Rangers manager Philippe Clement backed his side to have an “amazing season” if they show the same togetherness that helped them to a 3-2 win over Real Betis in Seville.

Kemar Roofe’s 78th-minute winner sent an under-strength Rangers into the last 16 of the Europa League.

The Light Blues twice took the lead in the first half through Abdallah Sima and Cyriel Dessers but they were heading for the Conference League knockout stages before Roofe’s late goal inflicted a first home defeat of the season on Real Betis.

Clement told Rangers TV: “It’s an amazing evening. I am really proud of the boys, they way they stuck together, the way they were brave. The things I asked – to be brave, to go with our football, create chances, score good goals, and a real top team mentality.

“That’s what we need to build on over the next couple of months.  If they stick together like this every three days, you always have an amazing season.”

It was Rangers’ first away victory against Spanish opposition.

Clement said: “This is a big reference and statement also, for them and the outside, that if everyone is into the story and working hard, we are a really hard team to beat, even for top-class teams like Betis, who are in really good form and played a really good game against Real Madrid last week and could have won.

“It was the first loss in their home stadium this season. And it was also a game we had to win, a lot of pressure and the players dealt really well with it.”

The Belgian remains unbeaten in 13 games as Rangers manager and can lift his first piece of silverware in Scotland when his side take on Aberdeen in the Viaplay Cup final this weekend.

“It was a really important evening and a moment to enjoy but not for too long,” he said. “We have a really big game on Sunday.

“I am also happy for all the fans who were here because the support was incredible, during the game, after the game. So I hope they put Hampden Park on fire, but not on fire with pyro, just with songs and the noise.”

Roberto De Zerbi hailed Brighton’s last-gasp 1-0 victory over Marseille to top Europa League Group B as a “historic moment” in the club’s history.

Joao Pedro smashed in an 89th-minute winner at the Amex Stadium to make sure the Seagulls avoided the play-off round and instead slotted straight into the last 16.

Italian De Zerbi, who masterminded progressing from a group that included Ajax and AEK Athens along with the French 1993 European Cup winners, said: “We haven’t won anything…yet, but we are really happy and proud.

“I told the players before the game that the game was more important for us than them. Marseille are used to playing in European competitions.

“To finish at the top of the table is a historical moment.

“The atmosphere during the game was incredible. The crowd were a 12th player like I’ve never seen before.

“It is important because we don’t have to play an extra game.

“After going 2-0 down in Marseille in the first game, we changed everything and after that game we won four games in a row with four clean sheets in a row. That is incredible.”

De Zerbi dedicated the result to the players and fans of former club Foggia – who lost a Serie C title decider to Gennaro Gattuso-managed Pisa in 2016.

His revenge on the now Marseille boss came courtesy of Joao Pedro – who ended the group stage with six goals and the competition’s leading scorer.

The Brazilian was threaded through by Pascal Gross before skipping past a tackle and thumping into the top corner, making the Amex erupt and De Zerbi jump into the crowd.

De Zerbi said of his goalscorer: “Joao is playing very well. He is becoming a great player in mentality – which playing for his national team has helped.

“The qualities of Joao are clear. We want to help him become a great player.”

Joao Pedro added: “I’m very happy. These are the best moments of my life. Thank you to my team-mates, they always support me.

“I’m very happy to be top scorer in the Europa League. To be top of the table, in the league or top scorer, you need to keep going through hard work.”

Marseille just needed a draw to avoid a play-off match against one of the teams that finished third in the Champions League.

Jonathan Clauss and Amine Harit both hit the woodwork before the visitors parked the bus, only to be undone by Brighton’s late winner.

Boss Gattuso said: “We knew what type of match this would be. We knew what level Brighton play at and the quality they have.

“We prepared to face them but their level of quality was too strong.

“We didn’t lack courage but it is the quality in the end that showed.”

David Moyes hailed Edson Alvarez’s performance after the Mexican starred in West Ham’s 2-0 victory over Freiburg to book their place in the last-16 of the Europa League.

