In the Europa League last-16 first leg, Real Sociedad and Manchester United played to a 1-1 draw on Thursday in San Sebastian. Manchester United took the lead when Joshua Zirkzee scored in the 57th minute, but Real Sociedad equalized with a penalty by Mikel Oyarzabal after Bruno Fernandes handled the ball.
Zirkzee’s goal was his first in Europe this season, a low shot from 20 yards following a good pass from Alejandro Garnacho. However, Fernandes’ handball allowed Oyarzabal to score from the penalty spot, and the match ended 1-1. Manchester United’s goalkeeper Andre Onana made two key saves to keep the score even, setting up an exciting return match next week.
Meanwhile, Tottenham Hotspur lost 1-0 to AZ Alkmaar. The only goal of the match came from an own goal by Lucas Bergvall in the first half. Tottenham's goalkeeper, Guglielmo Vicario, made some great saves, but Spurs couldn’t find an equalizer. Tottenham also had more trouble when Dominic Solanke got injured after 20 minutes.
In other games, Rangers won 3-1 against Fenerbahce. Lyon beat FCSB 3-1, with Malick Fofana scoring two late goals. Roma won 2-1 against Athletic Bilbao, with a dramatic last-minute goal from Eldor Shomurodov.
Lazio won 2-1 against Viktoria Plzen despite having only nine players for part of the game. Eintracht Frankfurt beat Ajax 2-1, and Bodo/Glimt won 3-0 against Olympiakos.
It was an exciting night in the Europa League, with many close matches and some dramatic finishes. The return legs next week should be just as thrilling.