Arsenal’s academy products helped the team enter the Europa League playoffs on Thursday, while Leicester needed an expired draw from Jamie Vardy to advance.
Arsenal’s record signing, Nicolas Pépé, showed his appearance after being sent off in a 0-0 draw against Leeds in the Premier League on Sunday, scoring the first goal in a 3-0 home win over Molde norway. Reiss Nelson doubled the lead and Folarin Balogun, less than a minute after his replacement, scored the third for his first purpose for the club.
Hoffenheim and Leicester also complete the 16-year-olds with two spare matches. The Premier League club tied 3 times in a 3–3 draw in Braga, with Vardy scoring the last goal in extra time.
AC Milan were unable to win a consecutive match for the time being, as Italian power held a 1–1 draw in Lille.
A minute’s silence before all the games in tribute to Diego Maradona, who died this Wednesday at the age of 60.
Former Maradona Napoli club was in action later on Thursday, along with Tottenham, Benfica and Real Sociedad.
ARSENAL ADVANCES
Arsenal used a number of problems at the time to achieve a better record with 4 wins out of 4.
Barely a minute after hitting the crossbar, Pépé put a ball in the most sensitive corner of the net within five minutes of the start of the moment.
Pepe has struggled to identify himself in the team for Premier League games after being transferred to Arsenal from French club Lille last summer as part of an 80 million euro ($89 million) deal, but leads the rate in the Europa League.
He has scored 3 goals at the festival this season and created two more for Arsenal.
Five minutes later, Joe Willock, a product of the academy, gave Nelson a great center to take advantage of the second. Balgun finished it close to seven minutes in time.
Arsenal lead Group B with 12 points, six more than Molde. Rapid Vienna Dundalk later on Thursday.
Vardy
Vardy tied five minutes after the time off to put the newcomer from the Europa League, Leicester, in the next leg.
Fransérgio had advanced 3-2 to the hosts 4 minutes earlier.
In the last round, Leicester had beaten Braga 4-0 at home, this time 1-0 after Al Musrati scored within 4 minutes of the match.
Harvey Barnes canceled that five minutes later with a high shot in the net, but Paulinho restored the merit of a host’s goal at 24 at point-blank range.
Luke Thomas scored the Leicester tie at 79.
Leicester leads Group G with 10 points, Braga with seven. Zorya Luhansk beat AEK Athens 3-0, putting either of them in 3 points.
OTHER GROUPS
Hoffenheim ahead of Christoph Baumgartner at 77 and replacement Andrej Kramario added a penalty at 89 when the German team completed Group L. The Bundesliga club has 12 points, 3 more than red star Belgrade, which won Gent 2-0.
After Lille stunned AC Milan 3-0 in San Siro in the final round, he tied 1-1 with Italian force at home to remain the most sensible in Group H with 8 points. Milan is in a moment. Prague’s Sparta is a back point after beating Celtic 4-1 at home, while Celtic have only one point
In Group I, Villarreal leads with 10 points after a 1–1 home draw with 10-man Maccabi Tel Aviv, which goes with seven. Sivasspor has six after winning Qaraba 3-2.
Dinamo Zagreb brandished Wolfsberg 3-0 to the most sensible of Group K with 8 points, leading Feyenoord 3 after the Dutch side’s 0-0 draw against CSKA.
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