Alvarez produced a wonderful assist for Mohammed Kudus in the 14th minute before the midfielder turned scorer later on.

And Moyes lauded both Alvarez and Kudus who were signed from Ajax in the summer.

“He did great (Alvarez),” Moyes said.

“The assist for the first one was a great pass then he did a great bit of link up with Jarrod (Bowen) and scores a big goal so I’m really pleased for him tonight.

“He’s still recovering a bit with illness but I’m really pleased with the things he’s done.

“The two of them (Kudus and Alvarez) have made great contributions already.

“Mainly Mohammed with goals and Edson with other elements and the two will get better.

“The hardest bit to find is the consistency with the intensity of the games.

“They’ve both settled in really well and they’ve done a good job.”

West Ham will avoid playing in the last-32 after tonight’s victory.

Moyes admitted the victory which sealed West Ham’s place at the top of Group A will give his side respite in February.

The Scot also highlighted the Hammers’ emergence in Europe in the last three years.

He added: “It is hugely important for us to get a bit of breathing space in February which we wouldn’t of had if we finished second.

“Qualifying for Europe and winning the group three years in a row now is really good for a side who has not been regular attendees.

“I think that’s 10 wins in Europe in a row now and that’s good for any team. Our control was pretty good and we’ve learnt from the games.

“Tonight we deserved our victory and deserved to top the toughest group out of the three previous years.”

Freiburg manager Christian Streich highlighted West Ham’s quality on the night.

He said: “It’s difficult to shut the gaps down. Jordy Makengo was playing against a top player like Kudus.

“Lucas Paqueta has got fantastic quality and I could really mention the whole team.

“If you don’t play at the highest level it is hard to play against the team at the level of West Ham.”

Former MKE Ankaragucu president Faruk Koca has been handed a permanent ban by the Turkish Football Federation for punching referee Halil Umut Meler.

Meler was approached and hit in the face by Koca following Monday night’s Super Lig match between Ankaragucu and Caykur Rizespor.

Koca was subsequently arrested and the TFF, in announcing a host of disciplinary measures on its official website on Thursday night, said the 59-year-old has been banned in response to the incident, which has made headlines across the world.

Meler had sent off one player from each side before Rizespor equalised in the seventh minute of injury time to force a 1-1 draw, with Koca running onto the pitch after the game before hitting the referee, who was then kicked by another person while on the ground.

Meler left hospital on Wednesday after being treated for injuries, including a small fracture under his eye.

The country’s justice minister, Yilmaz Tunc, said on his X account on Tuesday that Koca had been arrested “for injuring and threatening a public servant due to his public duty”. Koca later announced his resignation as president via the Ankaragucu website.

Matches across all of Turkey’s leagues were suspended following the assault and it has since been confirmed by the TFF – which has also fined Ankaragucu £54,000 and ordered them to play five games behind closed doors among a number of sanctions following the incident – that they will resume next Tuesday.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino condemned the attack on Thursday, telling Sky Sports News: “Enough is enough and this has to stop. I was shocked when I saw the images like everyone else.

“You can be excited at a match and you can feel for a team but there is no way we can accept anything like that to happen.”

West Ham qualified directly for the last 16 of the Europe League after a convincing 2-0 win over Freiburg at London Stadium saw them finish top of Group A.

Mohammed Kudus opened the scoring in 14th minute before Edson Alvarez’s strike just before half-time confirmed victory for the Hammers, who had started the match level on 12 points with their German opponents in the race for top spot.

David Moyes’ men bounced back after last weekend’s 5-0 Premier League mauling at Fulham to earn a seeded position in the knockout stages and avoid a play-off.

The hosts, chasing a 10th successive home win in Europe, came close to taking an early lead when Lucas Paqueta struck the Freiburg crossbar in the fifth minute.

A drop of the shoulder by Kudus saw the tricky attacker beat his man before delivering a cross to Paqueta who thundered his effort onto the bar.

