Erik ten Hag saluted his "resilient" Manchester United side following their dramatic comeback victory over Barcelona in the Europa League.

Following a pulsating 2-2 draw at Camp Nou last week, the Red Devils fell behind on aggregate to Robert Lewandowski's first-half penalty at Old Trafford.

But Ten Hag's side turned the tie on its head after the break with goals from Fred and substitute Antony sending the hosts through to the last 16 of the competition.

It also marked the first time since defeat by Granada in April 2021 that the Blaugrana had lost having led at half-time.

When asked if this was his biggest win since taking charge, the Dutchman told BT Sport: "Yes, I think so. We've had some good wins – Liverpool, Arsenal at home. Barcelona is the leader of LaLiga, eight points ahead of Real Madrid. To beat them, it's a big win.

"I think we have some great personalities in the team, like Rapha [Varane] and Licha [Lisandro Martinez], they don't fear anyone. Even when you get setbacks, they move on, they carry on, and they are resilient. They want to get a result.

"Even when you concede a penalty, you have to go on; you can turn around such games. When you win a big game like this – after [being] 1-0 down and a difficult situation – I think this is a good bit of motivation in the season."

Following Antony's winner, United have now had 19 goals scored by substitutes in all competitions this season, the most by any side from the big five European leagues.

Alejandro Garnacho also looked dangerous following his introduction, his blocked effort leading to the decisive strike, and Ten Hag hailed the impact of both players.

"We know if we can bring Antony and Garnacho on and get over in the right areas, you get speed, you get running behind, you get dribbles, and you get belief," the manager added.

"They are both so brave; they don't fear anyone. They just take players on, and I think that gives a boost to the whole team."

On Fred, who levelled the tie, he said: "What he does really well is make the runs behind in the right moment, he has good timing. Getting behind the Barcelona midfielders was part of our game plan. I think it was really effective."

Xavi felt Barcelona "deserved more" from Thursday's defeat at Manchester United after Antony's 73rd-minute strike dumped his team out of the Europa League at Old Trafford.

Following a thrilling 2-2 draw at Camp Nou last week, Robert Lewandowski converted a penalty after Bruno Fernandes hauled down Alejandro Balde to put Barca ahead at half-time of the second leg.

But Fred equalised shortly after the interval, and Antony struck with less than 20 minutes to play to send United through 4-3 on aggregate and knock Xavi's side out of the competition.

It was Barca's first defeat against the Red Devils since 2008, and the first time in 38 matches in all competitions that they had lost a game after leading at half-time.

Xavi believes his players' efforts at Old Trafford warranted more than they received, telling Movistar+ after the match: "In such evenly matched knockout matches, details are important. I think we deserved something more.

"The goal to make it 1-1 hurt us. We lost a ball and they equalised. They put more intensity and we lost more duels in the second half. 

"It has been an even tie. There have even been moments in which we have been very comfortable.

"This is a big disappointment but we have to focus on the competitions we have left. We had a great rival in front of us."

Despite Barca having now been knocked out of both the Europa League and Champions League this season, Xavi says this season's continental efforts have been an improvement on last campaign, when they were again knocked out of Europe's premier competition before succumbing to Eintracht Frankfurt in the Europa League final eight.

"We have been better than last year," Xavi explained. "The message is a bit like when they eliminated us in the Champions League. This year we have competed against Bayern [Munich], against Inter.

"We have been better. We have competed in this tie.

"You have to be very self-critical and think about what needs to be improved. We may not be satisfied, but there has been an exponential change compared to last year.

"Next year we have to improve. They are big teams and it is hard to compete. Next year we will come back stronger."

Asked whether new signings are needed for Barca to compete at the top level again, Xavi replied: "Soon we'll see if we can sign [players]. What is clear is that we haven't competed for two years."

Andy Murray and Daniil Medvedev sealed their place in the Qatar Open semi-finals while top seed Andrey Rublev was upset 4-6 6-4 6-3 by Jiri Lehecka.

Rublev won this tournament in 2020 and looked to be on his way to the final four after a strong opening set put him ahead.

