressive club form.

mbappe-real-madrid
File Photo: Kylian Mbappe. (Photo by INSTAGRAM / @k. mbappe / AFP)

The 19-year-old has scored or set up a total of 17 goals in 23 appearances since becoming a regular in the PSG side in mid-December.

Capable of playing as a winger as well as in midfield, Doue was outstanding after coming off the bench for PSG in Tuesday’s Champions League last 16, second leg against Liverpool, and scored the winning kick in the penalty shoot-out.

Signed by PSG from Rennes for a reported 50 million euros ($54.1m) in August, Doue was part of Thierry Henry’s France Under-23 team that won the silver medal at the Paris Olympics last year.

“He is not always a starter for his club but whenever he plays or comes on he has made a lot of progress”, Deschamps said.

“He is a very young player but he is an interesting one for us. I could have waited but I have called him up now because I think it is the right time”.

France face Croatia away in Split in the first leg of the quarter-final next Thursday, March 20, in a tie that is a repeat of the 2018 World Cup final won by Les Bleus.

Paris Saint-Germain’s French midfielder #14 Desire Doue shoots a penalty during the penalty shoot out during the last 16 second leg UEFA Champions League football match between Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) at Anfield in Liverpool, north west England on March 11, 2025. (Photo by Oli SCARFF / AFP)

The sides will clash in the second leg at the Stade de France on Sunday, March 23.

The winners will advance to the final four, which will take place in either Italy or Germany in June.

N’Golo Kante is the most notable absentee from the squad, with Deschamps revealing that the Saudi Arabia-based midfielder has been nursing a minor muscle injury.

Squad Goalkeepers: Lucas Chevalier (Lille), Mike Maignan (AC Milan/ITA), Brice Samba (Rennes)

Defenders: Jonathan Clauss (Nice), Lucas Digne (Aston Villa/ENG), Theo Hernandez (AC Milan/ITA), Ibrahima Konate (Liverpool/ENG), Jules Kounde (Barcelona/ESP), Benjamin Pavard (Inter Milan/ITA), William Saliba (Arsenal/ENG), Dayot Upamecano (Bayern Munich/GER)

Midfielders: Eduardo Camavinga (Real Madrid/ESP), Matteo Guendouzi (Lazio/ITA), Manu Kone (Roma/ITA), Adrien Rabiot (Marseille), Aurelien Tchouameni (Real Madrid/ESP), Warren Zaire-Emery (Paris Saint-Germain)

Forwards: Bradley Barcola, Ousmane Dembele, Desire Doue (all Paris Saint-Germain), Randal Kolo Muani (Juventus/ITA, on loan from Paris Saint-Germain), Kylian Mbappe (Real Madrid/ESP), Michael Olise (Bayern Munich/GER), Marcus Thuram (Inter Milan/ITA)