However, West Ham’s persistence paid off barely 10 minutes later as they went ahead through Kudus.

Alvarez found the ball in midfield, picked his head up and delivered a lofted pass in behind the Freiburg defence for the Ghana international, who finished expertly past goalkeeper Noah Atubolu.

The goal was credit to the hosts’ early pressure and Kudus’ well-timed run and touch tested the VAR, who allowed the effort to stand despite calls for offside and handball.

Last season’s Europa Conference League champions looked eager to finish their opponents off quickly but Jarrod Bowen’s goal was ruled out for offside by referee Joao Pinheiro.

The England winger had got on the end of a similar ball to the one which had previously caught out the Freiburg defence, however he had failed to hold his line and the score remained 1-0.

At the other end, Freiburg, having already qualified from Group A alongside West Ham, rarely ventured as far as West Ham’s box until Ritsu Doan tested Lukasz Fabianski after 40 minutes.

But creator Alvarez turned scorer moments later to seal the tie.

The Mexican marauded forward with the ball and played a neat one-two with Bowen before finishing his work with a poacher’s finish into the bottom corner.

Freiburg showed a bit more fight in the second half through Doan, who rifled an effort at Fabianski, but it was West Ham who were in the ascendancy and looked more likely to strike the next blow.

Czech full-back Vladimir Coufal overlapped on the right flank and delivered a cut-back cross to Bowen who scuffed his effort over the bar instead of finding the empty net.

The dangerous Doan continued to be the only threat for Freiburg when he forced the save from Fabianski before substitute Noah Weishaupt’s rebounded effort was sliced over the bar.

Kemar Roofe’s late goal earned Rangers a memorable 3-2 win against Real Betis to send the Light Blues into the Europa League knockout stages.

Roofe turned the ball home from close range as Rangers put the pressure on from a 78th-minute corner to clinch top spot in Group C.

The Light Blues inflicted a first home defeat of the season on the Spaniards in Seville as Roofe’s second goal of the season saw them jump above Sparta Prague from third place and send Betis into the Conference League.

Abdallah Sima and Cyriel Dessers had each put Rangers ahead in a thrilling first half but Betis were level before the break and had chances to go ahead only to slip from top spot to third.

Sparta won 3-1 against Aris Limassol to put pressure on Rangers and ultimately go through themselves as the Ibrox side did it the hard way, finishing on 11 points despite dropping five against the Cypriots.

Sima had already seen a half-chance diverted wide before opening the scoring in the 10th minute. James Tavernier and then Ross McCausland drove down the right and Dessers helped the ball on for Sima to fire into the bottom corner from 16 yards.

The lead only lasted four minutes. Juan Miranda had put a dangerous ball across the face of goal moments earlier but McCausland did not heed the warning and failed to track the left-back’s forward run. Miranda burst on to a deft flick from Borja Iglesias and drilled the ball inside the far post.

Rangers survived a torrent of pressure as Betis looked to build on their equaliser. Ben Davies produced a vital block,  Andres Guardado hit the underside of the crossbar and Jack Butland tipped over Hector Bellerin’s strike.

Rangers withstood the pressure and regained the lead in the 20th minute, seconds after taking a throw-in inside their own half. Dessers headed inside for Jose Cifuentes and ran on to the return ball down the left wing.

The Nigeria international went a long way to winning over the Gers fans following a slow start to his Ibrox career when he beat his man and slipped the ball through the goalkeeper’s legs.

This time the lead lasted 17 minutes. Rangers were on the back foot after an attacking move broke down but they had plenty of men back, however Tavernier was slow to spot the danger as Ayoze Perez loitered with intent outside the right-back.

The former Newcastle and Leicester striker curled an inch-perfect first-time shot just inside the far post after being set up by Isco.

Sima and Dessers threatened before the break but Rangers – with Dujon Sterling on for Cifuentes – faced pressure at the start of the second period as Betis twice threatened from set-pieces. Assane Diao headed against the crossbar and Marc Roca miscontrolled the ball inside the six-yard box, allowing Butland to block.

