Athletic claim semi-final place at Rangers' expense Sancet nets penalty after Souttar trips Sannadi & Williams heads in second Raskin effort against post is Rangers best chance Nico Williams' late goal finally ended Rangers' Europa League dreams as Athletic Bilbao reached the semi-finals to maintain their hopes of winning the tournament on home soil. After battling to a goalless draw at Ibrox despite playing most of the first leg with 10 men, Rangers needed a near-perfect performance against La Liga's fourth-place side, and were still in the tie with 11 minutes left. However, Spain international Williams headed home Oscar De Marcos' beautiful cross to kill Rangers' chances of a second final in four seasons, after Oihan Sancet's penalty in first-half stoppage time broke the deadlock. Conceding the first goal at that point was a cruel blow for Barry Ferguson's side, but in truth it was no less than Athletic deserved for their first-half dominance. It was John Souttar who was penalised for running into Maroan Sannadi just as the interval approached, but Rangers did at least respond positively for a spell after the break. Not helped by injuries to defenders Ridvan Yilmaz and Leon Balogun, they kept the ball better and went agonisingly close to an equaliser when Nicolas Raskin's close-range shot was touched on to a post by goalkeeper Julen Agirrezabala. There will be plenty of wistful thoughts about that chance, as there will be for a controversial moment when the game was goalless. Cyriel Dessers was pulled back in the box by Dani Vivian to the extent his shirt was ripped, but the officials deemed the contact as fleeting and there was no Rangers penalty or red card. But apart from that nervy moment and Raskin's close shave, Athletic were fairly comfortable in defence, as their dream of winning the Europa League at their San Mames home moves a step closer. There was always a sense this tie would be a bridge too far for Rangers. Athletic are flying high in La Liga and on a mission to win this tournament. However, the Ibrox side have had a habit of performing near miracles on the Europa League stage, consistently defying the odds. But when Dessers' ripped shirt only lead to a yellow card for the Nigerian for dissent rather than a penalty, you got the sense there would be no luck on their side. Injuries to Yilmaz, Ianis Hagi, and Balogun forced Ferguson and his staff into multiple changes of shape as they tried to adjust. But luck and injuries aside, Rangers were also outclassed over the tie. Athletic, channelling the energy of a fervent crowd, hounded them out of possession and piled the pressure on in the first half. Rangers went close to holding out until half-time, but Souttar's foul robbed them of the chance to regroup with the game goalless. A brief flurry after the break and the fact their hosts had only found one goal kept hope flickering, but Athletic have the best defensive record in La Liga and largely held them at arms' length until Williams pounced to extinguish it. Rangers can be proud of another good run at this level, but their season is now over and the questions will start about an uncertain future. When will the takeover by the San Francisco 49ers group be completed? Who will the manager be? How many players will leave? These are the only questions left for the club to focus on after a trophy-less season. Athletic, a club who only play Basque players, are built on emotion and identity. A chance to win a Europa League at San Mames is once in a lifetime for these players and their fans, and this squad appear to be carrying that pressure lightly. Experienced coach Ernesto Valverde is a calming influence and has this side playing disciplined but exciting football, with their first-half pressing particularly impressive. While in the second half they kept calm when Rangers had their moments to get the job done with a bit to spare. In Spain's European Championship winner Nico Williams they also have a star who will cause Manchester United problems in the semi-finals as they aim to reach a first final since 2012 when Marcelo Bielsa guided them to the showpiece. Rangers interim head coach Barry Ferguson: "Obviously disappointed. The work rate was there but the quality wasn't. "[We should have had] two penalties. It's a clear pull on Cyriel [Dessers], it's a clear red card. In the second half with Nicolas [Raskin], it strikes [the defender's] hand and that's another penalty. "At the end of the day, we were up against a quality team. Sometimes you have to hold your hands up. "It's going to hurt. We need to go away and reflect a bit before finishing the season as strongly as possible." Rangers striker Cyriel Dessers: "Ball gets deflected into the box, I think I can get to it, then my shirt gets pulled. "Even if there's doubt, you can look at the shirt. It's not possible in he middle of the pitch, it's not possible in the box. "We're on the wrong side of it today. It hurts."

