Where do Man Utd’s goals come from and Tottenham fail to show up despite prioritising AZ game – Europa League and UEFA Conference League Hits & Misses | Football News

The Sky Sports football writers analyse Thursday’s UEFA Europa League and Conference League action as Spurs lose at AZ, Manchester United draw at Real Sociedad, Rangers enjoy a famous win against Fenerbahce and Chelsea beat FC Copenhagen.

Where will the goals come from for Man Utd?

The Europa League is proving to be a nice escape for Ruben Amorim from his nightmare start as Manchester United head coach domestically.

But one thing he cannot escape is the fact he is in charge of a team that does not score enough.

Joshua Zirkzee’s goal in the draw at Real Sociedad was just his second of 2025 and would have been saved if Real Sociedad goalkeeper Alex Remiro had been paying attention.

Alejandro Garnacho, without a goal in 22 games, and Rasmus Hojlund, without a goal in 19, have not scored in this calendar year. Not the type of front three to instil fear into the opposition, is it?

That is all Amorim has to play with right now thanks to the failure to add teenage striker Chido Obi to the Europa League squad in time for the knockout phase. It is also why United could only name five outfield players on the bench in Spain.

And even when Hojlund, who takes the most flack for United’s striking problems, was in a position to score, his team-mate, Diogo Dalot, passed up the chance to put the ball on a plate for him. He was understandably infuriated by the decision-making.

It is a sorry state of affairs and leaves Amorim swimming against the tide.

United can take confidence into the second leg after their performance at Anoeta, but this inescapable reality will be on the mind of Amorim as he fights to keep the season alive.
Zinny Boswell

All that preparation – and Spurs never showed up

After losing to Manchester City last week, Ange Postecoglou almost admitted he was prioritising the Europa League over the Premier League after resting Heung-Min Son, Dejan Kulusevki and Djed Spence eight days ago.

The insipid performance in Alkmaar would be bad enough without the knowledge it has Spurs’ entire season hinging upon it.

It is hard, in some ways, to get too despondent about such a limp performance, including a solitary shot on target and an xG of barely 0.4, given in seven days Tottenham could easily be in the Europa League quarter-finals.

But this was Spurs at their despondent worst. Think the Carabao Cup semi-final second leg against Liverpool. Maybe worse.

It was summed up by a dreadful free-kick routine just before half-time, where James Maddison – instead of going for goal – played a poorly executed one-two which ended up wasting the opportunity altogether.

The whole night feels like exactly the same. Spurs never found their rhythm, never got going. The whole point of the Postecoglou era was meant to be free-flowing, attacking football.

At least they would go down without a fight. This was little more than a damp squib, though Spurs have AZ’s poor finishing to thank that the tie is still rescuable.
Ron Walker

Once again Rangers save their best for Europe

Barry Ferguson tweaked the formation and opted for a back five in Istanbul. They may not have kept a clean sheet, but they did not fall behind like in their last two domestic matches.

They looked stronger defensively, but also in attack with Cyriel Dessers and Vaclav Cerny showing what they can offer when they show the best of themselves.

Exiting the Scottish Cup to Queen’s Park was more than a disappointment, but it does mean a free week to prepare for the return as they try to set up a quarter-final tie against Roma or Athletic Bilbao.

Fenerbahce were disappointing, but that was their first defeat in 19 games. There is no way this tie is over, and Jose Mourinho is sure to have a plan for the second leg at Ibrox next week.

He will have more options with Fred back from suspension and Jack Butland was tested in the Rangers goal on several occasions.

Ibrox under the lights is set to be a cracker, the question is can the home fans get behind the players rather than on their backs to inspire them to another famous European victory?

Chelsea’s lack of in-game consistency is a worry

This was a performance that summed up this Chelsea team and perhaps epitomised their season.

They were so sloppy in parts. They were superb in parts.

Just two shots to an expected goals tally of 0.06 before the break wasn’t the sign of a team odds-on to win this competition. It was too safe. Passing without purpose.

That changed instantly when Maresca turned to his bench at half-time, bringing on Levi Colwill, Christopher Nkunku and the fully engaged Enzo Fernandez, whose enthusiasm and bite set the tone for a much-improved second period.

Yet still, Chelsea, who were cruising with the clock ticking down, switched off from the set-piece and allowed the Danish champions to keep the tie alive.

Inconsistency is common trait of a developing team packed with potential but the ups and downs during 90 minutes remains a big worry for the long-term prospects under this manager.
Lewis Jones