Sam Lammers briefly looked like going clear on goal after dribbling past two players but he seemed to go down easily after being tripped just outside the box and Borna Barisic’s free-kick was blocked.

Rangers had another nervy moment waiting on the VAR verdict when Perez had a goal disallowed for handball after bundling home a rebound.

It was Rangers who struck from similar range moments later.

The Light Blues generally managed the latter stages well until late in stoppage-time when substitute Rabbi Matondo in particular showed naivety in shooting from long range, however Butland scrambled to stop Willian Jose’s header creeping in.

The final whistle soon sounded to continue Rangers’ promising run under recently-appointed manager Philippe Clement, who could now get his hands on his first piece of silverware in Scotland after Sunday’s Viaplay Cup final against Aberdeen.

Aston Villa boss Unai Emery felt his much-changed side had produced a perfect night after securing top spot in their Europa Conference League group and a place in the last 16 with a 1-1 draw away to Zrinjski Mostar

Emery made eight changes from Saturday’s win against Arsenal, with goalkeeper Filip Marschall handed his debut and Jacob Ramsey making a first start for five months.

On-loan Galatasaray midfielder Nicolo Zaniolo put Villa in front just after the hour mark.

Although Matija Malekinusic fired a spectacular equaliser for the hosts in the closing stages, the result was enough to see Villa finish top of Group E ahead of Legia Warsaw.

Villa now avoid two play-off matches and so progress straight into the knockout stages.

“We are happy because our objective was to be first in the group, with this draw we are,” Emery said.

“We tried to play with some players who are not playing regularly in the season because of injuries like Jacob Ramsey and Alex Moreno, and with Leander Dendoncker, Filip Marschall and Tommi O’Reilly as well.

“It’s important for them to get confidence and minutes. Tonight was perfect with the draw and result and perfect to give some of the players chances.”

Emery added in quotes on the Aston Villa website: “We wanted to win, but our first objective is completely done: to be first in the group.

“We want to enjoy the way in this competition because for us to be in Europe, it is important to remember how we achieved it last year and how we are now trying to win a trophy.

“We want to enjoy it with our supporters and some supporters were here with us today. It is important for them to be together and enjoy this way in Europe.”

Joao Pedro made sure Brighton avoided the inconvenience of a Europa League play-off as his superb strike made sure the Seagulls edged Marseille to the top of Group B with a 1-0 victory.

Brazilian Joao Pedro crashed in an 89th-minute winner to continue Brighton’s dream first European campaign.

The 1993 European Cup winners, Marseille, struck the post and the bar through Jonathan Clauss and Amine Harit – and they will now face one of the Champions League third-placed finishers – Galatasaray, Lens, Braga, Benfica, Feyenoord, AC Milan, Young Boys or Shakhtar Donetsk – while Brighton skip straight to the last 16.

Simon Adingra was offered the match’s first chance in the seventh minute when he skipped in from the right to curl powerlessly towards Pau Lopez.

One of the storylines of the game was Joao Pedro versus Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, with the pair the joint-top-scorers of the Europa League group stage with five strikes each.

Joao Pedro always looked likelier to bolster his numbers as he had three half-decent first-half opportunities.

Firstly, the Brazilian could not control the pace of Jack Hinshelwood’s drilled cross and blazed over. Then he had an overhead kick blocked at point-blank range, before the frontman twisted onto his left foot and scuffed towards Lopez.

At the other end, former Arsenal and Chelsea hitman Aubameyang was kept anonymous by Lewis Dunk – who impressed in front of England manager Gareth Southgate.

Kaoru Mitoma also muddied Lopez’s gloves but caused little worry for the Spaniard.

In fact, the closest either side came to a first-half opener was when Clauss found a pocket of space on the edge of the Brighton box in the 15th minute.

The full-back’s shot looped up off Pascal Gross and over a stranded Jason Steele but fortunately for the hosts onto the underside of the bar.