There were 109 minutes on the clock at Old Trafford when Lyon forward Alexandre Lacazette effectively ended Manchester United's season. Thousands of fans headed for the exits with United 4-2 down on the night, 6-4 on aggregate, 11 minutes left. Game over. "United need more than a miracle," Rio Ferdinand said on TNT Sports commentary. Then the miracle unfolded. But as the famous song goes, Man Utd will never die. Bruno Fernandes, perhaps the only United player to have done himself justice this season, pulled one back from the penalty spot after Casemiro was kicked during a frantic scrabble. Six minutes remaining. In the 120th minute, substitute Kobbie Mainoo cut inside his man and bent a stunning, curling strike into the bottom far corner. It's been a difficult campaign for the young England midfielder after shooting to stardom last season, but this was a moment befitting of his quality. All square on the night and on aggregate. Penalties looming, six weeks after suffering shootout elimination in the FA Cup. Not today said Harry Maguire, the ultimate scapegoat figure of United's steady decline who continues to step up in big moments. Less than a minute after Mainoo struck, Maguire was wheeling away in delerious celebration after heading in the winner. Bedlam. "I've never seen anything like that as a spectator. It was an amazing thing. We saw so many fans leaving when it was 4-2 and you thought that was over," former United defender Rio Ferdinand said on TNT Sports. "I said on commentary it would take more than a miracle to get back into it and now I'm actually a believer because that was outrageous." Former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson was similarly gobsmacked on BBC Radio 5 Live. "The scenes inside Old Trafford are something else," he said. "I have seen nothing like it. Bedlam. The stewards are on the pitch, fans are on the pitch and staff are on the pitch. Andre Onana is doing laps of celebrations. Old Trafford has not seen scenes like this for many a year. "I don't think I have ever seen a game like that. They looked dead and buried. I have not seen that character from them all season. "Superlatives, you run out of them." Never before have five goals been scored during a period of extra time in a European knockout fixture. United's comeback was as ludicrous as it was improbable, but when the Theatre of Dreams is concerned, strange things have been known to happen. "You've seen special things happen at this club. I think back to the Ole Gunnar Solskjaer against Liverpool [in 1999]. It reminded me slightly, I know that's only 2-1 and this was 5-4," said former United midfielder Paul Scholes on TNT Sports. "I always feel like when you get one here you've got a chance." Perhaps United defender Leny Yoro summed it up best. "Honestly, I don't understand what's happened. It was crazy! The fans helped us to do it. When you hear the fans, even at 4-2 you know we can do it," he told TNT Sports. "We needed to believe and if you don't believe you cannot win. This is what the fans deserve - they give everything at every game." United are 14th in the Premier League and will finish the season with their lowest-ever Premier League points tally. But now they have something to play for. Get past Athletic Bilbao in the semi-finals next month, and they will contest the final at Bilbao's San Mames. Win that and they will play in the Champions League next season. Fans won't be thinking about that though - they'll be reliving the scenes at Old Trafford on Thursday for years to come.