But Lehecka battled back in the second to level the match and then found a crucial break in the second game of the deciding set to seize the advantage.

It was a lead he would not relinquish, holding his nerve despite watching a pair of match points come and go to clinch victory and knock out the world number five.

Lehecka will meet Murray in the semi-finals after the Brit came from a set down to see off Alexandre Muller 4-6 6-1 6-2 and keep his hopes of winning the Qatar Open for a third time alive after back-to-back titles in 2008 and 2009.

A tough opener had Murray facing a deficit against the world number 170, but a typically gutsy display saw him pull off the comeback and reach his first tour-level semi-final since June 2022, when he lost in the Stuttgart Open final to Matteo Berrettini.

Medvedev sealed his place in the final four with a hard-fought 6-2 4-6 7-5 win over Christopher O'Connell.

The world number eight triumphed for the seventh straight match, but did not have it all his own way against his Australian opponent, needing a crucial break with the final set tied at five games each to put himself back into the ascendancy.

Felix Auger-Aliassime awaits Medvedev in the next round after prevailing over Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in straight sets.

The world number nine out-aced his opponent eight to two to author a 6-4 7-6 (7-5) victory after one hour and 48 minutes, and he will look to improve on his dismal record against Medvedev on Friday, having lost all five of his meetings against the Russian.

At the Open 13 Provence, top seed Hubert Hurkacz reached the quarter-final after rallying from a set down to see off Leandro Riedi 4-6 6-3 6-2.

Second seed Jannik Sinner was forced to withdraw through illness, sending wildcard Frenchman Arthur Fils into the final eight, where he will meet Stan Wawrinka.

Alex De Minaur teed up a clash with Benjamin Bonzi by cruising past Alexander Ritschard 6-3 6-3, while world number 25 Grigor Dimitrov will play Alexander Bublik on Friday after beating Gijs Brouwer in straight sets.

Bruno Fernandes put Manchester United's 2-1 comeback win over Barcelona down to a "bouncing" Old Trafford on Thursday.

The hosts went behind in the first half after the Portuguese midfielder conceded a penalty for a tug on Alejandro Balde, with Robert Lewandowski converting for Barca.

But goals from Fred and Antony after the break saw United turn matters around to seal a 4-3 aggregate victory and secure a place in the draw for the last 16.

Erik ten Hag's side were backed by a noisy Old Trafford throughout, and Fernandes was quick to pay tribute to the fans' contribution afterwards.

"The belief in the team is always there," he told BT Sport. "The belief from the fans, for us, is amazing. They [have] pushed us through difficult moments this season.

"They've been with us in the toughest moments. This season, we have been good, really good. This is something different, between them and us.

"We have something special, because they can see we are doing all we can to win games for them. Old Trafford was bouncing, that's why we got the result."

For United, there is limited time to dwell on such a momentous result – their first win over Barcelona since April 2008 – as they turn focus towards Sunday's EFL Cup final against Newcastle United.

With a chance to end the club's six-year silverware drought this weekend, fellow midfielder Fred acknowledges they must refocus quickly to stay on track.

"[It was a] good game today," he added. "[But] we need to keep going. We have a final on Sunday. We need to change our mind [ahead] of the final."

Antony was the hero as Manchester United progressed to the Europa League last 16 thanks to a 2-1 win over Barcelona at Old Trafford that secured a 4-3 aggregate success.

Robert Lewandowski put the Blaugrana ahead with an 18th-minute penalty following a pulsating 2-2 draw at Camp Nou last week.

But Fred equalised early in the second half, before substitute Antony completed the turnaround for Erik ten Hag’s side 17 minutes from time.

The Red Devils held on for their first victory over Barca since the narrow 1-0 win in the Champions League semi-final second leg in April 2008.

Casemiro released Bruno Fernandes in the third minute for the latter to test Marc-Andre ter Stegen during a bright start for United. 

But having almost been the hero at one end, Fernandes became the villain at the other when he hauled down Alejandro Balde in the penalty area, Lewandowski converting the subsequent spot-kick despite David de Gea's best efforts.

The United goalkeeper almost gifted Barca a second before half-time, his loose pass intercepted by Sergi Roberto, but Casemiro made vital blocks to deny him and Franck Kessie.