Marseille stuck the frame of the goal again after the break as midfielder Harit fashioned himself space in a crowded box to smash against the base of the post.

Billy Gilmour tried his luck from range and Adingra’s knack of slipping at inopportune moments had him strike over twice.

The final 20 minutes saw any pretence Marseille were attempting to attack ended as they parked 11 players behind the ball and it came back to haunt them.

Substitute Evan Ferguson found a pocket of space in the box but the Irishman could not keep his shot down.

And moments later Joao Pedro notched his sixth goal of the competition with an emphatic finish from just inside the box into the top corner after collecting the ball from Gross.

Roberto De Zerbi, desperate to avoid an extra round, jumped into a section of the home fans to the side of his technical areas as the Amex erupted.

General Secretary of the Jamaica Football Federation, Dennis Chung, has commended the work done by Jamaican football’s governing body on the back of a busy calendar year of football in the country.

The Reggae Girlz and Reggae Boyz hosted seven games between them in Jamaica between September and November.

“It has been an extremely busy year. In September we had three games, in October we had two games and we had two games in November and anyone who knows what it takes to plan a game, it takes a lot of time, effort and resources,” Chung said at a press conference at the JFF offices on Thursday.

“We had so many events during the year so it was really good that we were able to manage through it. My commendations to the staff because I know the amount of work that they go through to put an event on or to mobilize a team, it is significant. The amount of money that we spent taking the women to the World Cup was about US $2 million. We have to manage all of that,” he added.

The Reggae Boyz hosted Honduras, Haiti and Canada in Concacaf Nations League A action while the Girlz hosted Canada in an Olympic Qualifier as well as Guatemala and Panama in a pair of Concacaf W Gold Cup qualifiers.

Chung also pointed out that despite some hiccups such as Visa issues for travelling parties, the federation was able to get through the year with no major hindrances.

“We are grateful for the activity that has happened and grateful, also, that we really have not had any incidents in the year. We had one or two hiccups when it relates to the Visa process but it didn’t cause any major dislocation,” Chung said.

“The first one had to do with the UK incident where the staff was late in getting their Visas because of the move of the processing from Jamaica to New York and then we had the incident of the U-15s going to Sweden. Outside of that I think we’ve had a fairly successful year administratively,” he added.

Without going into specific numbers, Chung also mentioned that the JFF were able to sort out some financial problems they were experiencing.

“The other thing that was initially a challenge for us was the administration of the accounting because, as you know, the JFF has been on restricted funding for a while but I’m happy to say that, based on how we’ve closed out the year and our interactions with FIFA, who we had invited to come here in November, I think we’re in a much better place,” he said.

“We would’ve gotten, during the year, a tax compliance certificate, which many companies in Jamaica do not have. We have been managing very well, certainly better than last year, in terms of the demands of the organization,” Chung added.

Chung also commented on renovations done to the Captain Horace Burrell Centre of Excellence located at the University of the West Indies.

“We also did a lot of work at the center and we were able to host some national teams there. The Trinidad National Men’s team was there and the Guyana Men’s team was there as well. We were able to also rent out the facility. It’s now well renovated,” he said.

“2023 was a year of bringing all the chips together, ensuring we have the right capacity in place and we’re as productive as possible given the circumstances,” he added.

The current administration will now turn their attention to the upcoming JFF presidential elections scheduled for January 14, 2024.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp insists he will not judge any of his young players on their performance in the 2-1 Europa League dead-rubber defeat to Union Saint Gilloise in Brussels.

Klopp’s team was the youngest in their history by some considerable margin to play a European game with an average age of just 21.9 years and six players aged 20 or under and that showed against the Belgian league leaders.

One of those 20-year-olds Jarell Quansah, who has already made 12 appearances this season, cancelled out Mohammed Amoura’s opener with his first senior goal but Cameron Puertas put the hosts ahead again at the end of an understandably disjointed first half.

Klopp took responsibility for the nature of the performance and absolved his youngsters of any blame.