"You're going to have to put up with me for a little bit longer." On Wednesday, Ange Postecoglou admitted to having "no idea" if he would still be in a job following the Europa League quarter-final second leg trip to Eintracht Frankfurt. But, following Thursday's 1-0 victory in Germany, Tottenham are through to a semi-final against Norway's Bodo/Glimt and have a first trophy in 17 years in their sights. "Our fans have been through a tough time. Hopefully this gives them something to look forward to," said Postecoglou, whose Spurs side are 15th in the Premier League. "I'm the same coach that I was yesterday. The players have never lost belief. People like to mock and diminish my achievements but I'll leave that there. "I don't care, it doesn't bother me, it doesn't affect what I do. For me, it's always about the dressing room. Do the players believe? Do the staff believe? "That's much more important than what others may make of me. "So, unfortunately for a lot of you, you're going to have to put up with me for a little bit longer." Despite being on the way to equalling their lowest Premier League finish, set in 1994, Postecoglou said he never lost faith in his players and feels his players have kept faith in him. "They've been so united in believing in what we're trying to achieve here," the Australian manager said. "And that is what gave me heart all along that if we got our own slice of luck in terms of getting some players back [from injury], that I really believed this team could achieve. That is what keeps driving me. "Not at any stage have I felt they lost any belief in me or what we're doing. That is crucial when you're having a difficult season, but there is also a season of opportunity there." Postecoglou, with his back against the wall, lives to fight another day. We will never know whether Tottenham would have relieved him of his duties had they gone out of the Europa League on Thursday - but he was certainly under huge pressure heading into a game that was probably the biggest of his reign so far. Victory buys the Australian some time - you can't see a scenario where Tottenham would sack him before the semi-final. But while it keeps the wolves from the door for now, he isn't out of the woods yet. While Europa League success is a factor, it won't be the only consideration for Spurs when it comes to them deciding whether Postecoglou is head coach next season. Their Premier League form, which has be extremely poor, will be taken into account as will Postecoglou's connection with the supporters, which has been mixed to say the least. With a win in Germany, Postecoglou has given himself a fighting chance, although this result alone is unlikely to be enough to keep his job safe in the longer term.

There are few more famous comeback wins in Manchester United's history than their 1999 Champions League triumph. That night at the Nou Camp, Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjær struck in injury time to overturn Bayern Munich's early 1-0 lead and win European club football's most coveted prize. While Thursday's night's dramatic and unexpected comeback victory against Lyon in the Europa League quarter-finals is not of the same magnitude as that famous night 26 years ago, it motivated Red Devils boss Ruben Amorim to experience such moments himself. "I was watching again the 1999 documentary to have some inspiration for these moments," Amorim revealed to TNT Sports after the 5-4 win against 10-man Lyon, during which United scored three goals in the final six minutes of extra time to seal a 7-6 aggregate win. "It was a great night - 4-2 with one more player you think it's over, but here it is never over. I felt here everything is possible." United are 14th in the Premier League but despite the disappointing season they are just three games away from a European trophy and with it direct access to the Champions League next season. It had looked like United would make comfortable progress after goals from Manuel Ugarte and Diogo Dalot in a commanding first-half display had them in control. But they proceeded to throw away the two-goal advantage as Corentin Tolisso and Nicolas Tagliafico struck to level the tie and take the game to extra time. Even though Lyon had Tolisso sent off in the final minute of normal time, Rayan Cherki put the French side ahead before Alexandre Lacazette's penalty looked to have sent them through, prompting some United fans to leave and beat the traffic. But then came the incredible fightback as Bruno Fernandes' penalty and Kobbie Mainoo's cool finish levelled matters, before Old Trafford erupted when Harry Maguire headed in the winner with seconds remaining. "The sounds of the stadium was the best ever," Amorim added. "Some people collect shirts, scarves, but I want to keep that sound, it's the best sound in the world. "I feel for the people who had to leave at 4-2 because of the traffic, they will be gutted. "We know we are underperforming and deserve all the critics, but we have time to make something special of this season." Maguire agreed with his manager that the Old Trafford atmosphere was something that helped the players stage one of the most memorable comebacks. "To go down 4-2 in extra time to 10 men is not good enough, we opened ourselves too much," he said. "But we dug in and showed great spirit, that's what this stadium does." Maguire's goal was the first 120th-minute winning goal scored in Europa League history and the first in a major European tie since Atletico Madrid beat Liverpool at Anfield in March 2020 This was only the second 5-4 win in United's history, along with their 5-4 victory over Arsenal in the top flight in February 1958. This is the first game in major European football history to see five goals scored after extra time. Fernandes has scored 14 penalty goals in major European competitions (three for Sporting, 11 for United) - only Robert Lewandowski (20), Cristiano Ronaldo (20) and Lionel Messi (18) have scored more.