The hosts capitalised on their good fortune within two minutes of the restart, Fernandes feeding Fred, who drilled a low shot beyond Ter Stegen's dive.

United carried the greater threat but were almost caught by a sucker punch, with De Gea showcasing wonderful reflexes to tip away Jules Kounde's header.

Nevertheless, Ten Hag's side deservedly completed the comeback.

The ball ricocheted to Antony, who neatly guided into the bottom-left corner, and a late Raphael Varane block to deny Lewandowski ensured the Brazilian's strike was decisive.

Sevilla goalkeeper Marko Dmitrovic warned he knows how to defend himself after he was involved in an altercation with a fan during their Europa League loss to PSV.

The shot-stopper clashed with a supporter who rushed him on the field during the closing stages of their 2-0 defeat at Philips Stadion, pinning him until security could intervene.

Though Sevilla fell to defeat on the road after goals from Luuk de Jong and Fabio Silva, their three-goal advantage from the first leg saw them seal progress to the next round.

Speaking afterwards, Dmitrovic expounded upon the incident, stating such violence has no place in football and calling for punishment to be handed out to the individual in question.

"He pushed me from behind and tried to hit me," he told Movistar+. "He caught my nose and neck a little.

"The truth is that I wanted to hit him. If you want to hit someone, you sign up for a sport like boxing.

"Football doesn't deserve these things. I hope they punish him. It was a surprise, because you are focused on the game.

"I've never struck anyone in my life, but I know how to defend myself. It's not good in football or in life. The important thing is we have progressed."

Stats Perform approached UEFA for comment following the incident, to which the governing body said they would wait for the referee's match report before addressing the situation.

Massimiliano Allegri hailed the impact of Angel Di Maria after the winger's hat-trick helped Juventus see off Nantes on Thursday to advance to the last 16 of the Europa League.

Di Maria put the Bianconeri in front with a stunning opener after just five minutes, before his inventive backheel was prevented from going in by the arm of Nicolas Pallois, giving the referee no choice but to point to the spot.

Di Maria thumped home the resulting penalty after Pallois was given his marching orders, and the Argentina international rounded off his hat-trick with a late header to cap a sublime display and send the Bianconeri through, becoming the first Juve player to score at least three goals in a European match since Filippo Inzaghi in 2000.

Allegri lauded the improvements Di Maria has made after an injury-hit start to life at Juventus following his move from Paris Saint-Germain.

"Angel is a world champion," Allegri told reporters after the match. "He increases the quality of this Juventus and we are all happy to have him.

"Having someone like him is important to the team. Now, he knows the team better and is physically better."

Allegri was delighted with his team's second-leg performance after a disappointing 1-1 draw in Turin left his team with a tricky test to progress at a raucous Stade de la Beaujoire.

They came through that test in style, and Allegri is setting his sights on winning the competition after one win in six Champions League group-stage matches saw Juve drop into the Europa League.

It could also be their only route to next season's Champions League, following a 15-point deduction in Serie A for financial breaches which sees them sitting seventh and playing catch-up for the European spots.

"Winning away from home is never easy, in Europe even more," Allegri said. "After the elimination in the Champions League, it seems that winning in Europe for Juve is a walk in the park, but it's not like that.

"Now seeing the [Serie A] standings, the Europa League seems like the only way to get to the Champions League.

"Barcelona, ​​Manchester United, Sevilla, Feyenoord, Arsenal, there are important teams [in the Europa League].

"Let's see who we get in the round of 16, if Roma also get through. We try to get to the final, but not just to get to the Champions League, but also to win a trophy."

Brendan Rodgers saluted "game changers" Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko ahead of Leicester City's Premier League clash with leaders Arsenal.

The Gunners are two points clear at the summit with a game in hand on second-place Manchester City heading into their final 15 matches of the campaign.

Their quest for a first domestic title in 19 years has been boosted by the performances of former Man City duo Jesus and Zinchenko, who arrived at the Emirates Stadium in pre-season.