“I mixed up the team completely, so I think the changes we made, the amount of changes, were too much for rhythm,” he said.

“I would never judge a player after a game like this and say, ‘OK, he’s obviously not good enough’ or whatever.

“I know how good they are because I see them every day in training and tonight is an important experience.

“I don’t think any career ever started without these kind of games where you have to struggle, where you have to fight through, where you have to survive.

“For some it was a really important experience and for others good for rhythm. I saw good performances.

“Of course as a team it is not a fair assessment if I say now they are top of the table in Belgium and we come here, bring kids – altogether that’s really difficult – but I thought we gave it a go and that’s OK for me.

“Nobody got hurt, nobody is injured, so we recover, go home and go again.”

Joel Matip’s surgery this week on an ACL injury leaves Klopp trying to find the most suitable partner for Virgil van Dijk, who along with Alisson Becker and Mohamed Salah was left at home with Liverpool already guaranteed top spot.

Ibrahima Konate and Joe Gomez played a half apiece to give Klopp a decision on who to pick for the visit of Manchester United on Sunday.

“We just wanted to share the intensity. Do I want to play Joe Gomez 90 or Ibou 90 if we had the chance to do that?,” he added.

“(I decided) 45 and 45, the same in midfield. These changes were planned before the game, independent of the result.”

Luis Suarez's performances for Gremio show he would have few problems in adapting to Major League Soccer if he joins Inter Miami, says former Los Angeles FC defender Giorgio Chiellini.

Suarez is reportedly in talks with Miami over a move which would see him reunited with former Barcelona team-mates Lionel Messi, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets.

The Uruguayan is seemingly closing in on a one-year deal with the MLS outfit after spending 2023 with Gremio, who finished second to Palmeiras in their first season back in Brazil's top flight, having spent the previous campaign in the second tier. 

Suarez scored 17 league goals for Gremio throughout the year, also adding 11 assists to give him the most total goal involvements (28) in the Brasileirao.

The striker, who will turn 37 in January, hit 27 goals across all competitions before departing as a free agent, and recently retired defender Chiellini says he would thrive in MLS.

"You see what Suarez did this year in Brazil… Brazil is not considered a weak league," Chiellini, who was famously bitten by Suarez at the 2014 World Cup, told Stats Perform. 

"Suarez scored almost 30 goals, we still see something there and it's still really good. Now football is changing all over the world. 

"There are less differences between some leagues in Europe and other countries. The only league that's very different from every other one, I think, is the Premier League. 

"But to be honest, the other ones we can compare, and you can also find good players in some weird leagues that some years ago you never considered. Now it is very different."

Aberdeen boss Barry Robson claimed his side should get more credit for their performances in Europe this season after a superb Europa Conference League victory over Eintracht Frankfurt.

The Dons set up in a solid defensive shape and soaked up wave after wave of pressure before Luis ‘Duk’ Lopes combined with Shayden Morris and slid home the opening goal four minutes before half-time.

The Dons remained sound defensively and survived a couple of hairy moments before substitute Ester Sokler sent a powerful high finish past substitute goalkeeper Jens Grahl to seal the win against a Frankfurt side who thrashed Bayern Munich 5-1 at the weekend.

The Dons finished their Group G campaign on six points following their first victory in an eight-game European run.

“I’ve said before we’ve not got what we’ve deserved for what we’ve put into this European campaign,” Robson said. “We’ve only lost two games, and one of them here was in the 92nd minute.

“For me, the players have performed so well and I’m so glad they got that win because they’ve deserved more points than what we’ve got in Europe.

“Scottish football should see what we’ve done this year. We’ve had some stick and rightly so at times, but it’s not easy fighting on three fronts and we’ve done it so well.

“After European games we’ve had four away games, and at one point we played seven games out of eight away from home as well. It’s the emotion these games take out of you.

“We’ve scored 10 goals in Europe, and that’s not easy to do against that quality of opposition.”

