Holders Sevilla maintained their Europa League challenge with a 1-0 win over Rijeka in a winners-take-all clash on Thursday as the competition’s arduous group stage wound down with a glut of goals but few surprises.
German sides Borussia Moenchengladbach and VfL Wolfsburg plus Spanish outfit Villarreal were among the 10 teams who added their names to Monday’s draw for the last 32 when the competition usually cranks into a more entertaining gear.
Sevilla’s hopes of successfully defending their title, after a mixed group stage campaign, hinged on them avoiding defeat at home to Croatian side Rijeka, whose own aspirations depended on securing a shock away win.
The Spanish side have struggled to rekindle their devastating Europa League form of last season having made numerous changes to their squad since they beat Benfica on penalties in Turin to lift the trophy in May.
There were a lot of wounded people, with knife cuts and bruises from bats. I also heard at least 10-12 gunshots
Among their new additions is Denis Suarez, a 20-year-old midfielder on a two-year loan from Barcelona, and he lit up the first half with a superb piece of skill to hand the hosts the lead.