Jesus scored twice and provided two assists in Arsenal's 4-2 win over Leicester in August, though the Brazil international will miss the return fixture at the King Power Stadium on Saturday as he continues his recovery from a knee injury.

Meanwhile, the versatile Zinchenko has played 20 times under Mikel Arteta this term, and Rodgers praised the impact of both players.

"I think [Arsenal have] had a fantastic season up until now," the Foxes head coach said. "I think that you sensed right at the very beginning of the season when we played [them], they'd signed the two players that were a game changer for them in terms of mentality.

"When you've got the likes of Kieran Tierney on the bench – who's an outstanding player – because of Zinchenko playing, then it really shows you the quality of the squad that they have.

"But I think Zinchenko and Jesus coming in really will have helped, and given [them] that mindset. [William] Saliba coming in at the back and obviously the other players then improve, and so I think that they played very well on that day.

"Whenever we got close to them, we made mistakes, which gave them a cushion in the game. But you could see in that early part of the season that there was a good feeling around the place and that's continued through the season.

"I think Mikel [Arteta] has done a fantastic job with them, and, okay, still a long way to go – 15 games to go – but they've had a very, very good season so far."

Premier League chief executive Richard Masters warned that a new independent regulator for English football cannot be used as a "sledgehammer" to the game.

Plans have been confirmed by the United Kingdom government for an overhaul of the sport's regulatory oversight following the publication of a white paper on Thursday.

The government said the new independent regulator will "help prevent repeat financial failings", strengthen the owners' and directors' test "to protect clubs and their fans from unscrupulous owners", give fans greater say in running clubs, and "block English clubs from joining unpopular breakaway leagues".

Reception has been distinctly lukewarm from the Premier League however, urging caution in a statement on Wednesday that highlighted the need for the top flight to remain attractive to investors.

Now Masters has further outlined concerns over the potential knock-on effects of the regulator, which was recommended after the launch of a fan-led review in 2021.

"Regulation brings with it many challenges," he told BBC Sport. "This needs to be a very precise regulatory tool and not a sledgehammer.

"Otherwise, it might take football sidewards, or even backwards, rather than forwards.

"We need to be able to ensure the things which have made English football so successful over the last 150 years, and during the Premier League period, are not damaged, and the sport is fundamentally supported.

"We don't want that to be choked off, [or] chilled, to the point where actually it's starting to affect the quality of our competition."

The introduction of a regulator would theoretically help safeguard clubs from going out of business while taking onboard additional input from supporters.

It also comes following the involvement of six Premier League clubs in the attempted European Super League breakaway.

Masters conceded there was a need to rebuild trust between the game's power brokers and fans following a turbulent period.

"We accept some of the things which have happened in the recent past should not have happened, whether that be insolvencies in the Football League or the European Super League as a concept," he added.

An Angel Di Maria hat-trick fired Juventus into the Europa League round of 16 as they secured a 4-1 aggregate triumph over 10-man Nantes on Thursday.

A 1-1 draw in Turin meant Juve faced a tough task to progress at a loud Stade de la Beaujoire, but Di Maria's spectacular opener set them on the way to victory.

Nantes' task was made harder when Nicolas Pallois saw red for handling Di Maria's inventive goalbound flick, before the Juve winger slammed the resulting penalty into the top corner.

Di Maria capped his excellent display with a late header to seal Juve's progression, and Massimiliano Allegri's men await Friday's draw to find out who stands between them and the quarter-finals.

Nantes started brightly but found themselves behind after five minutes when Di Maria's stunning curler found the top left corner from outside the area.

Things went from bad to worse for the hosts shortly after as Di Maria weaved into the box before backheeling towards goal, with the Argentina international's effort striking the arm of Pallois.

The referee awarded a penalty and sent the Nantes defender off, before Di Maria thumped home the spot-kick.

It should have been game over just before the break, but Filip Kostic could only drill off the post from a tight angle.

Di Maria nearly completed his hat-trick shortly after the restart, though Alban Lafont palmed away his attempt from range.

Di Maria did get his treble with 12 minutes to play though as his header from a tight angle squeezed just over the line to put Juve through to the next round in style.

Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka lost for the first time in 14 matches, and Coco Gauff set up a semi-final clash with Iga Swiatek at the Dubai Tennis Championships on Thursday.

Sabalenka fought back from a set down to end the title defence of Jelena Ostapenko a day earlier, but she came up short against Barbora Krejcikova as her Czech opponent overcame a tough first set to run out a 0-6 7-6 (7-2) 6-1 victor.

Sabalenka, playing in her first event since claiming a maiden grand slam title in Melbourne, romped into the lead by breaking Krejcikova's serve three times to go a set ahead.

But the world number two was pegged back in the second as Krejcikova battled to force a tie-break, which she dominated to level the match.

Krejcikova then completed the shock victory in style, breaking the second seed twice in the final set before clinching the win on her third match point to end Sabalenka's run of 13 straight triumphs.

Karolina Muchova's withdrawal due to an abdominal injury means it is Jessica Pegula who will face Krejcikova in the semi-finals on Friday.

After Swiatek reached the final four by virtue of Karolina Pliskova pulling out because of an illness, Gauff set up a sixth meeting with the world number one by beating Madison Keys 6-2 7-5.

In those five previous clashes between the pair, Gauff is yet to win a set.

But after cruising past Keys, doing so by converting four of five break points and winning 90 per cent of her service games, Gauff is confident of improving her dismal record against Swiatek on Friday.

"All five times, I did something wrong," Gauff said. "To be honest, she's playing great tennis and there's a reason she's world number one. 

"Tomorrow I have no pressure. I just have to play my game. I definitely think I've gotten better since the last time I played her.

"Ranking is just a number at the end of the day. You just have to step on the court believing you can win, and that's what I'm going to do tomorrow."

Borussia Dortmund head coach Edin Terzic insists his team can manage the absence of Karim Adeyemi and is pleased fans can once again enjoy seeing BVB in a Bundesliga title race.

Dortmund will be without rapid forward Adeyemi for the next few weeks after he suffered torn muscle fibres in Sunday's 4-1 win over Hertha Berlin.

But Terzic is confident Donyell Malen – who scored in that game from the assist that led to Adeyemi's injury – can help to fill the void.

Terzic seemed relaxed at a press conference ahead of Saturday's trip to Hoffenheim, despite being without Adeyemi, who had scored in four successive appearances prior to his injury.

"Of course, it's not nice to do without someone who has not only played really well, but also had many important actions," he said. "He often scored the opening goal or was able to assist goals. Nevertheless, you mustn't forget now, he was suspended for two games in the cup and the league and we were able to play those two games successfully.

"Others took over his role. And last week, for example, Donyell Malen moved well into the team. He was in another position, but he showed a rise in form. And Jamie Bynoe-Gittens played in that position and had another great assist and a huge chance before that.

"So, we have enough ideas and options to react to this loss. Nevertheless, we're keeping our fingers crossed for Karim that it won't take too long and that we can quickly build on his strong performances again."

Dortmund have won all eight of their games since the World Cup break, including six in the league, seeing them move level on 43 points with Bayern Munich and Union Berlin in the top three positions.

However, Terzic pointed to the criticism his team received prior to the World Cup as reason to stay grounded.

"Of course, it's nice that the fans can enjoy this phase now," he told reporters. "After everything that has happened in the last few years, whether it was Covid or [how] many home games in the past that were not successful.

"It's about wanting to create that experience again, that people are up for seeing us play and can't wait to come back. And that is something we are happy about.

"Of course, we are now in a position where these questions will come. But we won't forget the position we were in. After the game [against Borussia Monchengladbach, a 4-2 loss] before the break, there were completely different questions, there were polls. 'Are Dortmund in a position to qualify for the Champions League?'

"And now it's just happening way too fast, and we've already said it: we're currently in a period of upheaval that we initiated in the summer, where we said we're far from finished. A lot will happen in the near future, and we simply must not forget that.

"Of course, we are happy about the way things are going now, but we won't win the game on Saturday just by being happy, but through hard work, a lot of focus, a lot of diligence. And that's what we can influence, and all the other things we simply can't influence. We can only focus on the result and the game on Saturday. And that's what we will do."