Robson’s team selection, with eight changes from the side that started the win over Hearts at the weekend, more than hinted towards the Dons having an eye on Sunday’s Viaplay Cup final against Rangers.

“The boys who came in have been excellent and it was the same in Helsinki,” the Dons boss said.

“We got some other players on at the right times to give us a helping hand.

“The boys should be proud – playing in European group games is so memorable.

“Every single one of them works hard in training, every day. They’re a good group, they’re together, and we just have to try to find a way to perform well.”

Nicolo Zaniolo’s first goal for Aston Villa helped them seal their place in the Europa Conference League’s last 16 after a 1-1 draw against Zrinjski Mostar.

Zaniolo gave a much-changed Villa the lead in Bosnia and Herzegovina just after the hour-mark before Matija Malekinusic fired a spectacular equaliser for the hosts in the closing stages.

The point was enough to ensure Villa finished top of Group E ahead of Legia Warsaw to avoid two play-off matches and progress straight into the knockout stages, but it was far from convincing by Unai Emery’s side.

Goalkeeper Filip Marschall was handed his Villa debut and Jacob Ramsey made his first start in five months as Emery made eight changes from Saturday’s win against Arsenal.

Matty Cash, Alex Moreno, Leander Dendoncker, Moussa Diaby, Jhon Duran and Zaniolo also started.

Marschall did well to snuff out a through-ball as Zrinjski looked to put Villa under early pressure, but the former England Under-19 goalkeeper barely touched the ball in an uneventful first half.

Zrinjski, bottom of the group with just one win from their previous five games, showed little ambition in front of a home crowd of around 6,000, while Villa lacked the cohesion to trouble them.

Zaniolo blazed one effort over the crossbar and forced Zrinjski goalkeeper Marko Maric into a rare save.

Villa’s record signing Diaby fluffed his chance when missing the ball completely from Moreno’s cross as Emery’s new-look line-up failed to raise the tempo.

Little changed in the second period and Emery had seen enough after 57 minutes, sending on John McGinn and Lucas Digne for Ramsey and Moreno respectively.

McGinn made an instant impact, injecting some urgency and whipping in a cross for on-loan Galatasaray midfielder Zaniolo to neatly control before tucking the ball under Maric from six yards.

Calum Chambers and Pau Torres replaced Cash and Diego Carlos before Josip Corluka was flagged offside as he fired Zrinjski’s best chance of the match over the crossbar in the 71st minute.

Corluka missed another chance from a corner soon after to remind Villa the job was not yet done.

Duran forced Maric into a save with a first-time angled effort before teenage midfielder Tommy O’Reilly replaced Diaby to make his senior Villa debut a day before his 20th birthday.

Fellow debutant Marschall was almost punished for a howler when his clearance struck Torres but Aldin Hrvanovic failed to keep the rebound on target.

Marschall made amends by racing off his liner to deny Hrvanovic moments later as the Premier League visitors held on to their advantage.

However, Malekinusic punished Villa for not putting the result beyond doubt by thundering home a 25-yard equaliser in the 87th minute, but Emery’s side held on for the point they needed.

Aberdeen gave themselves a pre-Hampden boost by shocking Eintracht Frankfurt in a 2-0 victory at Pittodrie.

Goals from Luis ‘Duk’ Lopes and Ester Sokler gave the Dons their first win in the Europa Conference League as they finished Group G in third place on six points.

Duk slid in to score from close range just before the interval and Sokler sent a stunning lob past substitute keeper Jens Grahl with 15 minutes to go to net his second goal for the club.

The win stretched Aberdeen’s unbeaten home run against German sides in European competition to 10 matches and will send Barry Robson’s side into Sunday’s Viaplay Cup final against Rangers on a high.

With Sunday in mind, Robson made eight changes to the side that had beaten Hearts at the weekend, with only Kelle Roos, Stefan Gartenmann and young defender Jack Milne keeping their places. There was no place in the squad for Bojan Miovski, who has been suffering from a minor hamstring complaint this week.

