Just 24 hours after the confirmation, there would be two English sides in the final of the Champions League, there will now also be two English sides in the semi-finals of the Europa League.
Both Manchester United and Arsenal advanced to the next round of Europe’s secondary competition after impressive victories over Granada and Slavia Prague respectively.
Before the matches even started, the drama had begun when Slavia refused to take the knee – the same week, their teammate Ondrej Kudela was banned for ten matches for abusing Glen Kamara racistly. You can probably tell what Arsenal’s Alexandre Lacazette thought about the decision …
Lacazette ✊❤️ pic.twitter.com/aHlh1SYr00
– Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) April 15, 2021
Alexandre Lacazette takes the knee in the face of Slavia Prague’s team that refuses to take the knee, which has a player banned for 10 games for racism, is the best you will see today. pic.twitter.com/2ZuYrqHjRc
– RuthlessFT ?? (@RuthlessFt) April 15, 2021
Manchester United already had a foothold in the semi-finals when they started at Old Trafford after their 2-0 victory in Spain last week, and it only took six minutes for all Granada hopes of an emphatic comeback to be extinguished.
A first European goal in Manchester United colors for Edinson Cavani! ?
You just can not give Uruguay space so!
A cracking finish! ? #UEL pic.twitter.com/tKwJ2QAZK5
– Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) April 15, 2021
Classic Cavani. Do not think that anyone thought he would miss it. No wonder the goalkeeper did not move. #mufc
– Samuel Luckhurst (@samuelluckhurst) April 15, 2021
11 – Edinson Cavani has scored in European competition for the 11th season in a row, with this being his first goal in the UEFA Europa League since December 2012 (for Napoli against PSV). Permanent. pic.twitter.com/mbsGhcsXRm
– OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) April 15, 2021
Edinson Cavani has now scored 50 goals in UEFA club competitions? pic.twitter.com/1nXa6vj0Cv
– ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) April 15, 2021
Over in Prague, Emile Smith Rowe’s early banned goal of a marginal offside decision will make Arsenal fans around the world look at each other with fear in their eyes, as if to say, ‘no, it’s not one of those nights is The’.
They should not have had any such worries, as Nicolas Pepe opened the scoring just minutes after Smith Rowe was denied.
The fast feet of Smith Rowe. Pépés ro.
A class Arsenal opener! ? #UEL pic.twitter.com/iNiJ2fQjlT
– Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) April 15, 2021
PEPE !!! ?
It counts!
⚪ 0-1? (18) | (1-2 agg)
? #UEL pic.twitter.com/cuzTOJCiAG
– Arsenal (@Arsenal) April 15, 2021
WHEN THE MOST IMPORTANT IS NIKOLA’S PEPE ALWAYS STEP UP !!! TERER IS IN THOSE WINES
– Bhavs (@ bhavss14) April 15, 2021
7 – Of players still involved in the UEFA Europa League 2020-21, only Roma’s Borja Mayoral (9) has been directly involved in more goals in the competition this season than Arsenal’s Nicolas Pépé (7 – 4 goals, 3 assists) . Headlamp. pic.twitter.com/WX8vu1hI4W
– OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) April 15, 2021
Right, just the start Arsenal needed, but the tie still hung in balance and it would take a really stiff, disciplined screen to ensure their semi-final spot was in the bag.
Arsenal’s front line had other ideas …
❌ 14 ‘Smith-Rowe goal allowed⚽️ 18’ Pépé⚽️ 21 ‘Lacazette⚽️ 24’ Saka
Arsenal are not holding back in Prague! ? pic.twitter.com/EpLKoERGLZ
– 90min (@ 90min_Football) April 15, 2021
SAY IT’S CLASS! ?
A fantastic start to the match for Arsenal who have scored three early goals! ??? #UEL pic.twitter.com/I8tStBBmUm
– Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) April 15, 2021
If the shooters expected a return of the second half from the home team when they desperately tried to claw their way back to the competition, they were in for a big surprise.
Slavia offered very little in the future – even though they needed four goals if they were to move forward – and Arsenal took complete control of the game before Lacazette put the cherry on top of a professional exhibition in Prague.
Alexandre Lacazette put in a huge shift, the penalty, the pressure, the linking, showed for the ball, released to fill the space, leading by example, took the knee right in front of Slavia and saw a real captain tonight. Only Slavia but still. #SLAARS
– Henry Winter (@henrywinter) April 15, 2021
Alexandre Lacazette has now made back-to-back braces at home:
⚽️⚽️ vs. Sheffield United⚽️⚽️ vs. Slavia Prague
A goal away from equalizing their best single season for Arsenal. #UEL pic.twitter.com/BSxKx2rKmN
– Squawka Football (@Squawka) April 15, 2021
When United knocked off their tie after a late own goal put them 4-0 ahead overall, thoughts soon turned to the semifinal bands and …
? The semifinals are ???! ?
Who will compete in the final in Gdańsk? ? #UEL pic.twitter.com/WxoEC80WAj
– UEFA Europa League (@EuropaLeague) 15 April 2021
Unai Emery returns to the Emirates with his Villareal side in the Europa League semi-final! ? pic.twitter.com/PNnpmaAOD8
– 90min (@ 90min_Football) April 15, 2021
Could very well be an English final in both the Champions League and Europa League.
-? (@ BatesyV5) April 15, 2021
