Man Utd faces difficulties in Europa League; Hai Phong rises to second place in V.League

Man Utd, Arsenal face difficulties in Europa League

Europa League 2022-2023 group stage results.Image:UEFA

Man Utd will meet Real Sociedad again when the two teams face off in the 2020-2021 Europa League round of 16. At that time, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's army won 4-0 over two legs. But Sociedad is still considered the most annoying team in Group 2 of the Europa League this season.

Sheriff is also not expected to be an easy match for Man Utd. Last season, they caused a surprise when they defeated hosts Real Madrid 2-1 in the Champions League group stage, although they only finished third and were relegated to the Europa League. This season, the Moldovan representative could not make it to the Champions League group stage again, losing to Viktoria Plzen in the play-off.

The remaining opponent in Group E is Omonoia Nicosia, in Cyprus, led by coach Neil Lennon, who helped Celtic defeat Barca in the Champions League in 2012.

Arsenal are also drawn in a tricky Group A, with PSV Eindhoven, Bodo/Glimt and Zurich. PSV are holders of the Dutch Cup, Zurich have just won the Swiss title, and Bodo are Norway's strongest side and beat Roma 6-1 in the Conference League group stage last season.

Roma also promise not to have an easy time getting through Group C with Ludogorets, Real Betis and Finnish champions HJK Helsinki. Betis will be the toughest challenge for Jose Mourinho's team, as they are holding the Spanish King's Cup.

The Europa League group stage will take place from September 8 to November 3, every Thursday night. The tournament could feature multiple Champions League winners such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Raphael Varane or Casemiro, all of whom are members of Man Utd.

Hai Phong rose to second place in V.League after a 7-goal match

The turning point of the Hai Phong - Ho Chi Minh City match came in the 3rd minute. When the game was not yet clear, Hai Phong opened the score thanks to the efforts of two foreign players. Rimario broke through on the left wing, crossed to the second post for Mpande. This player finished with great force, opening the score for the home team Hai Phong.

Ho Chi Minh City Club (left) and Hai Phong created an unbelievable chase. Photo: Phan Tung

When they could not find an attacking solution, Ho Chi Minh City FC conceded two more goals. Both were scored by Rimario in the 36th and 48th minutes. The score of 3-0 seemed to be the end of the match at Lach Tray Stadium. But the drama has only just begun.

The decision to bring in Hoang Vu Samson helped coach Truong Viet Hoang significantly change the attack of Ho Chi Minh City Club. In the 64th and 72nd minutes, Daniel Green and Atapharoy Bygrave scored, reducing the score to 2-3.

The match became tense in the following minutes before Joseph Mpande shone for the second time in the match, raising the score to 4-2. The remaining time was too short for Ho Chi Minh City FC to gain points. Vo Huy Toan's late goal in the 90th minute was not enough for the Southern representative. Lee Nguyen and his teammates accepted to leave Lach Tray Stadium with a 3-4 defeat.

The victory over Ho Chi Minh City Club and SLNA's draw with Hanoi helped Hai Phong rise to second place in the V.League table. Coach Chu Dinh Nghiem's ​​team has 23 points after 13 rounds, 2 points more than SLNA.

Marseille rejects Ronaldo

According to President Pablo Longoria, Marseille has no plans to recruit Cristiano Ronaldo.

"The Ronaldo deal is not for us. Rumors about him are no different than saying De Bruyne or Haaland are our targets," Longoria affirmed.

According to the Marseille President, the social media world is full of fake news about football. Instead of chasing after that news, readers and fans need to be selective and have a realistic view. Longoria also affirmed that Marseille only focuses on real projects.

Ronaldo (right) was present in the match Man Utd lost 0-4 to Brentford. Photo: Reuters.

Ronaldo is still looking for a way out of Man Utd. However, finding a big club with a ticket to the Champions League is a difficult problem. Most of the candidates for the championship have rejected Ronaldo, including Real, Bayern, Chelsea, Barca, PSG and Atletico.

Rumors of Ronaldo joining Marseille began to flourish after rejections from big clubs. Two former French players, Samir Nasri and Djibril Cisse, both advised CR7 to join this team.

Ronaldo could still have a chance to join Sporting Lisbon. Before joining Man Utd in 2003, CR7 was a young player at this team. Ronaldo could also have a chance to join Napoli, who are in Group A with Ajax, Liverpool and Rangers. Napoli are in need of a good striker after saying goodbye to Lorenzo Insigne, Arkadiusz Milik and Dries Mertens.