Rangers’ 2021 Europa League final conquerors could not finish any higher or lower than second and they made seven changes from the side which beat Bayern Munich 5-1 at the weekend. Japanese midfielder Makoto Hasebe, who turns 40 next month, captained the visitors.

Frankfurt were keen to show their quality and striker Jessic Ngankam warmed the gloves of Roos as early as the third minute. The same man fired wide after 15 minutes, and then his headed pass for Niels Nkounkou gave the defender a shot at goal which was deflected wide for a corner.

Aberdeen’s European campaign has been characterised by a strong defensive shape and effective counter-attacks, and it was 35 minutes before their first real opening, as James McGarry found space to cross from the left, the ball nodded away from the onrushing Milne at the back post.

That sparked a prolonged spell of pressure, but Frankfurt almost hit on a counter of their own, as Jens Petter Hauge strode away only to see his angled drive parried away by Roos.

Aberdeen were emboldened by their earlier foray forward though and took the lead in the 41st minute. Duk sent Shayden Morris clear on the right, continued his run to meet the latter’s low cross, and turned the ball past Kevin Trapp.

The Dons defended well in the second half. Roos saved from Paxton Aaronson and Richard Jensen got an important foot in to block from Ansgar Knauff.

Just minutes later, Dante Polvara’s pass set sub Sokler in behind the visitors’ defence, and the Slovenian buried a superb shot past Grahl, who had replaced the injured Trapp at the interval.

Liverpool’s youngest European team in their history found the Europa League just too tough for them in Brussels as Jurgen Klopp’s experimental side lost the dead rubber 2-1 at Union Saint Gilloise.

A first senior goal for the ever-improving 20-year-old centre-back Jarell Quansah, their 14th different scorer this season, was the only highlight on a testing evening for Klopp’s young guns.

Quansah’s 40th-minute leveller equalled a club record 34th-successive goal-scoring match, with Manchester United on Sunday standing in the way of a new landmark and Mohamed Salah, Virgil Van Dijk and Alisson Becker all to return after being left at home.

Liverpool’s top spot was already secure despite a second defeat but the win took Union into the Europa Conference League play-offs.

The team’s average age was just 21.9 years old – Wataru Endo, 30, five years older than the next senior player – with only Ibrahima Konate and Cody Gakpo considered regular starters.

No surprise then the early threat came from the hosts, defeated only once on home soil this season, with Noah Sidiki and Koki Machida both off target.

A rare attack saw Gakpo’s balance fail him at the vital moment after chesting down Conor Bradley’s crossfield pass inside the area but Liverpool, with six players 20 or under, understandably struggled for rhythm and control.

Caoimhin Kelleher saved well from Mohammed Amoura and Gustaf Nilsson, who outpaced Quansah to a ball played into the right channel – an avenue from which the opener came.

Both Curtis Jones and Endo looked like they may have been fouled before Amoura burst free to score after Kelleher half-saved his initial effort but VAR ruled there was not enough in those challenges or an offside.

Quansah’s goal was perfectly executed; the defender killing dead Jones’ corner to blast home as compensation for the last-gasp equaliser VAR denied him in the 4-3 defeat to Toulouse last month.

However, Kelleher’s positioning was questionable when Cameron Puertas beat him too easily at his right-hand post just before the break as Union retook the lead.

Joe Gomez replaced Konate – both are competing to start against Manchester United on Sunday but Quansah was the best centre-back on show – and Ryan Gravenberch came on for Endo to reduce the average age even further but it did little to change the flow.

When Puertas beat Kelleher again softly, this time down to his left, Klopp had already sent on Darwin Nunez and 18-year-old left-back Calum Scanlon before VAR ruled out the goal for Lazare Amani’s handball.

Nilsson heading wide and Puertas forcing another save maintained the pressure, however, and the fact Liverpool’s second shot of the game – Anthony Moris saving from Gravenberch and later from Harvey Elliott – in the 78th minute showed how little impact the visitors had.