Sevilla took a massive step towards the next round of the UEFA Europa League with a scintillating 3-0 home victory over PSV Eindhoven in the first leg of their play-off tie. The result sees Jorge Sampaoli’s side extend their superb run in the competition, now victorious in 23 of their last 25 home games in the UEL.It was a quintessential European tie, as the two teams scrapped without wanting to give an inch to their opposition. PSV saw the bulk of the attacking play, with Xavi Simons at the heart of everything the Dutch side did. However, Sevilla’s resolute defence held firm, much to the delight of the boisterous home crowd.While PSV were the better team throughout much of the opening 45 minutes, their failure to capitalise left the door open for the hosts as time wore on. They were made to rue their missed chances as the deadlock was finally broken on the stroke of halftime, when Jesús Navas slid an inch-perfect cross into the path of Youssef En-Nesyri who slotted home to snatch a lead for Sevilla with the last kick of the half.The fate of the tie took a major swing within five minutes of the interval, as substitute Lucas Ocampos collected an aerial ball before turning and firing home in style to stretch Sevilla’s lead on the night to two goals. It got even better for the Spanish outfit before the hour mark, as Nemanja Gudelj fired a close-range effort into the roof of the net, putting the hosts home and clear. With a three-goal lead in the bag, Los Nervionenses put their foot on the ball and slowed the tempo down, taking a commanding lead to Eindhoven for the second leg.PSV will have plenty of work to do if they are going to pull themselves out of the first leg hole. However, after being the better team for most of the first half, manager Ruud van Nistelrooy can at least take some positives back home for the return fixture.Elsewhere, a stoppage time thunderbolt from Axel Disasi ensured Monaco will take a 3-2 advantage back to the Principality in their UEL knockout playoff tie with Bayer 04 Leverkusen, thanks in part to a catastrophic own-goal from Die Werkself stopper Lukáš Hrádecký.Bayer Leverkusen’s fortunes this campaign have seen a slight recovery under Xabi Alonso since his appointment in October, but it wasn’t enough for them to avoid a transfer from the UEFA Champions League to the UEL. The hands of fate delivered a clash with Monaco, resurgent in Ligue 1 and unbeaten in 2023 – but the French visitors required zero skill to carry on that momentum, being gift-wrapped a ninth-minute lead in calamitous circumstances. Out of nothing, Hrádecký mis-controlled a Jonathan Tah back pass, before bizarrely putting the ball into his own net under pressure from Breel Embolo. Despite finding himself on the floor, the Finn’s appeals for a foul went unanswered, rubber-stamping Monaco’s earliest UEL away goal in history.A stunned Leverkusen struggled to match the tempo of a spirited Monaco side thereafter, and despite lively displays from Leverkusen duo Jeremie Frimpong and Moussa Diaby, stern words were surely in order from Alonso at halftime. His side came out a changed team in the second half. They duly drew level just minutes after the restart, when some devastating passing play between Florian Wirtz, Frimpong and Diaby resulted in the Frenchman dancing into the box and slotting the ball coolly underneath Alexander Nübel for his first UEL goal in eleven months.Leverkusen were now firmly on the front foot, creating chances aplenty before turning the game on its head with less than an hour gone. Having returned from a long term injury earlier in the season, Wirtz produced some individual magic, darting between the floundering Monaco defenders and sliding his shot well out of reach of Nübel and into the bottom corner. Despite their dominance, Leverkusen were caught sleeping when Krépin Diatta cut inside on his left foot and struck the ball with both power and bend into the far corner, making it two goals a piece.It was a frantic end to the match, with both sides vying to put their noses in front. Adam Hložek smashed a shot against the near post for Leverkusen, but Monaco managed to strike the killer blow deep into stoppage time. Central defender Axel Disasi received the ball 30 yards out from goal, and his fantastic long-range strike flew into the corner of the net. Bayer Leverkusen will be left to rue their early mistake, as they now require a second leg win at Stade Louis II – a stadium at which they have never tasted victory.In Turin, Ludovic Blas’ strike saw Nantes come from behind to earn a 1-1 draw against Juventus in the first leg of their UEL knockout round play-off. Though left disappointed against one of Ligue 1’s draw specialists, I Bianconeri remain unbeaten at home in the competition.The pressure was firmly on Juventus ahead of this tie, with the UEL trophy being their likeliest key to a UEFA Champions League return, after a 15-point deduction in Serie A left them well adrift of the top-four. However, Massimiliano Allegri’s men didn’t show that they were feeling any pressure, and confidently took a 13th-minute lead when Ángel Di María’s exquisite pass found Federico Chiesa, who nodded the ball across for Dušan Vlahović to nonchalantly complete a move of devastating brilliance from I Bianoneri’s front three.Les Canaris were caged in their own half for large periods as Juventus’ stronghold on proceedings continued. Lafont undeniably kept them in the game ahead of the break, dealing with Di María’s outrageous strike, Andrei Girotto’s miscued clearance and Leandro Paredes’ free-kick. Surprisingly though, Nantes re-emerged after halftime with far greater intent and got their reward on the hour mark. When Juventus had a penalty shout turned down, the Ligue 1 side raced forward to get Blas in front of goal, and their talisman fired in his third goal in four across all competitions.Juventus thought their response was equally as swift, but Nicolas Pallois’ sensational block sent Chiesa’s strike cannoning off the crossbar and post, before the ball fell into Lafont’s grateful arms, and a corner delivery from Di María also hit the woodwork soon after. As Antoine Kombouaré’s inspired side pushed forward for a shock winner, Samuel Moutoussamy’s ambitious shot sailed agonisingly wide, while Jean-Charles Castelletto put in a superb last-ditch tackle on Adrien Rabiot late on.UEL: Atomic football at Camp Nou and two goals a piece – what a rematch lies ahead of us!Following a VAR check, Nantes escaped a penalty call in the final seconds due to Gleison Bremer pushing Fabien Centonze before the Brazilian’s header hit his hand, as the Ligue 1 side’s first knockout stage match in over 20 years ended in a well-earned draw, giving Les Canaris a chance of progression at the Stade de la Beaujoire. Meanwhile, Juventus’ European frustrations continue, following their worst-ever UCL group stage performance, while tonight’s result itself means that both sides remain unbeaten in four matches across all competitions.UEFA EUROPA LEAGUEPlay-off, first legThursdayShakhtar – Rennes 2-1 (2-0)/Kryskiv 11, Bondarenko 45+1 pen – Toko Ekambi 59/Barcelona – Man.Utd. 2-2 (0-0)/Alonso 50, Raphinha 77 – Rashford 53, Kounde 59 og/Salzburg – Roma 1-0 (0-0)/Capaldo 88/Ajax – Union Berlin 0-0Sporting – Midtjylland 1-1 (0-0)/Coates 90+4 – Ashour 77/Juventus – Nantes 1-1 (1-0)/Vlahovic 13, – Blas 60/Leverkusen – Monaco 2-3 (0-1)/Diaby 48, Wirtz 59 – Hradecky 9 og, Diatta 74, Disasi 90+2/Sevilla – PSV 3-0 (1-0)/En Nesyri 45+2, Ocampos 50, Gudelj 55/
